On October 23, the presentation of RLS Flight Model (FM) was given by the RLS Team in the Mars Exploration – Science, Instruments and Technologies symposium of the 70th International Astronautic Congress (IAC) with the publication: Characterization of the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) FM for the ESA’s ExoMars 2020 Mission.

IAC Entrance at Washington DC

The aim of the publication was to explain the hard work of characterizing the RLS FM (penultimate level of technical maturity of an instrument in the space industry) developed, assembled and tested for acceptance within the INTA´s labs & facilities. In the talk it was highlighted the objectives and capabilities of this instrument both from a scientific and technical point of view; the work and research carried out by INTA and UVA´s colleagues during the tight schedule of developing the different models; and also the new possible future missions for applying this cutting-edge technology in order to advertise the privileged position of INTA in the field of planetary and space sciences..

RLS integrated in the Analytical Laboratory (ALD) of Rosalind Franklin ExoMars Rover

IAC is the world's largest congress of experts working in all astronautic scientific disciplines with the greatest visibility worldwide. Even more this year, celebrated in USA on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of human moon landing, a special interest in the event has been expressed worldwide not only in the USA with the open ceremony leaded by the US vice-president but also in the Spanish space industry with the assistance - after years of absence - of an ICEX booth and with the presence of Pedro Duque Minister as well.

The Spanish industry booth

RLS Team