###### Abstract  
In planetary science, visible (Vis) and near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectra allow deciphering the chemical/mineralogical composition of celestial bodies' surfaces by comparison between remotely acquired data and laboratory references. This paper presents the design of an automated test rig named _Exoland Simulator_ equipped with two reflectance spectrometers covering the 0.38-2.2 um range. It is designed to collect data of natural/synthetic rocks and minerals prepared in the laboratory that simulate the composition of planetary surfaces. The structure of the test rig is conceived as a Cartesian robot to automatize the acquisition. The test rig is also tested by simulating some project trajectories, and results are presented in terms of its ability to reproduce the programmed trajectories. Furthermore, preliminary spectral data are shown to demonstrate how the soil analogs' spectra could allow an accurate remote identification of materials, enabling the creation of libraries to study the effect of multiple chemical-physical component variations on individual spectral bands. Despite the primary scope of _Exoland_, it can be advantageously used also for tribological purposes, to correlate the wear behavior of soils and materials with their composition by also analyzing the wear scars. reflectance spectroscopy; test rig; simulations; planetary soil analogs; Cartesian robot; minerals; rocks +
Footnote †: journal: _sciencedes_  
0000-0001-8994-3330-3330-3330-330-330-330-330-330-330-330-3300-3300-3300-3300-3300-3300-3300-  
reflects or emits a specific intensity of light, which depends on the physical or compositional properties of the target [15]. The remote sensing techniques performed through telescopic, space, and ground-based missions have provided much of our knowledge about the Solar System, and in particular of the composition and structure of solid planetary surfaces, since this technique allows analyzing a planetary object in a geo-scientific context [16; 17]. Among the plethora of different remote sensing techniques, the one exploiting the visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) range of the electromagnetic spectrum is widely used for investigating planetary atmospheres and to identify surface compounds [16; 18; 19; 20]. Considering the power of Vis-NIR reflectance spectroscopy to identify and map surfaces from a distance, several spectrometers have been carried onboard spacecrafts, e.g., the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft. This is a visible-infrared (Vis-IR) hyperspectral imager that aims at characterizing the geology and mineralogy of thousands of sites at high spatial and spectral resolution [21]. The Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies (Ma_MISS) on the ESA Rosalind Franklin rover is a miniaturized Vis-NIR spectrometer aimed at acquiring spectral data on the Martian subsurface [22], and the SuperCam coupled with Vis-NIR spectroscopy on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover payload has the scope of identifying primary and secondary minerals (e.g., quartz vs. amorphous silica) [23]. Therefore, several planetary laboratories were built and equipped with spectral test rigs to collect data and create a large spectral database of rocks and minerals to interpret and transfer data from spacecrafts [24; 25; 26]. Many works have been carried out using Vis-NIR spectroscopy to collect and characterize different compounds for later comparison with remote data. Sulfates and carbonate minerals were analyzed since they are important for understanding the geological and climatic evolution of several planetary bodies [27; 28]. Numerous studies have been performed on sulfur- and ammonium-bearing minerals in relation to possible micro-organism habitability in these environments [29; 30; 31]. Laboratory spectra of clays/phylosilicates, altered basalts, mafic minerals (e.g., pyroxene), and glass materials were largely studied as important Mars-analog materials [32; 33; 34].