Abstract

INTA carried out since a decade ago an intense activity of scientific research and development of instrumentation for the surface of Mars, which is summarized in the present paper. The main activities on RLS (Raman Laser Spectrometer), the main drivers of the designs, the most critical activities of the Assembly, Integration and validation phase (AIV) and the actual status of the program are showed and commented. The RLS instrument is one of the most complex payloads for Mars exploration in which INTA have been involved, the requirement for specific facilities as the Protection Planetary Facility (PPF) for handling planetary instrumentation, or the qualification campaign performed for validating optical components as holographic grating, glasses substrates or micro laser components are difficulties added to the development of this complex payload.

INTA is actually involved in other small missions for scientific knowledge on weather, solar irradiance or magnetic characteristics of Mars.

© 2016 Optical Society of America