Sensor Mechanics

The Insight rover is the first one to use a heat sensor to measure the interior temperatures of Mars. When talking about the sensing of the probe, we can measure a lot of things in an underground environment. Such as the temperature of the soil, elements of the object. For such purposes, we can use our probe to sense data and process them.

When talking about the current level of technology used for sensing such data we can implement the following list of sensors to the probe and get an output for required data sets.

• Heat sensors

• X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer (x-ray tube, filters, collimators and receivers)

• Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS )

• Soil moisture sensor

Sensing Mechanics

This sensor shouldn't be distracted by the temperatures of the probe. Therefore this sensor should be attached to a mechanical spike made by a non-heat conductive (like polymer) surface of the tail end of the probe.

Sensors will collect data every 0.5m we dig and it will be a very accurate method to understand the heat flow of Mars. Because 100m of digging provides 200 temperature readings, this data will help us to analyze any small changes of heat flow of the object very precisely.

The panels will send data to the dock by data lines attached to the panel. These data will be used by the researchers to analyze and identify their chemistry.

They are using the technology of modern-day digital thermometers, and the method is so identical. Modern thermometers use a unique property of resistance. This property is sensitive for temperature differences, because the resistance depends on the temperature.

Ex: If the temperature rises the resistance rises and on the other hand the temperature falls the resistance is also lower.

This sensor can be built in small scales and to get the best results we have to put it under the soil without any contact with distracted surfaces of the probe. We can add it to the areas like the tail, end of the probe. (Distracted surfaces means the surfaces that are affected by the temperature of other surfaces .)

X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer

The formation of Mars will help us to understand the formation of terrestrial planets just like our Earth. So we have to detect the compounds of their soil, especially metallic compounds in Mars or other objects.

The tool must maintain direct contact with the soil of mars, and we can attach it sideways in the probe. Because the sideway contacts make it easier to read data from any given level we are digging.

Measurements will be collected every 1m for better accuracy. The X-Ray emitter and detector will be attached to the side on the tail end of the probe. If we use Fiber optic cables to transfer data to the dock for the analysis it will be more effective.

Those optical data will be analyzed by the in-built Nano lab in the dock(we are expecting to upgrade with this feature in future) and it will store those data for further investigations.

The fluorescence spectrometer beam X-rays when placed against a point on the surface of a planet. The incoming X-ray kicks an electron out of close orbit around the nucleus of an atom, triggering an electron from outer orbits to replace it, thereby returning the atom to equilibrium. This dance creates more X-ray energy, or fluorescence, which is picked up by a detector in the instrument.

(NASA Goddard)

but this method is useful only with metallic elements.

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS )

Same as the X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer, this tool’s main objective is to detect the elements in an object. But the measuring mechanism is not the same. This method will help us to look for the organic compounds on Mars. LIBS can easily detect lightweight elements such as Carbon and oxygen. One day we can see some traces of life on Mars by the data from this tool.

The location is the same as the X-Ray spectrometer because of the similarity of measuring.

In the digging process, we have to get data on every 1m for better accuracy. And the data will transfer by the optic cables to the dock.

This instrument also identifies elements in rocks, but is particularly good at finding light elements. These are elements — such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen — that produce too little energy in response to a beam of photons to be detected by the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy.

The laser instrument works by releasing a laser pulse of high-energy infrared light when held up to a rock. This heats up the piece of rock under the laser beam so much that it vaporizes into a plasma plume. The plasma releases light energy that's sent to spectrometers that reveal the radiation released and absorbed. The resulting light signatures, which are revealed in peaks on a graph, corresponding to the elements in the rocks.

Soil Moisture