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About

François Poulet is a leading planetary scientist whose research centers on the mineralogical and geological evolution of Mars, with a particular focus on clay-rich terrains and the search for past habitability. His most significant contributions include high-resolution mapping of the Mawrth Vallis region, home to some of the largest phyllosilicate outcrops on the planet—a key window into Mars’ ancient water-altered history. This work, cited over 30 times, helped define a candidate landing site for the Curiosity rover and continues to guide the search for past life. Poulet is also a central figure in the development of the SuperCam instrument suite, a laser-induced breakdown spectrometer and remote-sensing package aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover. He co-authored the instrument’s foundational papers, which together have garnered over 80 citations, and played a key role in its infrared spectrometer component. Through these contributions, Poulet has shaped our understanding of Martian aqueous environments and directly supported the Mars 2020 mission’s goals of sample caching and in-situ resource demonstration. His work bridges orbital remote sensing and in-situ exploration, making him a vital voice in Mars science.