Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer

Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer
Name	Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer
Country	United States
Operator	NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Manufacturer	Malin Space Science Systems / Arizona State University
Mission type	Planetary science
Applications	Thermal infrared spectroscopy
Spectral range	Mid-infrared (approx. 5–50 μm)
Mass	~<1 kg (instrument head)
Power	low (watts)
Status	Flown

Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer is a compact thermal-infrared spectrometer developed for planetary orbital and landed missions. It builds on heritage from larger fielded instruments, designed to identify minerals, ices, and atmospheric gases via mid-infrared emission. The instrument has been integrated into missions managed by NASA and tested by teams at institutions such as Arizona State University, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Malin Space Science Systems.

Overview

The spectrometer performs passive thermal-emission measurements to map composition across planetary surfaces, linking spectral features to minerals like olivine-bearing lithologies, pyroxene phases, and phyllosilicates identified in datasets from missions including Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and landed payloads associated with Mars Science Laboratory. It serves objectives prioritized by National Academies decadal surveys and by project offices at NASA Headquarters and JPL. Small form factor enables inclusion on platforms similar to Mars Cube One, Phoenix (spacecraft), and proposed small bodies missions supported by Planetary Science Division programmatic elements.

Design and Instrumentation

The instrument head integrates a mid-infrared detector array, foreoptics, and a miniaturized interferometer or grating assembly derived from designs vetted at Malin Space Science Systems and Arizona State University laboratories. Cooling strategies reflect heritage from cryogenic designs tested at facilities including Jet Propulsion Laboratory thermal vacuum chambers and Ames Research Center environmental testbeds. Electronics and data handling use radiation-tolerant components sourced to standards applied by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and supply-chain partners used by NASA missions. Optical bench materials are chosen with reference to thermal properties established in research at Caltech and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Calibration and Data Processing

Radiometric and spectral calibration routines traceable to standards from National Institute of Standards and Technology assure wavelength and flux accuracy. On-ground calibration campaigns have used blackbody sources and spectral libraries compiled by researchers at Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Brown University, and Smithsonian Institution mineral collections. Data processing pipelines adapt algorithms from heritage instruments on Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, incorporating calibration steps refined by teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Malin Space Science Systems, and the Planetary Data System. Science teams compare retrieved emissivity spectra against laboratory spectra from US Geological Survey and academic groups at University of Oxford and University of Minnesota.

Flight and Mission Applications

The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer has been proposed or adapted for missions ranging from Mars landers to small-body orbiters, complementing payloads such as cameras from Malin Space Science Systems, laser spectrometers from NASA Ames Research Center collaborators, and gamma-ray/neutron instruments similar to those on Mars Odyssey. Its compactness suits integration with platforms like CubeSat demonstrators, ride-along opportunities on Mars Science Laboratory-class missions, and targeted investigations in campaigns coordinated by European Space Agency partners. Operations concepts align with mission planning frameworks used by JPL mission operations and science teams coordinated through NASA Planetary Science Division.

Scientific Results and Discoveries

Data products enable mineral mapping that has corroborated detections of altered minerals and thermal inertia variations previously reported by teams analyzing data from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Global Surveyor, and field analog studies by researchers at Arizona State University, Brown University, and University of New Mexico. Spectral identifications inform interpretations of aqueous alteration and volcanic processes, building on findings associated with locales studied during missions overseen by NASA and partners such as European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency. Comparative studies reference laboratory spectral libraries maintained at USGS, Smithsonian Institution, and university consortia including California Institute of Technology.

Development History and Variants

Development traceably evolved from larger thermal emission spectrometers developed by teams at Arizona State University and Malin Space Science Systems that supported missions like Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey. Programmatic sponsorship and instrument maturation involved cooperative agreements with NASA offices, testing at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Ames Research Center, and industrial partnerships exemplified by collaborations with Lockheed Martin and small satellite initiatives influenced by DARPA-funded demonstration efforts. Variants include configurations optimized for lander platforms, orbiter mapping modes, and CubeSat-scale adaptations pursued by university teams at Arizona State University, University of Colorado Boulder, and Purdue University.

Category:Planetary instruments