Zapping Rocks on Mars
Abstract
Better understanding Mars means better understanding its geology. That’s why, sitting atop NASA’s Curiosity rover, is ChemCam, an instrument built by Los Alamos National Laboratory that shoots lasers at Martian rocks and analyzes the data. After nearly 1,500 rock zaps, ChemCam has uncovered some surprising facts about the Red Planet, including the discovery of igneous rocks. Soon, a new Los Alamos-built instrument—the SuperCam—will ride aboard the Mars 2020 rover and bring with it enhanced capabilities to unlock new secrets about the planet.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1254292
- Resource Type:
- Multimedia
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; CHEMCAM; ROCKS; IGNEOUS ROCKS; SOIL; CURIOSITY ROVER; MARS; SUPERCAM
Citation Formats
Wiens, Roger. Zapping Rocks on Mars. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web.
Wiens, Roger. Zapping Rocks on Mars. United States.
Wiens, Roger. Mon .
"Zapping Rocks on Mars". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1254292.
@article{osti_1254292,
title = {Zapping Rocks on Mars},
author = {Wiens, Roger},
abstractNote = {Better understanding Mars means better understanding its geology. That’s why, sitting atop NASA’s Curiosity rover, is ChemCam, an instrument built by Los Alamos National Laboratory that shoots lasers at Martian rocks and analyzes the data. After nearly 1,500 rock zaps, ChemCam has uncovered some surprising facts about the Red Planet, including the discovery of igneous rocks. Soon, a new Los Alamos-built instrument—the SuperCam—will ride aboard the Mars 2020 rover and bring with it enhanced capabilities to unlock new secrets about the planet.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2016},
month = {5}
}