SPACE
WE SEARCH FOR LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS AND FIND LUNAR RESOURCES SO HUMANS CAN LIVE ON THE MOON.
DiSCO advances planetary exploration by enabling unprecedented observational and analytical capabilities on landed spacecrafts.
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It combines dual spectroscopic techniques (LIBS, Raman) with an integrated drilling mechanism, providing in-situ sample analysis. It is capable of mapping and autofocusing with novel optoelectronics that take the place of traditional mechanical mechanisms (actuating and translating). These features make DiSCO a disruptive tool for a wide range of future landed missions.
PERISCOPE will help NASA meet its astrobiology goals by identifying organic compounds, biosignatures, water in any form, and rare-earth elements where they have not been detected before. It can be deployed as a surface probe for mapping chemical constituents or down a borehole for depth profiling composition.
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On Earth, PERISCOPE’s technology is a powerful instrument for ocean science and exploration being adapted to survey seafloor habitats, benthic communities and critical minerals.
FLEW.ID provides optimal nutrient cycling for plants and real-time control of closed-loop water recyclers with autonomous systems like hydroponic garden systems on the International Space Station.
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On Earth, FLEW.ID's technology allows in-line monitoring capabilities to detect trace amounts of hazardous contaminates in water such as forever chemicals and heavy metals. It can also inform public health efforts to improve drinking water and, ultimately, reduce water waste during treatment and delivery.
L3VIN is a LIBS instrument for elemental composition. It is capable of mapping and autofocusing for rapid analysis of resource quantity and distribution on the surface. It’s capable of adjustable standoff distances to accommodation different exploration vehicles and different mission scenarios.
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This tool allows scientists to study the composition of the Moon and understand how it was formed. It helps decide where to extract the resources necessary to support human habitation and permanence. Furthermore, advancing this technology through Moon exploration creates new opportunities for exploration of other worlds.
This cutting-edge lunar resource utilization technology is being developed in collaboration with a team from Washington University in St Louis (WUSTL). The team will build a rover-mounted instrument drill bit that will quantify the 3D distribution of water at the Moon's south pole.
miniLIBS is a portable LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) system that provides the best-in-class performance in the most demanding research applications both in the lab and the field. Designed for a leading geological research institute, and eventually the Moon, this field-ready sensor identifies and quantifies valuable resources and chemical compositions.
MERLIN introduces a new way of performing back-illuminated Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). Developed and built for leading astrobiologists at NASA Ames Research Center, MERLIN advances the capabilities of future life-seeking missions by allowing us to capture, for the first time, high-resolution 2-D molecular images of compounds relevant to the search for life strategies on other planets.