Developing and testing a miniaturized in situ XRD for a Mars rover
Abstract
The aim of this thesis work is to develop initial designs for, and prototype components of, a portable and miniaturized In-situ X-ray diffractometer (ISXRD) to be mounted on a future Mars rover for planetary exploration applications. This is part of a larger ongoing Canadian Space Agency (CSA)-funded FAST (Flights for the Advancement of Science and Technology) program involving several university and industry partners. The Western-led team of researchers is developing the ISXRD for mineralogical characterization of planetary surfaces through non-destructive analysis of in situ materials. In collaboration with industry partner Proto Manufacturing, extensive testing of experimental parameters and instrument components was undergone to better understand the requirements of the proposed ISXRD instrument. From these findings, a preliminary prototype design has been developed. With continued development of this work, a first-of-its-kind miniaturized ISXRD instrument will be built.