CheMin
CheMin, short for Chemistry and Mineralogy, is an instrument located in the interior of the Curiosity rover that is exploring the surface of Gale crater on Mars. David Blake, from NASA Ames Research Center, is the Principal Investigator.
Sample inlet of CheMin analyzer | |
| Operator | NASA |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Ames Research Center |
| Instrument type | X-ray diffraction |
| Function | Surface composition |
| Mission duration | November 26, 2011 – present |
| Began operations | 17 October 2012 |
| Host spacecraft | |
| Spacecraft | Curiosity rover |
| Operator | NASA |
| Launch date | 26 November 2011 |
| Rocket | Atlas V 541 (AV-028) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-41 |
| COSPAR ID | 2011-070A |
CheMin identifies and quantifies the minerals present in rocks and soil delivered to it by the rover's robotic arm. By determining the mineralogy in rocks and soils, CheMin assesses the involvement of water in their formation, deposition, or alteration. In addition, CheMin data is useful in the search for potential mineral biosignatures, energy sources for life or indicators for past habitable environments.
CheMin aboard the Curiosity rover on Mars won the 2013 NASA Government Invention of the year award.
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