OLYMPIA-LILBID: A New Laboratory Setup to Calibrate Spaceborne Hypervelocity Ice Grain Detectors Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

The coupling of an Orbitrap-based mass analyzer to the laser-induced liquid beam ion desorption (LILBID) technique has been investigated, with the aim to reproduce the mass spectra recorded by Cassini's Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) in the vicinity of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. LILBID setups are usually coupled with time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzers, with a limited mass resolution (∼800 /Δ). Thanks to the Orbitrap technology, we developed a unique analytical setup that is able to simulate hypervelocity ice grains' impact in the laboratory (at speeds in the range of 15-18 km/s) with an unprecedented high mass resolution of up to 150 000 /Δ (at 19 for a 500 ms signal duration).

High-resolution mass spectrometry for future space missions: Comparative analysis of complex organic matter with LAb-CosmOrbitrap and laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance.

Rationale: Mass spectrometers are regularly boarded on spacecraft for the exploration of the Solar System. A better understanding of the origin, distribution and evolution of organic matter and its relationships with inorganic matter in different extra-terrestrial environments requires the development of innovative space tools, described as Ultra-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHRMS) instruments.

Methods: Analyses of a complex organic material simulating extraterrestrial matter (Titan's tholins) are performed with a homemade space-designed Orbitrap™ equipped with a laser ablation ionization source at 266 nm: the LAb-CosmOrbitrap.

An Orbitrap-based laser desorption/ablation mass spectrometer designed for spaceflight.

Rationale: The investigation of cryogenic planetary environments as potential harbors for extant life and/or contemporary sites of organic synthesis represents an emerging focal point in planetary exploration. Next generation instruments need to be capable of unambiguously determining elemental and/or molecular stoichiometry via highly accurate mass measurements and the separation of isobaric interferences.

Methods: An Orbitrap™ analyzer adapted for spaceflight (referred to as the CosmOrbitrap), coupled with a commercial pulsed UV laser source (266 nm), was used to successfully characterize a variety of planetary analog samples via ultrahigh resolution laser desorption/ablation mass spectrometry.