Sample Analysis at Mars Suite Investigation

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Sample Analysis at Mars Suite Investigation SAM will explore the potential for life on Mars. Scientific Goals and Objectives Relationship to Mars Science Goals The SAM Quests address three imperatives of Mars SAM directly and definitively addresses the MSL goal of assessing exploration that lead to six science goals: the habitability of Mars. This goal is a vital step toward the Carbon Quest. What does the inventory of carbon overarching goal of searching for past and present life on Mars, as compounds near Mars' surface tell us about its potential defined in NASA's Strategic Plan, in studies by the Mars habitability? Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) and by the National Academy of Sciences. Goal 1: Identify carbon compounds, their sources, and their transformational processes. The SAM Suite occupies Goal 2: Focus on detecting molecules that are relevant approximately 63% to terrestrial life. of the available volume in the 1 Analytical Lab Water Quest. What do the water-shaped geochemical of the Mars conditions and processes at Mars tell us about its 3 Science potential habitability? Laboratory Goal 3: Determine chemical states of key light and addresses a elements. substantial set Goal 4: Analyze volatiles that trace aqueous and of the science geological processes. objectives of this mission. Isotopes and Oxidants Quest. Were past habitability 2 conditions different from today's? Goal 5: Examine oxidation chemistry and its impact on organic molecules. Goal 6: Quantify isotopic signatures of planetary evolution. SAM Suite Instruments 1. Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS) 2. Gas Chromatograph (GC) 3. Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) The SAM Team SAM relies on a highly experienced multidisciplinary science and technical team to define science and measurement objectives, provide instrumentation, develop operational sequences, analyze, archive, and report the data, and ensure mission success. Co-Investigator Institution Co-Investigator Institution Co-Investigator Institution Paul Mahaffy, PI NASA Goddard Wes Huntress Carnegie Navarro Gonzalez U. Mexico Sushil Atreya U. Michigan Bruce Jakosky U. Colorado Toby Owen U. Hawaii Will Brinckerhoff JHU/APL John Jones NASA JSC Bob Pepin U. Minnesota Michel Cabane U. Paris Laurie Leshin Arizona State U. Francois Raulin U. Paris Patrice Coll U. Paris Chris McKay NASA Ames Francois Robert Natl. History Mus. Pan Conrad JPL Doug Ming NASA JSC James Scott Carnegie Inst. Steve Gorevan Honeybee Robotics Richard Morris NASA JSC Steve Squyres Cornell U. John Grotzinger MIT Shaded cell = SAM hardware provider Chris Webster JPL A highly qualified team of 20 additional SAM Collaborators are funded by their institutions or agencies. The SAM technical team is experienced in design, fabrication, qualification, and calibration of space flight instrumentation Executive Advisory Board: Hasso Niemann, GSFC; Barney Farmer, JPL Fact Sheet - Page 1.

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