“…LIBS is a well-known analytical technique which has been applied to many samples such as liquids [16,17], solid samples even in hostile environments [18], gases [19], and environmental and geological samples [20 -23]. Advantages of the method compared to more conventional ones, in the context of Mars exploration, include the following: stand-off analysis capability (up to 45 m in air with a laser energy of 230 mJ) [24,25], no sample preparation, rapid analysis (few minutes), simultaneous multi-element detection of major, minor and trace elements, and ability to clean layers of dust and measure compositions through depth profiles (essential for Mars analysis) [26,27]. For these reasons, the LIBS technique seems to be well suited for geological analyses on Mars.…”