Ma_MISS (Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies) is the miniaturized spectrometer in the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) hosted by the ExoMars2022 rover drilling system. It will perform IR spectral reflectance surveys in the range of 0.5-2.3 µm to characterize the mineralogy of borehole walls drilled at different depths (between 0 and 2 m). 

The spectrometer is capable of observing a single point target on the subsurface of the borehole wall, and depending on the surface features of interest, the observation window can scan the subsurface by rotation or translation of the drill bit and thus provide hyper-spectral ring or column images. By combining a number of column and ring observations, a fairly complete image of the wall can be constructed.

The main objective of Ma_MISS is to study the Martian subsurface environment, which is crucial to our ability to constrain the nature, timing, and duration of alteration and sedimentation processes on Mars, as well as habitability conditions. Ma_MISS’s spectral range and sampling capabilities have been carefully selected to enable the study of minerals prior to sample collection. It is the only rover instrument with the capability to analyze subsurface material in its natural environment (in situ) before extracting samples for further analysis.

Ma_MISS is a very innovative instrument with a high degree of complexity due to its very small size, with optical elements of only a few millimeters, and its modular distribution, with parts inside the drill and parts outside (for details see the Scientific Publications section).