4 April 2015: NASA reported studies, based on measurements by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover, of the Martian atmosphere using xenon and argon …

Apr 7, 2025 · To analyze the chemical composition of rocks and soil. The laser, telescope, and camera sit on Curiosity's mast (its "forehead"), while the spectrometer is located in its "body". …

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite in the MSL Analytical Laboratory is designed to address the present and past habitability of Mars by exploring molecular and elemental …

In an effort to bring some actual content to this discussion, I'm hereby offering a detailed explainer on how SAM actually works and what it is designed to detect. Settle in; it's 4000 words long. …

SAM is a suite of three instruments: a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS), a Gas Chromatograph (GC), and a Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS). The QMS and the GC can …

Apr 27, 2012 · The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) addresses the chemical and isotopic composition of the atmosphere and volatiles …

Jun 24, 2022 · This talk provides a behind-the-scenes look at the vignettes of the engineering challenges of building, integrating, testing, launching, and the SAM’s team’s initial experiences …

M carried out instrument health checks and then began a series of experiments to measure atmos-pheric composition and isotope ratios. SAM was oper-ated 39 times in the first 120 sols …

Aug 20, 2012 · In this post, I'll talk about the two science instruments that will analyze samples of powdered rock and soils: Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) and Chemistry and Mineralogy …

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation onboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover is designed to investigate the chemical and isotopic composition of the Martian …