Amadee-24-GeoPrep
Details
| Acronym | GeoPrep |
| Description | Geo-sampling selection and curation within habitat; performing a petrological analysis with simple tools (incl. cutting / polishing samples), microscopy optical/Raman/IR; post mission lab analysis. |
| Principal Investigator (PI) | Dominik Jäger | dominik.jaeger@uibk.ac.at |
| Organisation | University of Innsbruck |
| Co-Investigators | Bastian Joachim-Mrosko, University of Innsbruck, Geology Department Jürgen Konzett, University of Innsbruck, Geology Department |
Summary
The analysis of rock samples allows us to unravel the history of a terrestrial planet. This includes its accretion, the tectonic and magmatic processes that shape its interior, and the processes that shape its surface morphological features. In addition, rock samples can preserve information about the evolution of a planet’s atmosphere and hold clues to the former presence of a biosphere, the nature of its various ecosystems and possible causes of its demise. In case of Mars, the planet’s major surface morphological features testify to an extensive history of volcanic activity and provide strong evidence for the former presence of large bodies of liquid water.
The GeoPrep experiment is designed to prepare a rock sample for a first microscopic examination. This will improve the selection process of samples on other planets which will be sent back to Earth by integrating the results into a decision-making process aimed at selecting the suitable samples.
GeoPrep will investigate whether it is possible to set up a rock sample preparation facility in a Martian field lab using as simple a technical and operational approach as possible to produce thin sections of different materials. The experiment will also show if this facility can be operated by an analog astronaut with no previous knowledge about rock sample preparation.
To realize this experiment, a sample of appropriate size will be collected in an inflatable glove bag, to avoid contamination. After cleaning, a piece of that sample will be cut off and examined using a petrographic microscope. The quality of the sample aswell as to what extent it can be analyzed using different techniques will also be studied.
Experiment Data
| Date | Files |
|---|---|
| 2021-10-04 | types of files for each experiment day, size of the cells: width 1000px, height 10px |