Abstract
In this work, the analytical research performed by the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) team during the ExoFiT trial is presented. During this test, an emulator of the Rosalind Franklin rover was remotely operated at the Atacama Desert in a Mars-like sequence of scientific operations that ended with the collection and the analysis of two drilled cores. The in-situ Raman characterization of the samples was performed through a portable technology demonstrator of RLS (RAD1 system). The results were later complemented in the laboratory using a bench top RLS operation simulator and a X-Ray diffractometer (XRD). By simulating the operational and analytical constraints of the ExoMars mission, the two RLS representative instruments effectively disclosed the mineralogical composition of the drilled cores (k-feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, muscovite and rutile as main components), reaching the detection of minor phases (e.g., additional phyllosilicate and calcite) whose concentration was below the detection limit of XRD. Furthermore, Raman systems detected many organic functional groups (–C≡N, –NH2 and C–(NO2)), suggesting the presence of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in the samples. The Raman detection of organic material in the subsurface of a Martian analogue site presenting representative environmental conditions (high UV radiation, extreme aridity), supports the idea that the RLS could play a key role in the fulfilment of the ExoMars main mission objective: to search for signs of life on Mars.
Highlights
Led by ESA with the collaboration of Roscosmos, the ExoMars 2022 rover mission will pursue the detection of signs of present or past life on Mars[1,2]
Apart from the technical and engineering challenges that meant the development of the mentioned instruments, the success of the mission relies on the complex coordination work required for their remote control and synergic management Recognizing the need for training the ExoMars teams and enhancing collaboration practices between instrument working groups, ESA organized the ExoMars-like Field Testing (ExoFiT) trials[15], the second of which was carried out at the Atacama Desert (Chile) in February 2019
As part of the LCC team, science and engineering roles were covered by personnel from the University of Valladolid (UVa) and the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), who carried out the Raman characterization of the subsoil cores drilled by the rover
Summary
Led by ESA with the collaboration of Roscosmos, the ExoMars 2022 rover mission will pursue the detection of signs of present or past life on Mars[1,2] To achieve this goal, the designed payload of the Rosalind Franklin rover will employ a set of panoramic instruments ( PANCAM3 and I SEM4) to explore the surrounding environment, providing crucial data to be used in the navigation of the rover and in the identification of areas of high scientific interest. Recognizing the scientific and logistic value of this mission simulation, the present work aims to (1) summarize the preliminary analytical results obtained by the RLS team from the study of Atacama Desert samples, (2) evaluate advantages and disadvantages provided by the use of the RLS representative prototypes in ExoMarsrelated studies, and (3) extrapolate valuable information about the potential role the RLS could play in the fulfilment of the ExoMars mission objectives
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