A new laser has been developed by scientists to detect aliens on other planets.
The miniature device has been tailored to NASA space missions with an aim to revolutionise the search for extraterrestrial life.
The Daily Star reports that the laser is significantly smaller and more resource efficient than its predecessors - without compromising analysis of biological activity and planetary samples onsite.
The instrument, which only weighs about 17 pounds, is a scaled-down combination of two tools.
The pulsed ultraviolet laser removes small amounts of material. A scanner named Orbitrap then delivers high-resolution data about their chemistry.
Lead author Professor Ricardo Arevalo, of Maryland University, said: “The Orbitrap was originally built for commercial use.
“You can find them in the labs of pharmaceutical, medical and proteomic industries. The one in my own lab is just under 400 pounds - so they’re quite large.
“It took us eight years to make a prototype that could be used efficiently in space - significantly smaller and less resource-intensive but still capable of cutting-edge science.”
While this technique is yet to be applied in an extraterrestrial planetary environment, Professor Arevalo said the device is streamlined for space exploration and onsite planetary material analysis.
The mini LDMS Orbitrap will offer insight for future ventures into the outer solar system - including those focused on life detection like the Enceladus Orbilander and exploration of the lunar surface like the NASA Artemis Program.
Scientists hope to send it into space and deploy it on a planetary target within a few years.
Professor Arevalo said: "I view this prototype as a pathfinder for other future LDMS and Orbitrap-based instruments.
"Our mini Orbitrap LDMS instrument has the potential to significantly enhance the way we currently study the geochemistry or astrobiology of a planetary surface."
It is described in the journal Nature Astronomy.
The latest alien-detecting instrument comes after a former US Department of Defence official made an astonishing UFO revelation.
Luis Eiizondo, a former senior military officer, spoke out at a public debate to declare that UFOs were real.
The intelligence officer worked with the US Army and the Department of Defense, appeared at a forum organised by the To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science.
Luis said: "Something unexplained is always assumed to be a potential threat until we are certain it isn’t. On the bright side, I believe we are closer than ever before in our understanding of how it operates.
"I am accustomed to being involved in close-hold, nuanced programs involving national security. This includes being a counterintelligence special agent, a case officer, and intelligence practitioner.
"However, by far the most interesting effort I was involved with was the topic of advanced aerial threats."
