| 1. |
- Beaty, D.W, et al.
(författare)
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The potential science and engineering value of samples delivered to Earth by Mars sample return : International MSR Objectives and Samples Team (iMOST)
- 2019
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Ingår i: Meteoritics and Planetary Science. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1086-9379 .- 1945-5100. ; 54:S1, s. 3-152
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Executive Summary: Return of samples from the surface of Mars has been a goal of the international Mars science community for many years. Affirmation by NASA and ESA of the importance of Mars exploration led the agencies to establish the international MSR Objectives and Samples Team (iMOST). The purpose of the team is to re-evaluate and update the sample-related science and engineering objectives of a Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign. The iMOST team has also undertaken to define the measurements and the types of samples that can best address the objectives. Seven objectives have been defined for MSR, traceable through two decades of previously published international priorities. The first two objectives are further divided into sub-objectives. Within the main part of the report, the importance to science and/or engineering of each objective is described, critical measurements that would address the objectives are specified, and the kinds of samples that would be most likely to carry key information are identified. These seven objectives provide a framework for demonstrating how the first set of returned Martian samples would impact future Martian science and exploration. They also have implications for how analogous investigations might be conducted for samples returned by future missions from other solar system bodies, especially those that may harbor biologically relevant or sensitive material, such as Ocean Worlds (Europa, Enceladus, Titan) and others. Summary of Objectives and Sub-Objectives for MSR Identified by iMOST: Objective 1 Interpret the primary geologic processes and history that formed the Martian geologic record, with an emphasis on the role of water. Intent To investigate the geologic environment(s) represented at the Mars 2020 landing site, provide definitive geologic context for collected samples, and detail any characteristics that might relate to past biologic processesThis objective is divided into five sub-objectives that would apply at different landing sites. 1.1 Characterize the essential stratigraphic, sedimentologic, and facies variations of a sequence of Martian sedimentary rocks. Intent To understand the preserved Martian sedimentary record. Samples A suite of sedimentary rocks that span the range of variation. Importance Basic inputs into the history of water, climate change, and the possibility of life 1.2 Understand an ancient Martian hydrothermal system through study of its mineralization products and morphological expression. Intent To evaluate at least one potentially life-bearing “habitable” environment Samples A suite of rocks formed and/or altered by hydrothermal fluids. Importance Identification of a potentially habitable geochemical environment with high preservation potential. 1.3 Understand the rocks and minerals representative of a deep subsurface groundwater environment. Intent To evaluate definitively the role of water in the subsurface. Samples Suites of rocks/veins representing water/rock interaction in the subsurface. Importance May constitute the longest-lived habitable environments and a key to the hydrologic cycle. 1.4 Understand water/rock/atmosphere interactions at the Martian surface and how they have changed with time. Intent To constrain time-variable factors necessary to preserve records of microbial life. Samples Regolith, paleosols, and evaporites. Importance Subaerial near-surface processes could support and preserve microbial life. 1.5 Determine the petrogenesis of Martian igneous rocks in time and space. Intent To provide definitive characterization of igneous rocks on Mars. Samples Diverse suites of ancient igneous rocks. Importance Thermochemical record of the planet and nature of the interior. Objective 2 Assess and interpret the potential biological history of Mars, including assaying returned samples for the evidence of life. Intent To investigate the nature and extent of Martian habitability, the conditions and processes that supported or challenged life, how different environments might have influenced the preservation of biosignatures and created nonbiological “mimics,” and to look for biosignatures of past or present life.This objective has three sub-objectives: 2.1 Assess and characterize carbon, including possible organic and pre-biotic chemistry. Samples All samples collected as part of Objective 1. Importance Any biologic molecular scaffolding on Mars would likely be carbon-based. 2.2 Assay for the presence of biosignatures of past life at sites that hosted habitable environments and could have preserved any biosignatures. Samples All samples collected as part of Objective 1. Importance Provides the means of discovering ancient life. 2.3 Assess the possibility that any life forms detected are alive, or were recently alive. Samples All samples collected as part of Objective 1. Importance Planetary protection, and arguably the most important scientific discovery possible. Objective 3 Quantitatively determine the evolutionary timeline of Mars. Intent To provide a radioisotope-based time scale for major events, including magmatic, tectonic, fluvial, and impact events, and the formation of major sedimentary deposits and geomorphological features. Samples Ancient igneous rocks that bound critical stratigraphic intervals or correlate with crater-dated surfaces. Importance Quantification of Martian geologic history. Objective 4 Constrain the inventory of Martian volatiles as a function of geologic time and determine the ways in which these volatiles have interacted with Mars as a geologic system. Intent To recognize and quantify the major roles that volatiles (in the atmosphere and in the hydrosphere) play in Martian geologic and possibly biologic evolution. Samples Current atmospheric gas, ancient atmospheric gas trapped in older rocks, and minerals that equilibrated with the ancient atmosphere. Importance Key to understanding climate and environmental evolution. Objective 5 Reconstruct the processes that have affected the origin and modification of the interior, including the crust, mantle, core and the evolution of the Martian dynamo. Intent To quantify processes that have shaped the planet's crust and underlying structure, including planetary differentiation, core segregation and state of the magnetic dynamo, and cratering. Samples Igneous, potentially magnetized rocks (both igneous and sedimentary) and impact-generated samples. Importance Elucidate fundamental processes for comparative planetology. Objective 6 Understand and quantify the potential Martian environmental hazards to future human exploration and the terrestrial biosphere. Intent To define and mitigate an array of health risks related to the Martian environment associated with the potential future human exploration of Mars. Samples Fine-grained dust and regolith samples. Importance Key input to planetary protection planning and astronaut health. Objective 7 Evaluate the type and distribution of in-situ resources to support potential future Mars exploration. Intent To quantify the potential for obtaining Martian resources, including use of Martian materials as a source of water for human consumption, fuel production, building fabrication, and agriculture. Samples Regolith. Importance Production of simulants that will facilitate long-term human presence on Mars. Summary of iMOST Findings: Several specific findings were identified during the iMOST study. While they are not explicit recommendations, we suggest that they should serve as guidelines for future decision making regarding planning of potential future MSR missions. The samples to be collected by the Mars 2020 (M-2020) rover will be of sufficient size and quality to address and solve a wide variety of scientific questions. Samples, by definition, are a statistical representation of a larger entity. Our ability to interpret the source geologic units and processes by studying sample sub sets is highly dependent on the quality of the sample context. In the case of the M-2020 samples, the context is expected to be excellent, and at multiple scales. (A) Regional and planetary context will be established by the on-going work of the multi-agency fleet of Mars orbiters. (B) Local context will be established at field area- to outcrop- to hand sample- to hand lens scale using the instruments carried by M-2020. A significant fraction of the value of the MSR sample collection would come from its organization into sample suites, which are small groupings of samples designed to represent key aspects of geologic or geochemical variation. If the Mars 2020 rover acquires a scientifically well-chosen set of samples, with sufficient geological diversity, and if those samples were returned to Earth, then major progress can be expected on all seven of the objectives proposed in this study, regardless of the final choice of landing site. The specifics of which parts of Objective 1 could be achieved would be different at each of the final three candidate landing sites, but some combination of critically important progress could be made at any of them. An aspect of the search for evidence of life is that we do not know in advance how evidence for Martian life would be preserved in the geologic record. In order for the returned samples to be most useful for both understanding geologic processes (Objective 1) and the search for life (Objective 2), the sample collection should contain BOTH typical and unusual samples from the rock units explored. This consideration should be incorporated into sample selection and the design of the suites. The retrieval missions of a MSR campaign should (1) minimize stray magnetic fields to which the samples would be exposed and carry a magnetic witness plate to record exposure, (2) collect and return atmospheric gas sample(s), and (3) collect additional dust and/or regolith sample mass if possible.
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| 2. |
- Betts, Bruce H, et al.
(författare)
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Phobos LIFE (Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment).
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astrobiology. - 1531-1074 .- 1557-8070.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Planetary Society's Phobos Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment (Phobos LIFE) flew in the sample return capsule of the Russian Federal Space Agency's Phobos Grunt mission and was to have been a test of one aspect of the hypothesis that life can move between nearby planets within ejected rocks. Although the Phobos Grunt mission failed, we present here the scientific and engineering design and motivation of the Phobos LIFE experiment to assist with the scientific and engineering design of similar future experiments. Phobos LIFE flew selected organisms in a simulated meteoroid. The 34-month voyage would have been the first such test to occur in the high-radiation environment outside the protection of Earth's magnetosphere for more than a few days. The patented Phobos LIFE "biomodule" is an 88 g cylinder consisting of a titanium outer shell, several types of redundant seals, and 31 individual Delrin sample containers. Phobos LIFE contained 10 different organisms, representing all three domains of life, and one soil sample. The organisms are all very well characterized, most with sequenced genomes. Most are extremophiles, and most have flown in low Earth orbit. Upon return from space, the health and characteristics of organisms were to have been compared with controls that remained on Earth and have not yet been opened.
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| 3. |
- Betts, Bruce H, et al.
(författare)
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Phobos LIFE (Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment).
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astrobiology. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc.. - 1531-1074 .- 1557-8070.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Planetary Society's Phobos Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment (Phobos LIFE) flew in the sample return capsule of the Russian Federal Space Agency's Phobos Grunt mission and was to have been a test of one aspect of the hypothesis that life can move between nearby planets within ejected rocks. Although the Phobos Grunt mission failed, we present here the scientific and engineering design and motivation of the Phobos LIFE experiment to assist with the scientific and engineering design of similar future experiments. Phobos LIFE flew selected organisms in a simulated meteoroid. The 34-month voyage would have been the first such test to occur in the high-radiation environment outside the protection of Earth's magnetosphere for more than a few days. The patented Phobos LIFE "biomodule" is an 88 g cylinder consisting of a titanium outer shell, several types of redundant seals, and 31 individual Delrin sample containers. Phobos LIFE contained 10 different organisms, representing all three domains of life, andone soil sample. The organisms are all very well characterized, most with sequenced genomes. Most are extremophiles, and most have flown in low Earth orbit. Upon return from space, the health and characteristics of organisms were to have been compared with controls that remained on Earth and have not yet been opened.
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| 4. |
- de Vera, Jean-Pierre, et al.
(författare)
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Limits of Life and the Habitability of Mars : The ESA Space Experiment BIOMEX on the ISS
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astrobiology. - : Mary Ann Liebert. - 1531-1074 .- 1557-8070. ; 19:2, s. 145-157
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) is an ESA/Roscosmos space exposure experiment housed within the exposure facility EXPOSE-R2 outside the Zvezda module on the International Space Station (ISS). The design of the multiuser facility supports-among others-the BIOMEX investigations into the stability and level of degradation of space-exposed biosignatures such as pigments, secondary metabolites, and cell surfaces in contact with a terrestrial and Mars analog mineral environment. In parallel, analysis on the viability of the investigated organisms has provided relevant data for evaluation of the habitability of Mars, for the limits of life, and for the likelihood of an interplanetary transfer of life (theory of lithopanspermia). In this project, lichens, archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria, snow/permafrost algae, meristematic black fungi, and bryophytes from alpine and polar habitats were embedded, grown, and cultured on a mixture of martian and lunar regolith analogs or other terrestrial minerals. The organisms and regolith analogs and terrestrial mineral mixtures were then exposed to space and to simulated Mars-like conditions by way of the EXPOSE-R2 facility. In this special issue, we present the first set of data obtained in reference to our investigation into the habitability of Mars and limits of life. This project was initiated and implemented by the BIOMEX group, an international and interdisciplinary consortium of 30 institutes in 12 countries on 3 continents. Preflight tests for sample selection, results from ground-based simulation experiments, and the space experiments themselves are presented and include a complete overview of the scientific processes required for this space experiment and postflight analysis. The presented BIOMEX concept could be scaled up to future exposure experiments on the Moon and will serve as a pretest in low Earth orbit.
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| 5. |
- Horneck, Gerda, et al.
(författare)
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AstRoMap European Astrobiology Roadmap
- 2016
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Ingår i: Astrobiology. - : Mary Ann Liebert. - 1531-1074 .- 1557-8070. ; 16:3, s. 201-243
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The European AstRoMap project (supported by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme) surveyed the state of the art of astrobiology in Europe and beyond and produced the first European roadmap for astrobiology research. In the context of this roadmap, astrobiology is understood as the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the context of cosmic evolution; this includes habitability in the Solar System and beyond. The AstRoMap Roadmap identifies five research topics, specifies several key scientific objectives for each topic, and suggests ways to achieve all the objectives. The five AstRoMap Research Topics are• Research Topic 1: Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems• Research Topic 2: Origins of Organic Compounds in Space• Research Topic 3: Rock-Water-Carbon Interactions, Organic Synthesis on Earth, and Steps to Life• Research Topic 4: Life and Habitability• Research Topic 5: Biosignatures as Facilitating Life DetectionIt is strongly recommended that steps be taken towards the definition and implementation of a European Astrobiology Platform (or Institute) to streamline and optimize the scientific return by using a coordinated infrastructure and funding system.
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| 6. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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Tardigrades survive exposure to space in low earth orbit
- 2008
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 18:17, s. R729-R731
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vacuum (imposing extreme dehydration) and solar/galactic cosmic radiation prevent survival of most organisms in space . Only anhydrobiotic organisms, which have evolved adaptations to survive more or less complete desiccation, have a potential to survive space vacuum, and few organisms can stand the unfiltered solar radiation in space. Tardigrades, commonly known as water-bears, are among the most desiccation and radiation-tolerant animals and have been shown to survive extreme levels of ionizing radiation. Here, we show that tardigrades are also able to survive space vacuum without loss in survival, and that some specimens even recovered after combined exposure to space vacuum and solar radiation. These results add the first animal to the exclusive and short list of organisms that have survived such exposure.
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| 7. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, et al.
(författare)
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Tardigrades survive exposure to space in low earth orbit
- 2008
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Cell Press. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 18:17, s. R729-R731
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vacuum (imposing extreme dehydration) and solar/galactic cosmic radiation prevent survival of most organisms in space . Only anhydrobiotic organisms, which have evolved adaptations to survive more or less complete desiccation, have a potential to survive space vacuum, and few organisms can stand the unfiltered solar radiation in space. Tardigrades, commonly known as water-bears, are among the most desiccation and radiation-tolerant animals and have been shown to survive extreme levels of ionizing radiation. Here, we show that tardigrades are also able to survive space vacuum without loss in survival, and that some specimens even recovered after combined exposure to space vacuum and solar radiation. These results add the first animal to the exclusive and short list of organisms that have survived such exposure.
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| 8. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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The fate of the TARDIS offspring : no intergenerational effects of space exposure
- 2016
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Ingår i: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. - 0024-4082 .- 1096-3642. ; 178:4, s. 924-930
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In September 2007 tardigrades became the first animal in history to survive the combined effect of exposure to space vacuum, cosmic radiation and ultraviolet radiation in low Earth orbit. The main results from this experiment were reported in 2008, but some of the results have remained unpublished. Here we report that descendant generations of space-exposed tardigrades of the species Milnesium tardigradum did not show reduced performance. This indicates that individual tardigrades that survived the exposure to environmental extremes in space, and were able to reproduce, did not transfer any damage to later generations. Repair of environmentally induced damage may therefore follow a ‘make or break’ rule, such that a damaged animal either fails to repair all damage and dies, or repairs damage successfully and leaves no mutations to descendants. We also report that two additional tardigrade species, Echiniscus testudo and Ramazzottius oberhaeuseri, showed high survival after exposure to space vacuum and cosmic radiation within the TARDIS experiment.
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| 9. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, et al.
(författare)
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The fate of the TARDIS offspring : no intergenerational effects of space exposure in Milnesium tardigradum
- 2015
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In September 2007 tardigrades became the first animal in the history to survive the combined effect of exposure to space vacuum, cosmic radiation, and ultra-violet radiation in low Earth orbit. The main results from this experiment were reported in 2008, but some of the results have remained unpublished. Here we report that no delayed effects of the exposure to space could be detected in the descendants (up to F3 generation) of space exposed Milnesium tardigradum. This indicates that individual tardigrades that survived the damage induced by environmental agents in space, and were able to reproduce, did not transfer any delayed damage to later generations. Repair of environmentally induced damage may therefore follow a “make or break” rule, such that a damaged animal either fails to repair all damage and dies, or repairs damage successfully and leaves no mutations to descendants. We also provide previously unreported data on two tardigrade species, Echiniscus testudo and Ramazzottius oberhaeuseri, that showed high survival after exposure to space vacuum and cosmic radiation within the TARDIS experiment.
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| 10. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, et al.
(författare)
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The fate of the TARDIS offspring : no intergenerational effects of space exposure
- 2016
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Ingår i: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0024-4082 .- 1096-3642. ; 178:4, s. 924-930
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In September 2007 tardigrades became the first animal in history to survive the combined effect of exposure to space vacuum, cosmic radiation and ultraviolet radiation in low Earth orbit. The main results from this experiment were reported in 2008, but some of the results have remained unpublished. Here we report that descendant generations of space-exposed tardigrades of the species Milnesium tardigradum did not show reduced performance. This indicates that individual tardigrades that survived the exposure to environmental extremes in space, and were able to reproduce, did not transfer any damage to later generations. Repair of environmentally induced damage may therefore follow a make or break' rule, such that a damaged animal either fails to repair all damage and dies, or repairs damage successfully and leaves no mutations to descendants. We also report that two additional tardigrade species, Echiniscus testudo and Ramazzottius oberhaeuseri, showed high survival after exposure to space vacuum and cosmic radiation within the TARDIS experiment.
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| 11. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, et al.
(författare)
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The fate of the TARDIS offspring : no intergenerational effects of space exposure in Milnesium tardigradum
- 2015
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In September 2007 tardigrades became the first animal in the history to survive the combined effect of exposure to space vacuum, cosmic radiation, and ultra-violet radiation in low Earth orbit. The main results from this experiment were reported in 2008, but some of the results have remained unpublished. Here we report that no delayed effects of the exposure to space could be detected in the descendants (up to F3 generation) of space exposed Milnesium tardigradum. This indicates that individual tardigrades that survived the damage induced by environmental agents in space, and were able to reproduce, did not transfer any delayed damage to later generations. Repair of environmentally induced damage may therefore follow a “make or break” rule, such that a damaged animal either fails to repair all damage and dies, or repairs damage successfully and leaves no mutations to descendants. We also provide previously unreported data on two tardigrade species, Echiniscus testudo and Ramazzottius oberhaeuseri, that showedhigh survival after exposure to space vacuum and cosmic radiation within the TARDIS experiment.
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| 12. |
- Mathanlal, Thasshwin, et al.
(författare)
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Implementing Bioburden reduction and control on the deliquescent hydrogel of the ExoMars, HABIT Instrument
- 2019
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Ingår i: IAC-19. - : International Astronautical Federation.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The HABIT (HabitAbility, Brines, Irradiation and Temperature) instrument, will be the first Swedish Instrument that will land on the surface of Mars as a part of the ExoMars 2020 mission (ESA/IKI). It is also the first European ISRU (In-situ Resource Utilization) instrument capable of producing liquid water on Mars extracting atmospheric water vapor using salt deliquescence to form a stable liquid brine. HABIT also will study current habitability conditions on Mars investigating the air and surface thermal ranges and UV (Ultra-Violet) irradiance. The BOTTLE (Brine Observation Transition To Liquid Experiment) is the container element of HABIT with four independent cells housing deliquescent salts, which have been found on Mars, exposing them to the Martian atmosphere. In order to prevent capillarity of deliquescent or hydrated salts a mixture of deliquescent salts with Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) based on polyacrylamide is utilized. This mixture has deliquescent and hydrogel properties that can be reused by applying a thermal cycle, complying thus with the purpose of the instrument. A Poly-Tetra Fluro Ethylene (PTFE) coated nylon HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter stands as a physical barrier allowing interaction between the gaseous molecules of the Martian atmosphere and the salt mixtures, and at the same time prevents the passage of any biological contamination from the cells to the outside or vice-versa. In addition to the physical barrier, a strict bioburden reduction and analysis is made on the contained salt mixtures adhering to the European Cooperation for Space Standardization protocol of Microbial examination of flight hardware (ECSS-Q-ST-70-55C). The deliquescent salts and the SAP products need to be properly treated independently to adhere to the planetary protection protocols. In this paper, we have described the bioburden reduction process utilized to sterilize the salt mixtures in BOTTLE and the assays adopted to validate the sterilization. The sterilization process adopted involves ultra-fine filtration and Dry Heat Microbial Reduction (DHMR) of the deliquescent salts and the SAP respectively. The performance of SAP after DHMR is validated to ensure its working efficiency after sterilization. A standard swab assay and a pour-plate assay are adopted in the validation process and a comparison is made between them to determine the best assay to be applied for future space hardware utilizing such salt mixtures for planetary investigation and ISRU. The demonstrating of the compatibility of these products with the processes commonly required for space applications has implications for the future explorationof Mars.
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| 13. |
- Mathanlal, Thasshwin, et al.
(författare)
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Implementing bioburden reduction and control on the deliquescent hydrogel of the HABIT/ExoMars 2020 instrument
- 2020
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Ingår i: Acta Astronautica. - : Elsevier. - 0094-5765 .- 1879-2030. ; 173, s. 232-239
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The HabitAbility: Brines, Irradiation and Temperature (HABIT) instrument will be part of the ExoMars 2020 mission (ESA/Roscosmos) and will be the first European In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) instrument capable of producing liquid water on Mars. HABIT is composed by two modules: Environmental Package (EnvPack) and Brine Observation Transition To Liquid Experiment (BOTTLE). EnvPack will help to study the current habitability conditions on Mars investigating the air and surface thermal ranges and Ultraviolet (UV) irradiance; and BOTTLE is a container with four independent vessels housing deliquescent salts, which are known to be present on Mars, where the liquid water will be produced after deliquescence. In order to prevent capillarity of deliquescent or hydrated salts, a mixture of deliquescent salts with Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) based on polyacrylamide is utilized. This mixture has deliquescent and hydrogel properties and can be reused by applying a thermal cycle, complying thus with the purpose of the instrument. A High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) grade filter made of polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) porous membrane sandwiched between spunbounded non-woven fabric stands as a physical barrier allowing interaction between the gaseous molecules of the Martian atmosphere and the salt mixtures, and at the same time preventing the passage of any potential biological contamination from the cells to the outside or vice-versa. In addition to the physical barrier, a strict bioburden reduction and analysis procedure is applied to the hardware and the contained salt mixtures adhering to the European Cooperation for Space Standardization protocol of microbial examination of flight hardware (ECSS-Q-ST-70-55C). The deliquescent salts and the SAP products need to be properly treated independently to adhere to the planetary protection protocols. In this manuscript, we describe the bioburden reduction process utilized to sterilize the salt mixtures in BOTTLE and the assays adopted to validate the sterilization. We also describe the construction of a low-cost, portable ISO 7 cleanroom tent, exclusively designed for planetary protection tests. The sterilization process involves Dry Heat Microbial Reduction (DHMR) of the deliquescent salts and the SAP mixtures. The performance of SAP after DHMR is validated to ensure its working efficiency after sterilization. A slightly modified version of the standard swab assay is used in the validation process and a comparison is made between samples exposed to a thermal shock treatment and those without thermal shock, to determine the best assay to be applied for future space hardware utilizing such salt mixtures for planetary investigation and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). The demonstration of the compatibility of these products with the processes commonly required for space applications has implications for the future exploration of Mars.
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