The ChemCam Instrument Suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests
Open accessAbstract
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.
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In carbon-free samples analyzed at a given distance, contributions of atmospheric carbon and oxygen result in correlated C and O signals, whose intensities depend on laser-target coupling efficiency.
“previous work has shown that in carbon-free samples analyzed at a given distance, the contributions of atmospheric carbon and oxygen result in correlated C and O signals, whose intensities depend on the laser-target coupling efficiency (Beck etal., 2017; Gasnault et al., 2012; Wiens et al., 2012).”
From Carbonate Detection With SuperCam in Igneous Rocks on the Floor of Jezero Crater, Mars (2023) · cites this paper as Wiens et al., 2012
Breakdown of atmospheric CO2 from the Martian atmosphere in the plasma results in systematic C detection in Martian LIBS spectra.
“However, the breakdown of atmospheric CO 2 from the Martian atmosphere in the plasma results in systematic C detection in Martian LIBS spectra (Dequaire etal.,2017; Schröder etal.,2019; Wiens etal.,2012).”
From Carbonate Detection With SuperCam in Igneous Rocks on the Floor of Jezero Crater, Mars (2023) · cites this paper as Wiens et al., 2012
At a given distance, targets containing carbonates show a higher C signal and a higher carbon-to-oxygen ratio.
“It has been shown that, at a given distance, targets containing carbonates show a higher C signal, and a higher carbon-to-oxygen ratio.”
From Carbonate Detection With SuperCam in Igneous Rocks on the Floor of Jezero Crater, Mars (2023) · cites this paper as Wiens et al., 2012
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Klein, C. (2005) · American Mineralogist · doi:10.2138/am.2005.1871 · Cited by 969 · see citing works
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Soil Diversity and Hydration as Observed by ChemCam at Gale Crater, Mars
Meslin, P.-Y., Gasnault, O., Forni, O., Schröder, S., Cousin, A., Berger, G., Clegg, S. M., Lasue, J., Maurice, S., Sautter, V., et al. (2013) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1238670 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
Self-citationCarbonate Detection With SuperCam in Igneous Rocks on the Floor of Jezero Crater, Mars
Clavé, E., Benzerara, K., Meslin, P. ‐., Forni, O., Royer, C., Mandon, L., Beck, P., Quantin‐Nataf, C., Beyssac, O., Cousin, A., et al. (2023) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets · doi:10.1029/2022je007463 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Wiens, R. C., Maurice, S., Barraclough, B., Saccoccio, M., Barkley, W. C., Bell, J. F., Bender, S., Bernardin, J., Blaney, D., Blank, J., Bouyé, M., Bridges, N., Bultman, N., Caïs, P., Clanton, R. C., Clark, B., Clegg, S., Cousin, A., Cremers, D., Cros, A., DeFlores, L., Delapp, D., Dingler, R., D’Uston, C., Darby Dyar, M., Elliott, T., Enemark, D., Fabre, C., Flores, M., Forni, O., Gasnault, O., Hale, T., Hays, C., Herkenhoff, K., Kan, E., Kirkland, L., Kouach, D., Landis, D., Langevin, Y., Lanza, N., LaRocca, F., Lasue, J., Latino, J., Limonadi, D., Lindensmith, C., Little, C., Mangold, N., Manhes, G., Mauchien, P., McKay, C., Miller, E., Mooney, J., Morris, R. V., Morrison, L., Nelson, T., Newsom, H., Ollila, A., Ott, M., Pares, L., Perez, R., Poitrasson, F., Provost, C., Reiter, J. W., Roberts, T., Romero, F., Sautter, V., Salazar, S., Simmonds, J. J., Stiglich, R., Storms, S., Striebig, N., Thocaven, J.-J., Trujillo, T., Ulibarri, M., Vaniman, D., Warner, N., Waterbury, R., Whitaker, R., Witt, J., & Wong-Swanson, B.
- Affiliations
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Planetary Science Institute (US)
- Centre National d'Études Spatiales (FR)
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US)
- Ames Research Center (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Université de Bordeaux (FR)
- Space Science Institute (US)
- Applied Research Associates (United States) (US)
- Arizona State University (US)
- United States Geological Survey (US)
- Lunar and Planetary Institute (US)
- Draper Laboratory (US)
- Université Paris-Sud (FR)
- Goddard Space Flight Center (US)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Johnson Space Center (US)
- University of New Mexico (US)
- Laboratoire de Minéralogie & Cosmochimie du Muséum (FR)
- Ocean Optics (United States) (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wiens, Roger C.
- ORCID
- Wiens, Roger C.
- Maurice, Sylvestre
- Barkley, Walter C.
- Bernardin, John
- Blaney, Diana
- Blank, Jennifer
- Bridges, Nathan
- Clark, Benton
- Clegg, Samuel
- Cousin, Agnes
- Delapp, Dorothea
- Fabre, Cecile
- Forni, Olivier
- Gasnault, Olivier
- Herkenhoff, Ken
- Langevin, Yves
- Lanza, Nina
- Limonadi, Daniel
- Lindensmith, Chris
- Mangold, Nicolas
- McKay, Christopher
- Morris, Richard V.
- Newsom, Horton
- Ollila, Ann
- Poitrasson, Franck
- Sautter, Violaine
- Striebig, Nicolas
- Vaniman, David
- Venue
- Space Science Reviews
- Published
- 2012-06-21
- Volume
- 170
- Issue
- 1-4
- Pages
- 167-227
- ISSN
- 0038-6308 (ISSN-L)
- 1572-9672
- OpenAlex
- W1996484899
- Cited by
- 554
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 65 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 17.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Space Science Reviews (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Oskar-Bordeaux (Universite de Bordeaux) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- USRA Houston Repository (Lunar and Planetary Institute) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanics of Materials › Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
- Keywords
- ChemCam, Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity rover, optical demultiplexer, optical fibers, thermal vacuum testing, Mars surface composition
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