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Sample Analysis at Mars

August 22, 2023

Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) is a suite of instruments on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. The SAM instrument suite will analyze organics and gases from both atmospheric and solid samples.[1][2] It was developed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Laboratoire des Atmosphères Milieux Observations Spatiales (LATMOS) associated to the Laboratoire Inter-Universitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA) (jointly operated by France's Centre national de la recherche scientifique and Parisian universities), and Honeybee Robotics, along with many additional external partners.[1][3][4]

Sample Analysis at Mars for MSL.

Instruments

 
The SAM suite

The SAM suite consists of three instruments:

  1. The quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) detects gases sampled from the atmosphere or those released from solid samples by heating.[1][5]
  2. The gas chromatograph (GC) is used to separate out individual gases from a complex mixture into molecular components. The resulting gas flow is analyzed in the mass spectrometer with a mass range of 2–535 Daltons.[1][5]
  3. The tunable laser spectrometer (TLS) performs precision measurements of oxygen and carbon isotope ratios in carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in the atmosphere of Mars in order to distinguish between their geochemical or biological origin.[1][4][5][6][7]

Subsystems

The SAM also has three subsystems: the 'chemical separation and processing laboratory', for enrichment and derivatization of the organic molecules of the sample; the sample manipulation system (SMS) for transporting powder delivered from the MSL drill to a SAM inlet and into one of 74 sample cups.[1] The SMS then moves the sample to the SAM oven to release gases by heating to up to 1000 °C;[1][8] and the pump subsystem to purge the separators and analysers.

The Space Physics Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan built the main power supply, command and data handling unit, valve and heater controller, filament/bias controller, and high voltage module. The uncooled infrared detectors were developed and provided by the Polish company VIGO System.[9]

Timeline

  • 9 November 2012: A pinch of fine sand and dust became the first solid Martian sample deposited into the SAM. The sample came from the patch of windblown material called Rocknest, which had provided a sample previously for mineralogical analysis by CheMin instrument.[10]
  • 3 December 2012: NASA reported SAM had detected water molecules, chlorine and sulphur. Hints of organic compounds couldn't be ruled out as contamination from Curiosity itself, however.[11][12]
  • 16 December 2014: NASA reported the Curiosity rover detected a "tenfold spike", likely localized, in the amount of methane in the Martian atmosphere. Sample measurements taken "a dozen times over 20 months" showed increases in late 2013 and early 2014, averaging "7 parts of methane per billion in the atmosphere." Before and after that, readings averaged around one-tenth that level.[13][14] In addition, high levels of organic chemicals, particularly chlorobenzene, were detected in powder drilled from one of the rocks, named "Cumberland", analyzed by the Curiosity rover.[13][14]
  • 24 March 2015: NASA reported the first detection of nitrogen released after heating surface sediments on the planet Mars. The nitrogen in nitrate is in a "fixed" state, meaning that it is in an oxidized form that can be used by living organisms. The discovery supports the notion that ancient Mars may have been habitable for life.[15][16][17]
  • 4 April 2015: NASA reported studies, based on measurements by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover, of the Martian atmosphere using xenon and argon isotopes. Results provided support for a "vigorous" loss of atmosphere early in the history of Mars and were consistent with an atmospheric signature found in bits of atmosphere captured in some Martian meteorites found on Earth.[18]
  • 1 November 2021: Astronomers reported detecting, in a "first-of-its-kind" process based on SAM instruments, organic molecules, including benzoic acid, ammonia and other related unknown compounds, on the planet Mars by the Curiosity rover.[19][20]
 
Methane measurements in the atmosphere of Mars
by the Curiosity rover (August 2012 to September 2014).
 
Methane (CH4) on Mars – potential sources and sinks.
 
Comparison of organics in Martian rocks – chlorobenzene levels were much higher in the "Cumberland" rock sample.
 
Detection of organics in the "Cumberland" rock sample.
 
Spectral analysis (SAM) of "Cumberland" rock.

Gallery

Videos

Interview with Paul Mahaffy, Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) principal investigator.
Scientists and engineers use the Mars chamber to test specimens on the SAM instrument.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g . NASA/JPL. Archived from the original on 20 March 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  2. ^ Overview of the SAM instrument suite
  3. ^ Cabane, M.; et al. (2004). "Did life exist on Mars? Search for organic and inorganic signatures, one of the goals for "SAM" (sample analysis at Mars)" (PDF). Advances in Space Research. 33 (12): 2240–2245. Bibcode:2004AdSpR..33.2240C. doi:10.1016/S0273-1177(03)00523-4.
  4. ^ a b "Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Suite". NASA. October 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  5. ^ a b c Mahaffy, Paul R.; et al. (2012). "The Sample Analysis at Mars Investigation and Instrument Suite". Space Science Reviews. 170 (1–4): 401–478. Bibcode:2012SSRv..170..401M. doi:10.1007/s11214-012-9879-z.
  6. ^ Tenenbaum, D. (9 June 2008). "Making Sense of Mars Methane". Astrobiology Magazine. Retrieved 8 October 2008.
  7. ^ Tarsitano, C. G.; Webster, C. R. (2007). "Multilaser Herriott cell for planetary tunable laser spectrometers". Applied Optics. 46 (28): 6923–6935. Bibcode:2007ApOpt..46.6923T. doi:10.1364/AO.46.006923. PMID 17906720.
  8. ^ Kennedy, T.; Mumm, E.; Myrick, T.; Frader-Thompson, S. (2006). (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  9. ^ . Vigo.com.pl. 13 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Rover's 'SAM' Lab Instrument Suite Tastes Soil". JPL-NASA. 13 November 2012.
  11. ^ Brown, Dwayne; Webster, Guy; Neal-Jones, Nancy (3 December 2012). . NASA. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  12. ^ . 3 News NZ. 4 December 2012. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  13. ^ a b Webster, Guy; Neal-Jones, Nancy; Brown, Dwayne (16 December 2014). "NASA Rover Finds Active and Ancient Organic Chemistry on Mars". NASA. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  14. ^ a b Chang, Kenneth (16 December 2014). "'A Great Moment': Rover Finds Clue That Mars May Harbor Life". New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  15. ^ Neal-Jones, Nancy; Steigerwald, William; Webster, Guy; Brown, Dwayne (24 March 2015). "Curiosity Rover Finds Biologically Useful Nitrogen on Mars". NASA. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  16. ^ "Curiosity Mars rover detects 'useful nitrogen'". NASA. BBC News. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  17. ^ Stern, Jennifer C. (24 March 2015). "Evidence for indigenous nitrogen in sedimentary and aeolian deposits from the Curiosity rover investigations at Gale crater, Mars". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 112 (14): 4245–50. Bibcode:2015PNAS..112.4245S. doi:10.1073/pnas.1420932112. PMC 4394254. PMID 25831544.
  18. ^ Brown, Dwayne; Neal-Jones, Nancy (31 March 2015). "RELEASE 15-055 Curiosity Sniffs Out History of Martian Atmosphere". NASA. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  19. ^ Rabie, Passant (1 November 2021). "Organic Molecules Found On Mars For The First Time - The Curiosity rover demonstrated a useful technique to search for Martian biosignatures". Inverse. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  20. ^ Millan, M.; et al. (1 November 2021). "Organic molecules revealed in Mars's Bagnold Dunes by Curiosity's derivatization experiment". Nature Astronomy. 6: 129–140. doi:10.1038/s41550-021-01507-9. S2CID 256705528. Retrieved 2 November 2021.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curiosity rover.
 
Look up SAM in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  • Sample Analysis at Mars - NASA
  • SAM is loaded into the Rover - NASA
  • The SAM instrument suite, without side panels

August 22, 2023
sample, analysis, mars, suite, instruments, mars, science, laboratory, curiosity, rover, instrument, suite, will, analyze, organics, gases, from, both, atmospheric, solid, samples, developed, nasa, goddard, space, flight, center, laboratoire, atmosphères, mili. Sample Analysis at Mars SAM is a suite of instruments on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover The SAM instrument suite will analyze organics and gases from both atmospheric and solid samples 1 2 It was developed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center the Laboratoire des Atmospheres Milieux Observations Spatiales LATMOS associated to the Laboratoire Inter Universitaire des Systemes Atmospheriques LISA jointly operated by France s Centre national de la recherche scientifique and Parisian universities and Honeybee Robotics along with many additional external partners 1 3 4 Sample Analysis at Mars for MSL Contents 1 Instruments 2 Subsystems 3 Timeline 4 Gallery 4 1 Videos 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksInstruments Edit The SAM suiteThe SAM suite consists of three instruments The quadrupole mass spectrometer QMS detects gases sampled from the atmosphere or those released from solid samples by heating 1 5 The gas chromatograph GC is used to separate out individual gases from a complex mixture into molecular components The resulting gas flow is analyzed in the mass spectrometer with a mass range of 2 535 Daltons 1 5 The tunable laser spectrometer TLS performs precision measurements of oxygen and carbon isotope ratios in carbon dioxide CO2 and methane CH4 in the atmosphere of Mars in order to distinguish between their geochemical or biological origin 1 4 5 6 7 Subsystems EditThe SAM also has three subsystems the chemical separation and processing laboratory for enrichment and derivatization of the organic molecules of the sample the sample manipulation system SMS for transporting powder delivered from the MSL drill to a SAM inlet and into one of 74 sample cups 1 The SMS then moves the sample to the SAM oven to release gases by heating to up to 1000 C 1 8 and the pump subsystem to purge the separators and analysers The Space Physics Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan built the main power supply command and data handling unit valve and heater controller filament bias controller and high voltage module The uncooled infrared detectors were developed and provided by the Polish company VIGO System 9 Timeline Edit9 November 2012 A pinch of fine sand and dust became the first solid Martian sample deposited into the SAM The sample came from the patch of windblown material called Rocknest which had provided a sample previously for mineralogical analysis by CheMin instrument 10 3 December 2012 NASA reported SAM had detected water molecules chlorine and sulphur Hints of organic compounds couldn t be ruled out as contamination from Curiosity itself however 11 12 16 December 2014 NASA reported the Curiosity rover detected a tenfold spike likely localized in the amount of methane in the Martian atmosphere Sample measurements taken a dozen times over 20 months showed increases in late 2013 and early 2014 averaging 7 parts of methane per billion in the atmosphere Before and after that readings averaged around one tenth that level 13 14 In addition high levels of organic chemicals particularly chlorobenzene were detected in powder drilled from one of the rocks named Cumberland analyzed by the Curiosity rover 13 14 24 March 2015 NASA reported the first detection of nitrogen released after heating surface sediments on the planet Mars The nitrogen in nitrate is in a fixed state meaning that it is in an oxidized form that can be used by living organisms The discovery supports the notion that ancient Mars may have been habitable for life 15 16 17 4 April 2015 NASA reported studies based on measurements by the Sample Analysis at Mars SAM instrument on the Curiosity rover of the Martian atmosphere using xenon and argon isotopes Results provided support for a vigorous loss of atmosphere early in the history of Mars and were consistent with an atmospheric signature found in bits of atmosphere captured in some Martian meteorites found on Earth 18 1 November 2021 Astronomers reported detecting in a first of its kind process based on SAM instruments organic molecules including benzoic acid ammonia and other related unknown compounds on the planet Mars by the Curiosity rover 19 20 Methane measurements in the atmosphere of Marsby the Curiosity rover August 2012 to September 2014 Methane CH4 on Mars potential sources and sinks Comparison of organics in Martian rocks chlorobenzene levels were much higher in the Cumberland rock sample Detection of organics in the Cumberland rock sample Spectral analysis SAM of Cumberland rock Gallery EditVideos Edit source source source source source source source source source source source source Interview with Paul Mahaffy Sample Analysis at Mars SAM principal investigator source source source source source source source source source source source source Scientists and engineers use the Mars chamber to test specimens on the SAM instrument See also EditThermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer Phoenix lander Urey instrumentReferences Edit a b c d e f g MSL Science Corner Sample Analysis at Mars SAM NASA JPL Archived from the original on 20 March 2009 Retrieved 9 September 2009 Overview of the SAM instrument suite Cabane M et al 2004 Did life exist on Mars Search for organic and inorganic signatures one of the goals for SAM sample analysis at Mars PDF Advances in Space Research 33 12 2240 2245 Bibcode 2004AdSpR 33 2240C doi 10 1016 S0273 1177 03 00523 4 a b Sample Analysis at Mars SAM Instrument Suite NASA October 2008 Retrieved 9 October 2009 a b c Mahaffy Paul R et al 2012 The Sample Analysis at Mars Investigation and Instrument Suite Space Science Reviews 170 1 4 401 478 Bibcode 2012SSRv 170 401M doi 10 1007 s11214 012 9879 z Tenenbaum D 9 June 2008 Making Sense of Mars Methane Astrobiology Magazine Retrieved 8 October 2008 Tarsitano C G Webster C R 2007 Multilaser Herriott cell for planetary tunable laser spectrometers Applied Optics 46 28 6923 6935 Bibcode 2007ApOpt 46 6923T doi 10 1364 AO 46 006923 PMID 17906720 Kennedy T Mumm E Myrick T Frader Thompson S 2006 Optimization of a mars sample manipulation system through concentrated functionality PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2009 03 27 Retrieved 2012 08 03 Vigo System Vigo IR Detectors on Mars Vigo com pl 13 December 2011 Archived from the original on 8 October 2012 Retrieved 17 August 2012 Rover s SAM Lab Instrument Suite Tastes Soil JPL NASA 13 November 2012 Brown Dwayne Webster Guy Neal Jones Nancy 3 December 2012 NASA Mars Rover Fully Analyzes First Martian Soil Samples NASA Archived from the original on 5 December 2012 Retrieved 3 December 2012 Complex chemistry found on Mars 3 News NZ 4 December 2012 Archived from the original on 9 March 2014 Retrieved 3 December 2012 a b Webster Guy Neal Jones Nancy Brown Dwayne 16 December 2014 NASA Rover Finds Active and Ancient Organic Chemistry on Mars NASA Retrieved 16 December 2014 a b Chang Kenneth 16 December 2014 A Great Moment Rover Finds Clue That Mars May Harbor Life New York Times Retrieved 16 December 2014 Neal Jones Nancy Steigerwald William Webster Guy Brown Dwayne 24 March 2015 Curiosity Rover Finds Biologically Useful Nitrogen on Mars NASA Retrieved 25 March 2015 Curiosity Mars rover detects useful nitrogen NASA BBC News 25 March 2015 Retrieved 2015 03 25 Stern Jennifer C 24 March 2015 Evidence for indigenous nitrogen in sedimentary and aeolian deposits from the Curiosity rover investigations at Gale crater Mars Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 112 14 4245 50 Bibcode 2015PNAS 112 4245S doi 10 1073 pnas 1420932112 PMC 4394254 PMID 25831544 Brown Dwayne Neal Jones Nancy 31 March 2015 RELEASE 15 055 Curiosity Sniffs Out History of Martian Atmosphere NASA Retrieved 4 April 2015 Rabie Passant 1 November 2021 Organic Molecules Found On Mars For The First Time The Curiosity rover demonstrated a useful technique to search for Martian biosignatures Inverse Retrieved 2 November 2021 Millan M et al 1 November 2021 Organic molecules revealed in Mars s Bagnold Dunes by Curiosity s derivatization experiment Nature Astronomy 6 129 140 doi 10 1038 s41550 021 01507 9 S2CID 256705528 Retrieved 2 November 2021 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curiosity rover Look up SAM in Wiktionary the free dictionary Sample Analysis at Mars NASA SAM is loaded into the Rover NASA The SAM instrument suite without side panels Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sample Analysis at Mars amp oldid 1143686273, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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