MarketRaman Laser Spectrometer
Company Profile

Raman Laser Spectrometer

Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) is a miniature Raman spectrometer that is part of the science payload on board the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover, tasked to search for biosignatures and biomarkers on Mars. The rover is planned to be launched not earlier than 2028 and land on Mars in 2029.

Overview
Raman spectroscopy is sensitive to the composition and structure of any organic compound, making it a powerful tool for the definitive identification and characterisation of biomarkers, and providing direct information of potential biosignatures of past microbial life on Mars. The three major components are the Spectrometer Unit, the Control and Excitation Unit (includes the power converters), and Optical head. ==Principle and operation==
Principle and operation
The RLS instrument provides a structural fingerprint by which molecules can be identified. It is used to analyse the vibrational modes of a substance either in the solid, liquid or gas state. ==Objectives==
Objectives
The goal of RLS is to seek signs of past life on Mars (biosignatures and biomarkers) by analysing drilled samples acquired from 2 meters below the Martian surface by the Rosalind Franklin rover core drill. The science objectives of RLS are: • Identify mineral products and indicators of biologic activity. • Characterize mineral phases produced by water-related processes. • Characterize igneous minerals and their alteration products. • Characterize the water/geochemical environment as a function of depth in the shallow subsurface. ==See also==
tickerdossier.comtickerdossier.substack.com