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F. Capaccioni (IAS - CNR, Roma Italy), G. Bellucci (IFSI - CNR, Roma, Italy), S. Amici, R. Bianchi, M.T. Capria, A. Coradini, R. Orosei, G. Piccioni, M. Poscolieri (IAS - CNR, Roma, Italy), V. Formisano (IFSI - CNR, Roma, Italy), S. Fonti (Physics Dept., Univ. Lecce, Italy), J. Mustard, C.M. Pieters (Brown Univ., Providence, USA), S. Erard, O. Forni (IAS - CNRS, Orsay, France), M.I. Blecka (Space Research Center - PAS, Warsawa, Poland)
The MARS-IRMA investigation has been proposed for inclusion in the payload of the Mars Sample Return Lander 1. Its goal is the quantitative characterization of the mineralogy and the microphysical structure of the materials in the Martian soils, down to the depth available to the sampling mechanism of the Lander. The instrument we intend to build is an infrared microscope with imaging and spectrometric capabilities which will provide the first ever detailed information on the texture, environment and microphysical properties (such as single particle albedo and porosity) of the grains and particulates of the Martian soil down to the size of tens of microns. It will also determine the mineralogical composition and relative abundances of the soil components, with a relative accuracy of the order of 1%. To do so it is required a SNR of about 100 coupled with a spectral resolution better than 10 nm in the range 1-5 micron. The instrument will perform microscopic analysis on Martian samples which are in all similar to those which will be returned to Earth by the MAV. Thus, MARS-IRMA will provide a detailed mineralogical analysis of the Martian soil approximately 4 years earlier than the Earth returned samples.