Publication Date:
2019-07-20
Description:
The Phoenix Scout Lander mission investigated the north polar region of Mars in 2008 with the goal to study the history of water, assess the past/present Martian climate, search for organics, and evaluate the potential for past/present microbial habit-ability on Mars. To accomplish this goal, the Phoenix Landers Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) instrument assessed the gas composition of the Martian atmosphere and evaluated the mineralogy of the Martian regolith. The TEGA instrument consisted of eight small ovens connected to a 4 channel magnetic sector mass spectrometer. The ovens heated soil samples from ambient to 1000C where the gases (e.g., H2O, CO2, etc.) evolved from thermal decomposition of mineral phases were analyzed by the mass spectrometer. Minerals thermally decomposed at characteristic temperatures and the evolving gases indicated the presence of perchlorate, carbonate, and hydrated phases in the Phoenix landing site soils.
Keywords:
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration
Type:
JSC-E-DAA-TN64834
,
2019 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC); Mar 18, 2019 - Mar 22, 2019; Woodlands, TX; United States
Format:
application/pdf
