The MicrOmega Investigation Onboard ExoMars

Abstract

MicrOmega is a visible near-infrared hyperspectral microscope that is designed to characterize the texture and composition of martian samples presented to the instrument within the ExoMars rover's analytical laboratory drawer. The spectral range (0.5–3.65 μm) and the spectral sampling (20 cm−1 from 0.95 to 3.65 μm) of MicrOmega have been chosen to allow the identification of most constituent minerals, ices/frosts, and organics with astrobiological relevance within each 20 × 20 μm2 pixel over a 5 × 5 mm2 field of view. Such an unprecedented characterization will enable (1) identification of most major and minor phases, including the potential organics; (2) ascription of their mineralogical context, as a critical set of clues with which to decipher their formation process; and (3) location of specific grains or regions of interest in the samples, which will be further analyzed by Raman Laser Spectrometer and/or Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer. Key Words: Spectroscopy—Microscopy—Composition—Organics—Mineralogy. Astrobiology 17, 621–626.