SciAps Z-903 LIBS in Mars simulation

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Mission MDRU Supaero Crew 263 to use SciAps Z-903 for geochemistry analysis

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A team of French scientists are using SciAps Z-903 LIBS for a Mars exploration simulation. The project takes place this February in a confinement simulation at the Mars Desert Research Station, managed by the Mars Society, in the Utah desert. The Z-903 will stand in for the SuperCam instrument on the rover Perseverance, which allows scientists to analyze Martian geology and to search for traces of water and past life on Mars. For their experiments, the scientists of MDRS Crew 263 will work with Dr. Rapin, researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics and Planetology, Pr. Bousquet of the University of Bordeaux, and Cécile Fabre from the laboratory GeoRessources. We are also supported by SciAps with their Z-903 handheld LIBS analyzer.

‍As they posted on LinkedIn: “We are honored to be sponsored by SciAps Inc. with their latest handheld LIBS analyzer, the Z-903. With this instrument, we will identify the transition from different geological eras around the station and compare the sedimentary deposits found to the ones on Mars. Through this study, we will be able to make a comparison of the geological campaigns carried out by a human operator and a robotic operator.”

Read more about Crew 263's mission and experiment details, and follow SciAps on LinkedIn and Twitter to get updates on their progress.