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The Sample Analysis at Mars Investigation and Instrument SuiteThe Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation of the Mars Science Laboratory(MSL) addresses the chemical and isotopic composition of the atmosphere and volatilesextracted from solid samples. The SAM investigation is designed to contribute substantiallyto the mission goal of quantitatively assessing the habitability of Mars as an essentialstep in the search for past or present life on Mars. SAM is a 40 kg instrument suite locatedin the interior of MSLs Curiosity rover. The SAM instruments are a quadrupole massspectrometer, a tunable laser spectrometer, and a 6-column gas chromatograph all coupledthrough solid and gas processing systems to provide complementary information on thesame samples. The SAM suite is able to measure a suite of light isotopes and to analyzevolatiles directly from the atmosphere or thermally released from solid samples. In additionto measurements of simple inorganic compounds and noble gases SAM will conducta sensitive search for organic compounds with either thermal or chemical extraction fromsieved samples delivered by the sample processing system on the Curiosity rovers roboticarm.
Document ID
20140010169
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
doi:10.1007/s11214-012-9879-z
Authors
Mahaffy, Paul (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Webster, Chris R. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Cabane, M. (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Paris cedex, France)
Conrad, Pamela G. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Coll, Patrice (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Creteil cedex, France)
Atreya, Sushil K. (Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Arvey, Robert (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Barciniak, Michael (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Benna, Mehdi (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Bleacher, L. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Brinckerhoff, William B. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Eigenbrode, Jennifer L. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Carignan, Daniel (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Cascia, Mark (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Chalmers, Robert A. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Dworkin, Jason P. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Errigo, Therese (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Everson, Paula (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Franz, Heather (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Farley, Rodger (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Feng, Steven (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Frazier, Gregory (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Freissinet, Caroline (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Glavin, Daniel P. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Harpold, Daniel N. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
July 24, 2014
Publication Date
April 27, 2012
Publication Information
Publication: Space Science Reviews
Publisher: Springer
Volume: 170
Issue: 4-Jan
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Inorganic, Organic And Physical Chemistry
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN9067
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
isotopes
evolved gas analysis
gale crater
noble gases
Organic Compounds
volatiles
mars science laboratory
Mars

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