Fine-Scale Pixel Element Mapping for Mars, the Moon, and Other Bodies with Miniaturized LIBS

Recent landed missions have demonstrated the power of fine-scale elemental composition instruments which can provide compositional maps at the ~100-micron resolution scale, showing mineral grains and their orientations in the matrix. Such element maps are useful for identifying various geological formation processes. A classic example is how the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) proved the igneous cumulate origin of part of the Jezero crater floor for the Mars 2020 mission with a clear fine-scale element map showing interlocking crystals. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has many advantages as a planetary elemental composition technique including rapid analyses, light weight, low power, small analytical footprint, and the abilities to remove dust from targets, to quantify light elements (H, He, Li, Be, B, C, N, O), and to provide shallow (~1 mm) depth profiles. LIBS has been used on Mars (NASA, CNSA) and recently on the Moon (ISRO), but it has never been developed for elemental mapping on a planetary mission. Current LIBS instrumentation on the NASA Mars rovers has been designed for targets meters away and requires a large articulating mast with a bulky 110 mm diameter telescope. A miniaturized version operating close to the ground (20-50 cm) from the belly of a small rover or hopper on the Moon, Mars, Mercury, asteroids, comets, or small moons could provide such element maps autonomously, inexpensively, and efficiently. Such an instrument could operate equally well on a Mars helicopter or, if desired, as an arm-mounted instrument. We propose to perform the first proof of concept of LIBS elemental mapping in relevant environments (Mars atmosphere and vacuum for Moon, asteroids, and comets) to enable these missions. We will perform critical optimizations of numbers of laser shots per scan point and point spacing, and study the ability to remove surface dust in a vacuum and at Mars pressure for 30x30 and larger scan grids with 50-100 µm beam sizes. We will also validate the ability to characterize mature vs. immature lunar (or asteroidal) regoliths using samples implanted with H and He. Additionally, we will validate a new set of sulfur emission lines at 920-925 nm (beyond the range of ChemCam and SuperCam) that should for the first time allow routine quantification of S to single percent levels by planetary LIBS. Lack of S quantification by ChemCam and SuperCam has particularly hindered Mars exploration, and S has recently been reported in lunar exploration, underscoring the importance of improved sulfur quantification. We will also develop a LIBS spectral library relevant for lunar materials, obtained in a vacuum. Finally, while other parts of LIBS are being miniaturized by our Collaborators, with a target weight of ≤ 2 kg overall, accurate delivery of the laser beam to the target requires development/validation. A motorized scan mirror assembly is essential to the elemental mapping capability in a hard-mounted mini-LIBS configuration, and so we propose to breadboard this assembly and validate its performance. Our team is led by the developer and Principal Investigator of ChemCam and SuperCam, and includes students from engineering and planetary science; our Collaborators are working on other aspects of LIBS miniaturization. As we proceed with these developments, we will meet with instrument/mission partners to define flight instrument capabilities and work toward selection for multiple planetary missions/environments.

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