Abstract
The ChemCam instrument suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity provides remote compositional information using the first laser-induced breakdown spectrometer (LIBS) on a planetary mission, and provides sample texture and morphology data using a remote micro-imager (RMI). Overall, ChemCam supports MSL with five capabilities: remote classification of rock and soil characteristics; quantitative elemental compositions including light elements like hydrogen and some elements to which LIBS is uniquely sensitive (e.g., Li, Be, Rb, Sr, Ba); remote removal of surface dust and depth profiling through surface coatings; context imaging; and passive spectroscopy over the 240–905 nm range. ChemCam is built in two sections: The mast unit, consisting of a laser, telescope, RMI, and associated electronics, resides on the rover’s mast, and is described in a companion paper. ChemCam’s body unit, which is mounted in the body of the rover, comprises an optical demultiplexer, three spectrometers, detectors, their coolers, and associated electronics and data handling logic. Additional instrument components include a 6 m optical fiber which transfers the LIBS light from the telescope to the body unit, and a set of onboard calibration targets. ChemCam was integrated and tested at Los Alamos National Laboratory where it also underwent LIBS calibration with 69 geological standards prior to integration with the rover. Post-integration testing used coordinated mast and instrument commands, including LIBS line scans on rock targets during system-level thermal-vacuum tests. In this paper we describe the body unit, optical fiber, and calibration targets, and the assembly, testing, and verification of the instrument prior to launch.
Highlights
The NASA Mars Exploration Program has seen an evolution in instrumentation for determining the composition of rock and soil samples
In this paper we describe the body unit, optical fiber, and calibration targets, and the assembly, testing, and verification of the instrument prior to launch
This paper describes the body unit (BU) and two other components: an assembly of onboard calibration targets and a mast-to-body optical fiber, and reports on the testing and performance of the integrated instrument suite
Summary
The NASA Mars Exploration Program has seen an evolution in instrumentation for determining the composition of rock and soil samples. ChemCam equips the MSL rover with five overall capabilities: (1) sample classification, (2) quantitative analyses, (3) remote depth profiling, (4) context images, and (5) passive spectroscopy. While other instruments on MSL can obtain more accurate compositions on most elements which the rover contacts, the quantitative compositions obtained by ChemCam will provide unique data on a much larger number of analyses than obtained with the other instruments. Unique quantitative compositional information extends to contexts exclusively sampled by ChemCam: samples that are inaccessible to the rover’s arm and fine-scale sampling provided by the laser beam. The latter allows depth profiling at a fine scale, permitting the study of surface coatings and weathering rinds on rocks. This section gives an overview of the instrument, describes the instrument requirements, and provides an overview of the ChemCam development history
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