How SAM Processes a Sample (VIDEO)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Caption

NASA's Curiosity rover analyzed its first solid sample of Mars with a variety of instruments, including the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite. Developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., SAM is a portable chemistry lab tucked inside the Curiosity rover. SAM examines the chemistry of samples it ingests, checking particularly for chemistry relevant to whether an environment can support or could have supported life. Learn more about how SAM processes a sample by watching this video! Higher Resolution/Broadcast quality: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020100/a020193/index.html

Credit

Credit: NASA/Goddard/Chris Smith

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