Artist's conception of the ExoMars rover. Source: ESA

Southern Pines, North Carolina (October 24, 2007) - Scribner Associates Inc. has been awarded a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) contract to develop an advanced sensor array analyzer for a planned mission to Mars. Scribner Associates will work with planetary scientists and engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to develop the measurement electronics and measurement methods for a suite of sensors that are part of JPL's Urey instrument. The Urey instrument has been selected for the payload in the European Space Agency's (ESA's) ExoMars rover mission scheduled to launch in 2013 and is considered a fundamental instrument to achieve the mission's scientific objectives. Urey incorporates an array of sensors designed to profile the chemical reactivity of the Martian surface and atmosphere.

Future planetary exploration missions require definitive chemical and biological measurement technologies that will help answer fundamental questions about the composition of planetary atmospheres, surface and sub-surfaces materials, and the presence of biomarkers of extinct or extant life.

During the two-year project Scribner Associates will develop a prototype instrument capable of efficiently interrogating arrays of sensors that will be selectively exposed to the Martian environment as the rover moves over the red planet's surface.

Scribner's scientists and engineers will leverage their extensive experience in the design and development of robust analytical instrumentation for sensor arrays as well as their knowledge of advanced measurement techniques, such as impedance spectroscopy that allows a high level of information to be extracted from the sensor response, to ultimately develop a space-qualified instrument package for planetary exploration.

The project is a NASA Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program valued at $600,000 over two years.

"This is a very exciting opportunity for us," noted Dr. Kevin Cooper, Principal Scientist at Scribner. "In addition to being part of NASA's mission to explore the solar system, this project will allow the company to develop the next generation of electronics and analytical instrumentation for a wide range of applications, including portable and handheld systems for chemical and biological detection and monitoring. Commercialization of technology developed under an SBIR project is a key element of the program and we fully anticipate taking the technology that we develop for NASA's space exploration program and finding markets for it right here at home."

"The whole team at the SBTDC was very supportive through the SBIR Phase II proposal preparation process. John Ujvari and Paul Ulanch provided advice on the developing a strong commercialization plan and Paul provided timely feedback on the proposal. The SBIR team at the SBTDC really helped us get our proposal to a winning-stage. Being able to attend the national SBIR conference held last spring in Raleigh was also a great help" remarked Dr. Cooper.

About Scribner Associates Inc.
Scribner Associates Inc. is a world-leader in analytical instrumentation and software for electrochemistry. Scribner's products include application software for general electrochemical research and laboratory instrumentation that are used by scientists and engineers world-wide in the development of electrochemical technologies such as batteries and clean energy research such as hydrogen fuel cells, corrosion science and prevention technology. The company also specializes in instrumentation and measurement software for sensor array technologies in a broad range of industrial, medical and environmental monitoring applications.

Founded in 1981, Scribner Associates Inc. is a privately-owned company located in Southern Pines, North Carolina, USA. The company employs a professional staff that includes scientists, engineers, business officials and support staff. The company has sales representatives in the USA, Canada, UK, Japan, Taiwan, and other EU and Far East countries, and enjoys close collaborations with leading industrial companies and Universities.

Contact:
Kevin Cooper, Ph.D., Principal Scientist
Scribner Associates Incorporated, 150 E. Connecticut Ave, Southern Pines, NC 28387
Phone: 910-695-8884 ~ Fax: 910-695-8886 ~ www.scribner.com ~ info@scribner.com