Celebrating National Space Day with Spectroscopy

Spectroscopic techniques have played a role in advancing space exploration applications, including the exploration of Mars. By measuring how matter interacts with electromagnetic radiation, spectroscopy provides key insights into the chemical makeup of planets, stars, and interstellar materials (2). Some of the common spectroscopic techniques used in studying space include infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), Raman, and mass spectrometry (MS).

Explore our curated collection of content delving into the captivating world of outer space, featuring expert insights from those who have contributed to groundbreaking projects like the James Webb Space Telescope, the Curiosity Rover, and beyond.

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Expert Interviews

The Spectrometers on NASA’s Perseverance

The Perseverance rover is equipped with many cameras and different instruments to conduct scientific experiments on Mars, including several spectrometers. We describe some of them here.

How the James Webb Telescope’s MIRI and NIRCam are Advancing Cosmic Exploration

Macarena Garcia Marin, an astrophysicist and instrument scientist for the European Space Agency, highlights the role spectroscopy techniques have played in the pivotal research done on the James Webb Telescope since its launch in 2021.

Exploring Mars with Light: S. Michael Angel on the SuperCam Instrument

In this interview, S. Michael Angel, a consultant on the SuperCam team, explains how the instrument analyzes Martian rocks and what it reveals about Mars’ geology and potential for past life.

The Role of LIBS and Mass Spectrometry in Planetary Exploration: An Interview with Kelsey Williams

In this extended Q&A interview, we sit down with Kelsey Williams, a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), who is working on planetary instrumentation using spectroscopic techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS).

1. The Role of LIBS and Mass Spectrometry in Planetary Exploration: An Interview with Kelsey Williams, Part I
   1. In Part I of our interview with Williams, she discusses how her background led her to her current position at LANL.
2. The Role of LIBS and Mass Spectrometry in Planetary Exploration: An Interview with Kelsey Williams, Part II
   1. In Part II of our conversation with Williams, she talks about the potential of mass spectrometry (MS) in space exploration applications.
3. The Role of LIBS and Mass Spectrometry in Planetary Exploration: An Interview with Kelsey Williams, Part III
   1. In Part III, Williams goes into detail about ChemCam and SuperCam and how LIBS is used in both these instruments.
4. The Role of LIBS and Mass Spectrometry in Planetary Exploration: An Interview with Kelsey Williams, Part IV
   1. In the final part of our conversation with Williams, she discusses how laser-based spectroscopic techniques might be used in the future to advance space exploration.

Noureddine Melikechi on Analyzing the Red Planet with NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory

Noureddine Melikechi, dean of the Kennedy College of Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, discusses his work analyzing spectroscopic data collected by the Chemistry Camera (ChemCam) aboard NASA’s Curiosity Rover.

Exploring the Universe with Spectroscopy: An Interview with Gabi Wenzel of the Center for Astrophysics

Spectroscopy sat down with Gabi Wenzel, SAO visiting scientist at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, to discuss how spectroscopy is being used to explore the molecular universe. In this 4-part video interview, she discusses everything from important breakthroughs in her work to the interdisciplinary nature of astrochemistry. Watch all five parts below.

• Part 1: Exploring the Molecular Universe with Spectroscopy
• Part 2: Exploring the Advantages of High-Resolution Cavity-Enhanced FTMW Spectroscopy
• Part 3: Unexpected Discoveries in Space
• Part 4: Astrochemistry at the Intersection of Disciplines

Using Spectroscopic Techniques to Better Understand the Universe

A paper by Diriba Gonfa Tolasa of the Department of Physics at Assosa University (Assosa, Ethiopia) explores the pivotal role of spectroscopic techniques in probing celestial phenomena, enabling researchers to decode the composition, temperature, density, and motion of astronomical objects through the analysis of spectral lines. For this year’s National Space Day, Tosala spoke to Spectroscopy about his paper.

Using Spectroscopy to Measure Geochemical Transformations of Gypsum for Ca-Sulfate Detection on Mars

Research was conducted exploring the dehydration pathways of gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O) and its interactions with chloride (Cl) salts under a range of thermal and environmental conditions relevant to Earth and Mars. Spectroscopy spoke to Merve Yeşilbaş, corresponding author of a paper based on this work, about the research.

Spectroscopy and Space Exploration: The Latest Research

Mars Rover Uses Spectroscopy to Detect Diverse Organic-Mineral Associations in Jezero Crater

Unlocking Mars' Secrets: Spectroscopic Study of Terrestrial Analogues Sheds Light on Rover Missions – An Analytica Chimica Acta Review

Unlocking the Secrets of Exoplanet WASP-39b: Early Release Science with JWST NIRISS Reveals Intriguing Atmospheric Composition

New Discoveries from India’s Chandrayaan-3 Rover at the Lunar South Pole Using LIBS and APXS Spectroscopy

How NASA Scientists are Using Spectroscopy to Study Exoplanets

New Study Reveals How NASA's Perseverence Rover Uses LIBS for Precise Rock Analysis

Unveiling the Giants: Mid-Infrared Observations of the Solar System's Largest Planets

Main-Belt Comet Yields Water Vapor Clues: New Near-Infrared and Infrared Discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope

Autonomous Mineral Classification Enhances Planetary Exploration

OSIRIS-APEX: Unveiling the Secrets of Asteroid Apophis Flyby Post-Earth Encounter

References

1. Wetzel, W. Spectroscopy and Space Exploration: A One-Day Content Series on July 20th. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/spectroscopy-and-space-exploration-a-one-day-content-series-on-july-20th (accessed 2025-04-17).
2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Spectroscopy. NASA.gov. Available at: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/science-behind-the-discoveries/hubble-spectroscopy/ (accessed 2025-04-17).