Mars Micro-Mapping Mineralogical Spectrometer, Year 2 (MMMS)

Planetary in situ compositional (elemental) analyses are presently limited to areas of >3 cm dia. (the APxS instrument on MER). We will build & field-test a micro-imaging X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer (?Mars -Mapping Mineralogical Spectrometer,? or ?MMMS?) that will have <100 m (.01 cm) spatial resolution, yielding data below the scale length of most mineral phases or grains in soils and rocks. High-resolution mineralogical / elemental analysis is critical to planetary science, and presently no such capability exists within NASA?s planetary instrument inventory. Micro xRF imaging is identified as a critical instrumental capability for the 2018 MAx-C rover in MEPAG and other reports. We intend to propose MMMS as an arm-deployed instrument on MAx-C. The flight instrument will weigh <4kg, operate on <15 Watts, and have no moving parts. The instrument concept will leverage R&D from an ASTID grant to the PI and an SBIR-II deliverable from Inxitu, Inc. More »