Advanced instrumentation for exobiology

Glenn C. Carle; Dan R. Kojiro; Todd B. Sauke; Jose R. Valentin; Thomas C. Shen; John R. Marshall

doi:10.1117/12.187464

23 September 1994 Advanced instrumentation for exobiology

Glenn C. Carle, Dan R. Kojiro, Todd B. Sauke, Jose R. Valentin, Thomas C. Shen, John R. Marshall

Proceedings Volume 2267, Advanced Microdevices and Space Science Sensors; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.187464
Event: SPIE's 1994 International Symposium on Optics, Imaging, and Instrumentation, 1994, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Advanced microdevices for the exploration of the solar system have become increasingly important in the current environment of fiscal constraints and payload size limitations. The Discovery-class missions being proposed for future exploration, while being clearly responsive to this environment, will require highly miniaturized and efficient instruments based on these advanced devices. Several instrument concept developments are continuing at Ames Research Center in support of specific exobiology science goals in future solar system studies on candidate Discovery and other missions. Developments include highly miniaturized metastable ionization detectors for gas chromatography that weight as little as 1 - 2 grams with sensitivities of 10^-14 mol/second and an advanced ion mobility spectrometer that has near-universal sensitivity and weighs as little as 200 grams. New chemical sensors based on solid-state pyroelectric devices are being studied and developed that weigh a few milligrams and, for example, have a sensitivity of 0.1 ppm for H₂O₂. Advanced X- ray diffraction and fluorescence instruments for crystallographic and geochemical measurements on unprepared soil and rock samples are under test. A stable isotope laser diode spectrometer for determination of ¹²C/¹³C and ¹⁸O/¹⁶O isotope ratios on Mars at fractional percent accuracies has been breadboarded. Finally, advanced computational methods are being applied to new instrument concepts allowing new, less complex, and thus, smaller instruments.

Citation Download Citation

Glenn C. Carle, Dan R. Kojiro, Todd B. Sauke, Jose R. Valentin, Thomas C. Shen, and John R. Marshall "Advanced instrumentation for exobiology", Proc. SPIE 2267, Advanced Microdevices and Space Science Sensors, (23 September 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.187464

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