A field prototype of SOLID was first tested in 2005 in a simulated Mars drilling expedition called MARTE (Mars Analog Rio Tinto Experiment) where the researchers tested a drill  in depth, sample-handling systems, and immunoassays relevant to the search for life in the Martian subsurface. MARTE was funded by the NASA Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program. Using the sample cores, SOLID successfully detected several  biological polymers in extreme environments in different parts of the world, including a deep South African mine, Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys, Yellowstone, Iceland, Atacama Desert in Chile, and in the acid water of Rio Tinto.
Extracts obtained from Mars analogue sites on Earth were added to various perchlorate concentrations at −20 °C for 45 days and then the samples were analyzed with SOLID. The results showed no interference from acidity or from the presence of 50 mM perchlorate which is 20 times higher than that found at the Phoenix landing site. SOLID demonstrated that the chosen antibodies are unaffected by acidity, heat and oxidants such as perchlorates, and it has emerged as a viable choice for an astrobiology mission directly searching for biosignatures.
In 2018, another field test took place at the Atacama Desert with a rover called ARADS (Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies) that carried a core drill, SOLID instrument, and another life detection system called Microfluidic Life Analyzer (MILA). MILA processes minuscule volumes of fluid samples to isolate amino acids, which are building blocks of proteins. The rover tested different strategies for searching for potential evidence of life in the soil, and established that roving, drilling and life detection can take place in concert.