DiSCO: Dual In-Situ Spectroscopy and Coring

DiSCO (Dual in-situ Spectroscopy and COring) is an innovative arm-mounted instrument for acquiring and analyzing planetary subsurface materials. The instrument extracts 5 times; 1 cm cores, and immediately performs in-situ, time-resolved, coregistered imaging and spectroscopic mapping at high resolution ndash; 10 micro;m and 50 micro;m, respectively. The significant attribute of our technology is the ability to focus on a specific layer or location on the core surface ndash; something that none of the previous, current, or even future surface missions have capability to do. The Mars Exploration Rovers clearly illustrated the need for such a capability by exposing rock surface and identifying round nodules. Unfortunately, the arm mounted instruments were unable to analyze the nodules themselves, but rather took an lsquo;averagersquo; of the area.DiSCOnbsp;is the first instrument that boasts integrated drilling/coring/caching, imaging, and laser spectroscopic mapping systems. DiSCO integrates a combined fiber-based optical imaging, laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and laser-induced native fluorescence (LINF) system into an SBIR-funded, demonstrated drilling and coring platform.DiSCO delivers three game-changing advantages in lander/rover based planetary exploration: a) unprecedented analytical capabilities ndash; in-situ, coregistered high-resolution imaging and LRS+LIBS+LINF core mapping, b) minimization of the resources and complexity required to perform subsurface science analyses ndash; no need for core processing and delivery systems and robotic arm movement between the rock and an instrument onboard of the rover, and c) possibility for novel mission architectures ndash; coring + analysis + caching capabilities are offered within a single, highly modular arm-mounted instrument.