In this interview, Richard Leveille explains how identifying specific minerals on Mars helps astrobiologists determine past environmental conditions on the planet.

Leveille, of the Canadian Space Agency, is one of the scientists working on Curiosity’s Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) instrument. ChemCam will study Martian rocks and soil in depth. A laser will target selected rocks, creating an ionized, glowing plasma that will be used to analyze their composition. The instrument’s camera will resolve features 5 to 10 times more in-depth than previous rovers.