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Spinoff story
Detailed Spectrometry Makes Dangerous-Materials Testing Safer
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Mars rovers carry an instrument that can zap a sample with a laser and read its composition in the resulting flash. But this process can only identify molecules, not their isotopes, which would reveal more about a sample’s age, formation, and radioactivity. An Ames Research Center scientist set out to build a laser spectrometer sensitive enough to identify these subtle differences. After joining Fremont, California-based Applied Spectra, and with the help of Ames SBIR contracts, he accomplished what no one thought was possible.