Scientific Preparation for the Enfys Spectrometer on the Rosalind Franklin Rover

Introduction

The primary goal of the ESA Rosalind Franklin mission (RFM) is to search for past and present life on Mars [1], launching in 2028. Enfys is a new near-infrared spectrometer, added to the mission in 2023, with Flight Model delivery in 2026. The RFM rover will land in Oxia Planum in 2030, and Enfys will form part of the suite of remote sensing instruments used for exploration and target selection. Given the importance of near-infrared spectroscopy in selection of the landing site [2-4], Enfys will play a major role not only in mission operations, but also in helping to link orbital and in situ observations and interpretations, vital for rover missions [e.g. 5].

Updated Instrument Design

The function of Enfys is based around two near-infrared Linear Variable Filters (LVTs), each with a dedicated detector. An uncooled InGaAs photodiode is paired with a LVF covering the wavelength range 0.9 – 1.7 mm. A cooled and enhanced InGaAs photodiode is paired with a LVF covering the wavelength range 1.6 – 2.5 mm. Both LVFs are translated simultaneously on a mechanical stage. The Enfys Optical Box sits on top of the EMRF mast, co-aligned with and directly underneath the High Resolution Camera (HRC) element of the Panoramic Camera (PanCam) instrument [6].

Instrument Synergy

Embedded within the design is an overlap in wavelength range with PanCam, allowing synergy between multispectral imaging and point spectroscopy. Together these instruments provide contextual remote sensing information, prior to selection of drill sites. Enfys data will be complementary to the other near-infrared spectrometers on EMRF, namely Ma-MISS [7], which will collect data from within the drill hole, and MicrOmega [8], which will analyze the drill core once collected, prepared and delivered into the analytical suite inside EMRF.

Scientific Preparations

To maximise the scientific return from Enfys, a variety of geological analogue testing is currently underway with Enfys emulators and simulations. Expected performance of the Enfys instrument will be presented through (1) analogue samples collected during fieldwork campaigns, (2) ESA mission analogue reference sample analysis, (3) end-to-end spectroradiometric numerical simulations of the Enfys response to spectral libraries ofof phyllosilicate, and other likely martian minerals.

Acknowledgements: We are grateful for support from the UK Space Agency (grants ST/Z510427/1, ST/Z510415/1, ST/Y005996/1, ST/Y005287/1).

 

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