The SuperCam Instrument Suite on the NASA Mars 2020 Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests

Abstract

The SuperCam instrument suite provides the Mars 2020 rover, Perseverance, with a number of versatile remote-sensing techniques that can be used at long distance as well as within the robotic-arm workspace. These include laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), remote time-resolved Raman and luminescence spectroscopies, and visible and infrared (VISIR; separately referred to as VIS and IR) reflectance spectroscopy. A remote micro-imager (RMI) provides high-resolution color context imaging, and a microphone can be used as a stand-alone tool for environmental studies or to determine physical properties of rocks and soils from shock waves of laser-produced plasmas. SuperCam is built in three parts: The mast unit (MU), consisting of the laser, telescope, RMI, IR spectrometer, and associated electronics, is described in a companion paper. The on-board calibration targets are described in another companion paper. Here we describe SuperCam’s body unit (BU) and testing of the integrated instrument.The BU, mounted inside the rover body, receives light from the MU via a 5.8 m optical fiber. The light is split into three wavelength bands by a demultiplexer, and is routed via fiber bundles to three optical spectrometers, two of which (UV and violet; 245–340 and 385–465 nm) are crossed Czerny-Turner reflection spectrometers, nearly identical to their counterparts on ChemCam. The third is a high-efficiency transmission spectrometer containing an optical intensifier capable of gating exposures to 100 ns or longer, with variable delay times relative to the laser pulse. This spectrometer covers 535–853 nm ($105\text{--}7070~\text{cm}^{-1}$ 105 – 7070 cm − 1 Raman shift relative to the 532 nm green laser beam) with $12~\text{cm}^{-1}$ 12 cm − 1 full-width at half-maximum peak resolution in the Raman fingerprint region. The BU electronics boards interface with the rover and control the instrument, returning data to the rover. Thermal systems maintain a warm temperature during cruise to Mars to avoid contamination on the optics, and cool the detectors during operations on Mars.Results obtained with the integrated instrument demonstrate its capabilities for LIBS, for which a library of 332 standards was developed. Examples of Raman and VISIR spectroscopy are shown, demonstrating clear mineral identification with both techniques. Luminescence spectra demonstrate the utility of having both spectral and temporal dimensions. Finally, RMI and microphone tests on the rover demonstrate the capabilities of these subsystems as well.

Mars 2020 Mission Overview

“…For additional detail on SuperCam and its capabilities, see subsequent contributions in Wiens et al (2020).…”

Calibration of the SHERLOC Deep Ultraviolet Fluorescence–Raman Spectrometer on the Perseverance Rover

“…3,4 SHERLOC combines microscopic images and spectral mapping (≤100 µm/mapping pixel) to generate a microscopic view of the spatial distribution and interaction between organics, minerals, and chemicals important to the assessment of potential biogenicity. This chemical and mineral map of the organic geochemistry of a target on Mars, when combined with results from other Perseverance instruments, such as Mastcam-Z, 5 planetary instrument for X-ray lithochemistry (PIXL), 3 and SuperCam, 6 will enable analysis of geological materials for both scientific research and determination of which samples to collect and cache for Mars sample return. 3,5,6 SuperCam is a combination laser-induced breakdown spectrometer (LIBS), reflectance spectrometer, and time-resolved luminescence and Raman spectrometer capable of stand-off measurements, with further details described in Wiens et al.…”

“…This chemical and mineral map of the organic geochemistry of a target on Mars, when combined with results from other Perseverance instruments, such as Mastcam-Z, 5 planetary instrument for X-ray lithochemistry (PIXL), 3 and SuperCam, 6 will enable analysis of geological materials for both scientific research and determination of which samples to collect and cache for Mars sample return. 3,5,6 SuperCam is a combination laser-induced breakdown spectrometer (LIBS), reflectance spectrometer, and time-resolved luminescence and Raman spectrometer capable of stand-off measurements, with further details described in Wiens et al. 6 Unlike SuperCam, SHERLOC uses a deep UV (DUV) source to generate hyperspectral maps of a target, revealing mineral and potential organic variability over a postage-stamp sized area.…”

Analyses of Li-Rich Minerals Using Handheld LIBS Tool

“…Since 2012, the ChemCam tool has provided several thousand LIBS analyses on Martian soils and rocks for the geological interpretation of the Gale crater [19][20][21][22][23]. The SuperCam instrument, which arrived on Mars in February 2021, has already obtained remote LIBS-Raman-VNIR analyses of calibration targets and Martian rocks and soils [24][25][26].…”