2 Jun 2015

Since Curiosity landed on Mars in 2012, the Canadian-built Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) has been studying the planet's rocks and soil. It has contributed significantly to some of the mission's top science breakthroughs, including the discovery that ancient Mars could have had the right chemistry for microbial life.
Through the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Government of Canada is investing up to $1.9 million over the next two years to support the operations of Canada's science instrument on board the Curiosity rover and its science team. This latest investment includes a contract worth up to $1.7 million awarded to the University of Guelph, which leads the APXS science team. Up to $325,000 of this amount will be subcontracted to the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton). The University of New Brunswick will also be receiving a separate CSA grant for $150,000 over two years to support operations and analyze data.
Canada's collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission is aligned with the principles of Canada's Space Policy Framework: it strengthens strategic relationships with international partners in the interest of science and technology, positions our domestic space industry at the forefront of cutting-edge space activities, and inspires Canadians, particularly our youth, to aspire to careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
Fast facts about APXS
• Roughly the size and shape of a Rubik's cube, APXS is located on the end of the Curiosity rover's robotic arm.
• APXS studies the rocks and soil of Mars to provide clues about the planet's mysterious past: what happened to Mars that made it lose much of its water and atmosphere? And what lessons can the Red Planet teach us about Planet Earth?
• The APXS science team is led by Dr. Ralf Gellert of the University of Guelph, who is also the lead scientist for the earlier versions of APXS on the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity), and provided the scientific design of the improved MSL APXS.
• The APXS science team is composed of members from: University of Guelph; University of New Brunswick; NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (a division of Caltech); Brock University, University of California, San Diego; Cornell University; the Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and the Australian National University.
• MSL marks the second time the CSA has landed on the Red Planet. The first was the Phoenix Mars Lander mission in 2008, in which the Canadian weather station discovered snow falling in the atmosphere of Mars.