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Mars Rover Scientific Payload

Student-Led Team Project

 Developed for a student-led Mars rover project focused on detecting extant life, this scientific payload integrates a suite of novel, low-cost instruments including a Raman spectrometer, a VIS spectrometer, a sample acquisition auger, and an automated testing carousel for sample processing. To validate this hardware, custom Mars and Utah desert soil simulants were fabricated and inoculated with microbial life. The goal is to test the payload's effectiveness by successfully using the on-board instruments and biochemical assays to detect key biosignatures like proteins and enzymatic activity from the bacteria within the soil samples. This project establishes a cost-efficient and scalable framework, demonstrating the viability of integrated, custom-built systems for complex Astrobiological missions.