Fast Elemental and Molecular Interrogation Sensor (FEMIS) for In-Situ Lunar and Martian Resource Utilization

For lunar (expandable to Martian) ISRU applications, a novel small SWaP LIBS suite, Fast Elemental and Molecular Interrogation Sensor (FEMIS), is designed to provide real-time identification of geochemical composition of lunar regolith using an innovative elemental + molecular LIBS technology. Having rapid and intense signal responses, obviating the need to physically touch the surface in order to collect a sample for analysis, and affected very little by the surface shape, roughness, and composition irregularity, this proposed FEMIS instrument will be an integrated system with a small SWaP UV/Visible/NIR + LWIR LIBS laser detector suite to collect the broadband (both UV-Visible-NIR and long-wave IR) signals from the operational surface. FEMIS offers real-time identifications of elemental abundances, REEs, and regolith mineral/chemical composition within seconds without the need of preparing the abrasive lunar/Martian regolith samples. Spectral data processing algorithms and prediction models will be developed for FEMIS to achieve fully automated real-time sorting/mapping of lunar/Martian regolith resource with minimum maintenance.

The particularly superior sensitivity of the LWIR LIBS on carbon and oxygen-rich material identification will find great applications in water and organic materials signatures detection and identification in NASA missions. NASA applications include: In-situ composition analysis in small bodies explorations, Organic materials and life signatures detection and identification, Resource identification and water-hydroxyl differentiation, In-situ fabrication and repair feasibility study.

In addition to NASA applications, the proposed method and instrument can be used for: chemical and explosive detection, identification for security/military applications, Qazi-nondestructive detection/evaluation in manufacturing industry, composition analysis and counterfeit detection in pharmaceutical products.

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