The Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument on the rover
Curiosity can hit rocks with a laser powerful enough to excite a
pinhead-size spot into a glowing, ionized gas. ChemCam then
observes the flash through a telescope and analyzes the spectrum
of light to identify the chemical elements in the target. That
information about rocks or patches of soil up to about 7 meters
(23 feet) away will help the rover team survey the rover's
surroundings and choose which targets to drill into, or scoop
up, for additional analysis by other instruments on Curiosity.
With the 10 science instruments on the rover, the team will
assess whether any environments in the landing area have been
favorable for microbial life and for preserving evidence about
whether life existed. In late 2011, NASA will launch Curiosity
and the other parts of the flight system, delivering the rover
to the surface of Mars in August 2012. Wiens, a geochemist with
the U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory,
serves as ChemCam's princ