DLR high-temperature measurement chamber
DLR high-temperature measurement chamber
DLR's unique experimental facility, the Planetary Spectroscopy Laboratory (PSL), is used to measure the emitted thermal radiation from different rock samples heated to extremely high temperatures typical on Venus (470 degrees Celsius) or Mercury (up to 430 degrees Celsius). These spectra of emitted and reflected radiation differ from that at the 'normal', lower temperatures that exist on Earth. The spectral profiles can be applied to future experiments on missions to Venus and Mercury to identify rock types on the planetary surfaces. For the analysis of Venusian rocks and their mineralogical and geochemical composition, knowledge of the spectral profiles at wavelengths around one micrometre is particularly important. At these wavelengths, infrared sensors can observe the surface of the planet through the dense Venusian atmosphere within so-called 'atmospheric windows'.
