Expanded Coverage: Mid-infrared Field Spectroscopy Through a Range of Distances and Viewing Angles

Mathematics – Logic

Scientific paper

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3672 Planetary Mineralogy And Petrology (5410), 3694 Instruments And Techniques, 5410 Composition, 5464 Remote Sensing

Scientific paper

Field spectroscopy for geological applications typically is done to support airborne or orbital remote sensing data sets. In this context, a tripod-mounted field spectrometer is oriented in a downward-viewing position to simulate the nadir views provided by a remote sensing platform. The upcoming 2003 Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission will include a mid-infrared spectrometer (mini-TES) that will view its surroundings through a periscope-like mast mounted to the deck of the rover. The role of this instrument is to offer remote compositional analysis of the different materials within view of the rover. The scene will be observed through a range of distances and angles unlike those of typical field spectral measurements. In an effort to gain experience with such measurements, a Designs and Prototypes micro-FTIR mid-infrared field spectrometer (~7-14 microns) was used during a NASA-sponsored MER mission simulation exercise in the summer of 2002. During this 10-day exercise, 60 rock and soil targets were measured with the spectrometer. The targets ranged from those directly below the tripod-mounted spectrometer to those several 10s of meters away on boulders and cliff faces in the vicinity of the rover. Atmospheric downwelling radiance can be a significant contribution to such measurements and must be accounted for to achieve well-calibrated spectra. For targets in the near-field, a gold diffuse reflector plate was measured to characterize the downwelling radiance. For more distant targets, this measurement was impractical. It was found that a direct measurement of the sky with the spectrometer fore-optic oriented at ~30 degrees above the horizon could be used in the calibration of spectra from more distant targets. Using this strategy, spectra from the far-field targets were remarkably interpretable, bringing a true remote sensing capability to the field setting. No adverse effects of viewing targets off-nadir were observed. The results from the field exercise bode well for the success of similar measurements to be obtained on the surface of Mars.

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