¹Sophie Benaroya,¹Christopher D. K. Herd,¹David T. Flannery,¹Nicolas Randazzo
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Open Access Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70104]
¹Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
²School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is expected to transform planetary science by providingunprecedented access to pristine Martian material. Initial characterization in the samplereceiving facility (SRF) will rely on nondestructive techniques such as X-ray computedtomography (XCT) to document the condition, distribution, and internal features of sealedcore samples. To test XCT protocols in advance of MSR, we analyzed terrestrial analog corescollected during the Pilbara Sample Return campaign in Western Australia. Sedimentary andregolith samples were scanned at both whole-core and fragment scales to evaluate scan times,optimal energy conditions, and resolution limits. Our results demonstrate that XCT offerscritical insights into fragment size distributions, internal banding, porosity, and fracturenetworks before sample opening, information that is essential for subsampling and preservingastrobiologically relevant textures. Integration with Raman spectroscopy, optical microscopy,and EPMA confirmed that XCT reliably identifies high-attenuation (high-l) phases (e.g.,oxides, sulfides) but cannot distinguish between common silicates, underscoring the need formulti-modal characterization. We also demonstrate how XCT data sets can be used to tracksample mass, restore fragment orientation, and potentially reconstruct stratigraphic context.Updated sample mass estimates indicate that the MSR collection is sufficient to meetcommunity science objectives, with required masses (12–15 g per core) well below expectedreturns. These results highlight XCT as a cornerstone of SRF pre-basic characterization,providing both immediate triage value and a foundation for long-term digital curation.