SHERLOC: Scanning habitable environments with Raman & luminescence for organics & chemicals

Abstract

SHERLOC is an arm-mounted fluorescence and Raman spectrometer that was recently selected to be part of the payload for the next proposed NASA rover mission to Mars, scheduled for launch in 2020. SHERLOC enables non-contact, spatially resolved, high sensitivity detection and characterization of organics and minerals on the Martian surface. The investigation goals are to assess past aqueous history, detect the presence and preservation potential of biosignatures, and support the selection of samples for caching and potential return to Earth.