UV-Raman spectral sensors have wide applications to include homeland security, life science, and matter physics and chemistry. It offers a non-destructive and non-contact method of analysis suitable for both laboratory-based and plant based applications. In addition, a broad range of non-government commercial and industrial applications include environmental testing of water, soil and air; municipal and industrial water and waste-water quality testing; commercial product quality control testing of manufactured food, chemical, semiconductor, and other commercial products. Furthermore, UV-Raman spectral sensors provide the unique sensitive fluorescence-free and real-time analysis of microalgae for biofuel production in renewable energy industry. The instrument proposed here will provide NASA a powerful tool to: "conduct robotic exploration of Moon/Mars to search for evidence of life, to understand the history of the Solar System, and to prepare for future human exploration." This technology is useful for a broad range of in situ measurements for: space science and terrestrial geochemical, geophysical and geobiological studies; planetary protection applications such as measuring/characterizing organic or biogenic contamination on outbound and inbound spacecraft; and for general application to high quality non-invasive, non-destructive measurement of trace levels of contamination on surfaces.
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