SuperCam

Animation of the SuperCAM on the Mars Perseverance rover (February 16, 2021)
SuperCam Calibration Target with Mars Meteorite in the top of the plate

SuperCam is a suite of remote-sensing instruments for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission that performs remote analyses of rocks and soils with a camera, two lasers and four spectrometers to seek organic compounds that could hold biosignatures of past microbial life on Mars, if it ever existed there.

SuperCam was developed in collaboration between the Research Institute in Astrophysics and Planetology (IRAP [fr]) of the University of Toulouse in France, the French Space Agency (CNES), Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of Valladolid (Spain), the University of Hawaii and the Universities of Basque Country and Málaga in Spain. The Principal Investigator is Roger Wiens from Los Alamos National Laboratory. SuperCam is an improved version of the successful ChemCam instruments of the Curiosity rover that have been upgraded with two different lasers and detectors.[1][2][3] SuperCam is used in conjunction with the AEGIS (Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science) targeting system, a program which Vandi Verma, NASA roboticist and engineer, helped develop.[4]

In April 2018, SuperCam entered the final stages of assembly and testing. The flight model was installed to the rover in June 2019. The rover mission was launched on 30 July 2020.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Plan Soci 2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Goenka 2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2020Rover-Scientists was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Francis, Reena; Estlin, Tara; Doran, G; Johnstone, Sancia; Gaines, D; Verma, Vandi; Burl, M; Frydenvang, J; Montaño, S; Wiens, R; Schaffe, S; Gasnault, O; DeFlores, L; Blaney, D; Bornstein, Ben (June 2017). "AEGIS autonomous targeting for ChemCam on Mars Science Laboratory: Deployment and results of initial science team use". Science Robotics. 2 (7): 4582. doi:10.1126/scirobotics.aan4582. PMID 33157897.
  5. ^ "Mars 2020 Rover Gets a Super Instrument". jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019. In this image taken June 25, 2019, engineers install the SuperCam instrument on Mars 2020's rover.