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This paper discusses the Inukshuk landed rover mission to Mars that is currently undergoing the Phase 0 mission study for the Canadian Space Agency. ...The Inukshuk landed rover mission addresses key science themes for planetary exploration; focusing on the search for hydrated mineralogy and subsurface water sites that can provide evidence of past or present life. ...New exploration and science will be accomplished using an innovative tethered combination of a small rover and a self-elevating sky-cam aerostat. The elevating visible (VIS) imager, at about 10 m altitude, will provide an informative high-resolution 2-D view of the rover below and surrounding terrain to greatly assist the semi-autonomous navigation of the rover around obstacles and selection of sites for detailed subsurface exploration.

This paper discusses recent advances in the binary-coded IOSPEC technology towards providing an integrated chemical analysis system for manned space systems and planetary rovers. An active shutter array is being developed based on a thin-film structure that enables broad-band optical switching and multiplexing at ms speeds with no moving parts for reliable long-term operation.