Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity Rover (IMAGE) DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Caption NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory is part of one of many space exploration missions that have used mass spectrometry to analyze rocks and soils. But current techniques require samples to be heavily prepared, which can harm results. Recent research shows that adding a laser and an ion funnel to a mass spectrometer enables analysis on Mars’ surface without handling samples. Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech Usage Restrictions Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.