Planetary Geology and the NASA MIRAGE Rover

The NASA L’Space program is a summer academy that partners with the Lucy Mission that trains students to work on mission style projects.

 

As a planetary geologist, I compiled atmospheric and soil data on the planet

Mars and selected instruments for the MIRAGE (Mars Ice Recon and Geophysical Explorer) rover that will best acquire atmospheric and soil data so those data could be sent back to Earth.

 

I conducted literature reviews of published research and technical specifications of various instruments. Based on this research, I selected instruments best suited to find features in Mars’ composition, such as a ground penetrating radar to search for underground ice and a Sherlock Spectrometer to detect organic molecules and biosignatures in rocks, that stayed within the technical weight and size restrictions for the rover.

 

I compiled all my suggestions into a written Preliminary Design Review to be presented to the L’Space Program directors.