OVERVIEW As part of NASA’s unmanned planetary exploration program, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory built a next-generation rover, called the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). The largest Mars rover yet, MSL was sent to one of the most intriguing sites there to investigate whether ancient conditions would have favored the existence of microbial life. The ChemCam instrument uses a laser to vaporize small amounts of material up to 7 meters away and determine their composition with an on-board spectrometer in the ChemCam Body Unit (CCBU), which must remain within a specific temperature range. ATA Engineering supported modifications to the CCBU to add an active thermoelectric cooling (TEC) system to ensure that the spectrometers operate as planned throughout the Martian day. TASKS PERFORMED

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