Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies (Ma_MISS) is a miniaturizedimaging spectrometer designed to provide imaging and spectra by reflectance in thenear-infrared (NIR) wavelength region and determine the mineral composition andstratigraphy. The instrument is part of the science payload on board the EuropeanRosalind Franklin rover,^[2] tasked to search forbiosignatures, and scheduled to launch not earlier than 2028. Ma_MISS is essentially inside a drill on the Rover, and will take measurements of the sub-surface directly.

Ma_MISS will help on the search for biosignatures by studying minerals and icesin situ before the collection of samples. The instrument is integrated within the Italiancore drill system called DEEDRI, and it will be dedicated toin situ studies of the mineralogy inside the excavated holes in terms of visible and infrared spectral reflectance.^[3]

The Principal Investigator is Maria Cristina De Sanctis, from theINAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) in Italy.^[4]

The instrument is based on the design conceived by planetary scientistAngioletta Coradini in 2001.^[4][7] Ma_MISS is integrated in theRosalind Franklin rover 2-metre DEEDRI core drill and shares its structure and electronics. It will perform visible andnear-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) in the 0.4 to 2.2 μm range of the excavated borehole wall.^[4][5]

A 5watt lamp and an optical fiber array will provide the illumination of the target (about 100 μm spot) as well as collect the scattered light from the target. An optical fiber carries the light to the spectrometer.^[5]

It will be operated periodically during the pauses of the drilling activity and will also be able to provide images of the hole wall by asapphire window connected to an array ofoptical fibres.^[5][6] MA-MISS will provide important information aboutmineralogy,petrology, and geological processes of sedimentary materials of the Martian subsurface.^[6] It will also give insights about materials that have not been altered by surface processes such as erosion, weathering or oxidation.^[5]

The instrument is noted for its location inside the drill where it will have close contact with the Martian sub-surface.^[8] There is a window on the side of the drill, and as the drill turns it can take measurements around the circumference of the bore hole.^[8]

TheExoMars programme is anastrobiology project focused on the search forbiosignatures in the subsurface of Mars, and to better understand the geological evolution andhabitability of Mars. The study of the Martian subsurface will provide important constraints on the nature, timing and duration of alteration and sedimentation processes on Mars, as well as on the complex interactions between the surface and the atmosphere. The stated objectives of the Ma_MISS experiment are:^[3]

• Determine the composition of subsurface materials.
• Map the distribution of subsurfacewater andCO
  ₂ ices.
• Characterize grain size.
• Reconstruct astratigraphic column for clues on subsurface geological processes.

• ExoMars
• Mars imagers
• Astrobiology
• Space science experiments

• Use British English from July 2018
• All Wikipedia articles written in British English