In 2024, NASA is set to continue its exploration of the red planet with the help of its most advanced robotic rover, Perseverance. The rover, which landed on Mars in 2021 inside Jezero Crater, will be equipped with SuperCam, a powerful 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 involved in this groundbreaking exploration. With the help of SuperCam’s laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), Melikechi and his team are analyzing the chemical and mineral composition of Martian rocks and soils by firing powerful infrared laser pulses at them.
SuperCam 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. Scientists believe that these ancient deposits in the crater could contain evidence of microbial life and organic compounds, which are preserved over time.
With continued exploration and innovative technologies like SuperCam, NASA is closer to uncovering the mysteries of Mars and its potential for supporting microbial life in the past.