In 2024, NASA’s mission to explore Mars is in full swing. One of the most advanced rovers ever built, named “Perseverance,” is currently exploring the red planet with the help of SuperCam, a cutting-edge laser instrument used for experiments on Mars.
Noureddine Melikechi, a member of the science team for SuperCam and the Dean of Kennedy College of Sciences, is one of the individuals involved in these groundbreaking explorations. He has been working tirelessly alongside researchers from institutions like Los Alamos National Laboratory, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Caltech to analyze data transmitted from Mars to Earth for further study and exploration.
Perseverance landed successfully inside Jezero Crater in 2021, which was once a dried-up impact basin on Mars where a river once flowed 3.5 billion years ago. Scientists believe that the ancient deposits in the crater could contain evidence of microbial life and organic compounds, which are preserved over time.
SuperCam uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to analyze the chemical and mineral composition of Martian rocks and soils by firing powerful infrared laser pulses at them. The instrument has already made significant discoveries, such as evidence of flash floods on Mars and the presence of igneous rocks in Jezero Crater instead of sedimentary rocks from river delta deposits.
NASA is closer than ever to uncovering the mysteries of Mars and its potential for supporting microbial life in the past thanks to these innovative technologies. Through continued research and exploration, we may be able to find definitive answers about this exciting new frontier.