X-ray diffractometer (XRD)


ExoMars rover
 
ExoMars rover
 
 
This activity was approved by the Aurora Board of Participants within the Work Plan 2005-2006 and should be initiated by the end of 2005.

The ExoMars mission is foreseen to be the next European mission to Mars. It consists of a rover of 100 kg class with a dedicated payload within the range of 8-14 kg aimed at detecting possible signs of past/present life forms on Mars as well as improving our knowledge of the Martian environment.

This payload will consist of a set of instruments, among which some developments are required in order to mature the technologies for implementation in the mission. Therefore, a number of technology activities were approved to achieve the suitable level of development.
 
The X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) is regarded as a very important instrument for unequivocally establishing the true mineralogical composition of soils and rocks. Additionally, the XRD is the standard laboratory technique for performing this type of investigation. It is planned to locate this instrument inside the rover’s analytical laboratory, and its objective will be to analyse samples collected from underground and from within surface rocks or boulders.

A major advantage of this instrument with respect to others is its ability to reliably characterise the crystalline phases of water-related minerals (i.e. minerals formed in the presence of water), and to detect ice fractions in the mineral matrix. Since the determination of the mineralogical composition of the potential host rocks of past and present life is an absolute necessity, XRD is considered a mission-enabling instrument for ExoMars.

Although this instrument has a very high priority within the scientific community, and has been in the past studied under an ASI contract, its present level of development is not mature enough to commence its industrial development. To ensure the timely definition of the XRD system for a 2011 launch, an immediate effort is required.

The main objective is to develop and build an advanced laboratory breadboard/engineering model, able to verify the instrument’s end-to-end functionality. This prototype is intended to become the basis for realising the instrument’s flight version.

The goals of the project will be:

  • Definition of final user requirements
  • Design and construction of a fully-operational, integrated laboratory breadboard/engineering model with commercial components
  • Laboratory testing with reference and natural samples
  • Construction of required libraries for identification of mineralogical mixtures
  • Recommendations to further reduce the overall size, weight and power consumption of flight instrument (target mass < 0.8 kg)
  • Recommendations to improve robustness, radiation hardness, reliability and ease of assembly

 
 
Start
Expected
or actual duration
Status
Prime contractor
Oct. '05
12 months
Ongoing
International Research School of Planetary
 
 
  
Last update: 17 May 2006