Moessbauer Spectroscopy of Soils and Rocks at Gusev Crater and Meridiani PlanumFor the first time in history a Moessbauer spectrometer was placed on the surface of another planet. The miniaturized Moessbauer spectrometer MIMOS II is part of the Athena payload of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Spirit,and Opportunity. It determines the Fe-bearing mineralogy of Martian soils and rocks at the Rovers respective landing sites, Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum. First results of soil and rock measurements at both landing sites confirm a generally basaltic composition of Martian surface materials.
Document ID
20040057992
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Klingelhoefer, G. (Mainz Univ. Germany)
Morris, R. V. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Bernhardt, B. (Mainz Univ. Germany)
Schroeder, C. (Mainz Univ. Germany)
Rodionov, D. (Mainz Univ. Germany)
deSouza, P. A., Jr. (Mainz Univ. Germany)
Yen, A. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Renz, F. (Mainz Univ. Germany)
Wdowiak, T. (Alabama Univ. Birmingham, AL, United States)
Squyres, S. (Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2004
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Mars Missions