Micro - Raman spectroscopy is one of the primary methods of mineralogical analysis in the laboratory , and more recently in the field . Because of its versatility and ability to interrogate rocks in their natural form it is one of the front runners for the next generation of in situ instruments designed to explore adverse set of solar system bodies ( e.g. Mars , Venus , the Moon , and other primitive bodies such as asteroids and the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos ) , as well as for pre - selection of rock and soil samples for potential cache and return missions .