In situ inorganic and organic analysis (Pyr/CD-GC/MS) of the Martian soil, on the Mars 2005 mission

Abstract

In order to obtain mineralogical information, the Mars Sample Return mission, in 2003 and 2005, will include sub-surface sampling. One expects that the effects of UV radiations and oxidizing agents are attenuated at depths corresponding to the bottom of the drilled cavity. In this case, such sampling will also allow to determine if life is or has been present at the surface of Mars. We propose to perform a preliminary in situ analysis of Martian samples: SAM ( Sample Analysis on Mars) on MSR 2005 lander. Such an analysis, performed on some parts of dedicated samples, will have the advantage of producing a ground-truth for the Earth-based analysis. Indeed, MSR 2003/2005 samples will be delivered to Earth laboratories in 2008, or 2009, depending on the duration of the quarantine, and it is not stated that some of their properties will remain unaltered during these three to 6 years. Moreover, there is a possibility that Martian sub-surface drilling delivers redundant samples: SAM could help to select, amongst the samples, which ones deserve to be sent to Earth, and, should the occasion arise, what are their unexpected peculiarities. To analyze inorganics and organics sampled at various depths, we propose to use the pyrolysis/chemical derivatization/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technique. This experiment may be performed using techniques already developed in the frame of other planetary (ACP/HUYGENS) or cometary (COSAC/ROSETTA) missions, which can easily be adapted to the proposed mission objective, according to the three following topics: search for organics, search for inorganics and isotope characterization.