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Spinoff story
Mars Methane Detector Identifies Harmful Gas Leaks
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
In order to determine whether Mars is, or ever was, host to life, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) fitted the Mars Science Laboratory rover with the Tunable Laser Spectrometer to detect methane, a possible sign of microbial life. Through a Space Act Agreement with various organizations, including San Francisco, California-based Pacific Gas & Electric, JPL utilized the technology to develop a handheld methane detector for industry that finds potentially dangerous and greenhouse-gas-contributing pipe leaks.