Reviewing in situ analytical techniques used to research Martian geochemistry: From the Viking Project to the MMX future mission

The study of space has always been a field of great interest and thus space missions are becoming more and more ambitious with time. Therefore, with the 50th anniversary of the first spacecraft to land on Mars, a review about how traditional analytical techniques have been adapted to the era of in situ space exploration is presented. From the Viking Project to the future MMX mission, the techniques used for the in situ study of the geochemistry of the Martian surface is described. These techniques have been differentiated according to the type of analysis: elemental and molecular. On the one hand, among the elemental analytical techniques the XRF, APXS, ISE and LIBS stand out. On the other hand, GCMS, TEGA, MBS, XRD, Raman and IR spectroscopy have been the molecular techniques used in the missions to Mars. Miniaturization, real-time measurements, automation, low power consumption and reliability of operation under extreme conditions are some of the major challenges that analytical chemistry has faced as a result of the technological and scientific requirements of space missions. In this way, this review gathers all the in situ analytical techniques that have reached the surface of Mars onboard landers or rovers with the aim of studying its geochemistry. (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

This article reviews the adaptation of traditional analytical techniques to in situ space exploration, specifically focusing on the geochemical study of Martian surface. Both elemental and molecular analysis techniques used in Mars missions are described. The challenges faced by analytical chemistry in terms of miniaturization, real-time measurements, automation, and reliability under extreme conditions are emphasized.