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NASA NTRS1987

Life sciences space station planning document: A reference payload for the exobiology research facilities

The Cosmic Dust Collection and Gas Grain Simulation Facilities represent collaborative efforts between the Life Sciences and Solar System Exploration Divisions designed to strengthen a natural exobiology/Planetary Sciences connection. The Cosmic Dust Collection Facility is a Planetary Science facility, with Exobiology a primary user. Conversely, the Gas Grain Facility is an exobiology facility, with Planetary Science a primary user. Requirements for the construction and operation of the two facilities, contained herein, were developed through joint workshops between the two disciplines, as were representative experiments comprising the reference payloads. In the case of the Gas Grain Simulation Facility, the astrophysics Division is an additional potential user, having participated in the workshop to select experiments and define requirements.

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NASA NTRS1990

Exobiology on Mars

Descriptions of several instrument concepts that were generated during a workshop entitled, Exobiology Instrument Concepts for a Soviet Mars 94/94 Mission, held at NASA Ames Research Center in 1989 are presented. The objective was to define and describe instrument concepts for exobiology and related science that would be compatible with the mission types under discussion for the 1994 and 1996 Soviet Mars missions. Experiments that use existing technology were emphasized. The concepts discussed could also be used on U.S. missions that follow Mars Observer.

Devincenzi, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Exobiology and SETI from the lunar farside

Within the Life Sciences Division of NASA, the Exobiology Program seeks to understand the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the universe. There are two feasible methods of searching for life beyond the earth. The first is to return to Mars and systematically explore its surface and subsurface with instrumentation capable of identifying extinct as well as extant life. The second is to search for advanced forms of life in other planetary systems that have developed a technology capable of modifying their environment in ways that make it detectable across the vast interstellar distances. The Exobiology Program is currently pursuing both of these options. If NASA's SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) Microwave Observing Project of the 1990s fails to detect evidence of radio signals generated by an extraterrestrial technology, what might be the next step? The establishment of a permanent lunar base early in the next century may enable the construction of large aperture radio telescopes that can extend both the sensitivity and the frequency range of SETI observations. A lunar base may also provide the opportunity for construction of optical and IR telescopes intended for the direct detection of extrasolar planetary systems.

Tarter, Jill C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Analyses of exobiological and potential resource materials in the Martian soil

Potential Martian soil components relevant to exobiology include water, organic matter, evaporites, clays, and oxides. These materials are also resources for human expeditions to Mars. When found in particular combinations, some of these materials constitute diagnostic paleobiomarker suites, allowing insight to be gained into the probability of life originating on Mars. Critically important to exobiology is the method of data analysis and data interpretation. To that end, methods of analysis of potential biomarker and paleobiomarker compounds and resource materials in soils and rocks pertinent to Martian geology are investigated. Differential thermal analysis coupled with gas chromotography is shown to be a highly useful analytical technique for detecting this wide and complex variety of materials.

Mancinelli, Rocco L.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Collection of cosmic dust in earth orbit for exobiological analysis

Two proposed NASA exobiology flight experiments are described in terms of the approaches to cosmic dust collection and the issues addressed by the analysis of the samples. A passive collector is planned for use with the Cosmic Dust Collection Facility, and an active system is described for attachment to the Space Station Freedom payload. Exobiological study of cosmic dust could provide insights on organic chemistry in the grains and on the relative abundances of biogenic elements in interstellar, cometary, and meteoric samples.

Fogleman, Guy↗

NASA NTRS1992

Europa: Prospects for an ocean and exobiological implications

As far as we know, Earth is the only planet in our solar system that supports life. It is natural, therefore, that our understanding of life as a planetary phenomenon is based upon Earth-like planets. There are environments in the solar system where liquid water, commonly believed to be a prerequisite for biological activity, may exist in a distinctly non-Earth-like environment. One such location is Europa, one of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter. The possibility that liquid water exists on Europa presents us with some interesting exobiological implications concerning the potential of the satellite to support life. Topics include the following: an ocean on Europa; thermal evolution of Europa; Europa's three models; exobiological implications; early conditions of Europa; low-temperature abiotic chemistry; possibility of the emergence of life on Europa; prerequisites for the habitability of Europa; energy sources for biosynthesis and metabolic activity; habitability of Europa by anaerobic life; and habitability by aerobic life.

Oro, John↗

NASA NTRS1993

Relevance of antarctic microbial ecosystems to exobiology

Antarctic microbial ecosystems which provide biological and physical analogs that can be used in exobiology are studied. Since the access to extraterrestrial habitats is extremely difficult, terrestrial analogs represent the best opportunity for both formulation and preliminary testing of hypothesis about life. Antarctica, as one of few suitable environments on earth is considered to be a major locus of progress in exobiology.

Mckay, Christopher P.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Mars exobiology landing sites for future exploration

The selection of landing sites for Exobiology is an important issue for planning for future Mars missions. Results of a recent site selection study which focused on potential landing sites described in the Mars Landing Site Catalog are presented. In addition, basic Exobiology science objectives in Mars exploration are reviewed, and the procedures used in site evaluation and prioritization are outlined.

Landheim, Ragnhild↗

NASA NTRS1994

Exobiology opportunities from Discovery-class missions

Discovery-class missions that are now planned, and those in the concept stage, have the potential to expand our knowledge of the origins and evolution of biogenic compounds, and ultimately, of the origins of life in the solar system. This class of missions, recently developed within NASA's Solar System Exploration Program, is designed to meet important scientific objectives within stringent guidelines--$150 million cap on development cost and a 3-year cap on the development schedule. The Discovery Program will effectively enable "faster, cheaper" missions to explore the inner solar system. The first two missions are Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) Pathfinder and Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR). MESUR Pathfinder will be the first Discovery mission, with launch planned for November/December 1996. It will be primarily a technical demonstration and validation of the MESUR Program--a network of automated landers to study the internal structure, meteorology, and surface properties of Mars. Besides providing engineering data, Pathfinder will carry atmospheric instrumentation and imaging capabilities, and may deploy a microrover equipped with an alpha proton X-ray spectrometer to determine elemental composition, particularly the lighter elements of exobiological interest. NEAR is expected to be launched in 1998 and to rendezvous with a near-Earth asteroid for up to 1 year. During this time, the spacecraft will assess the asteroid's mass, size, density, map its surface topography and composition, determine its internal properties, and study its interaction with the interplanetary environment. A gamma ray or X-ray spectrometer will be used to determine elemental composition. An imaging spectrograph, with 0.35 to 2.5 micron spectral range, will be used to determine the asteroid's compositional disbribution. Of the 11 Discovery mission concepts that have been designated as warranting further study, several are promising in terms of determining the composition and chemical evolution of organic matter on small planetary bodies. The following mission concepts are of particular interest to the Exobiology Program: Cometary coma chemical composition, comet nucleus tour, near earth asteroid returned sample, small missions to asteroids and comets, and solar wind sample return. The following three Discovery mission concepts that have been targeted for further consideration are relevant to the study of the evolution of biogenic compounds: Comet nucleus penetrator, mainbelt asteroid rendezvous explorer, and the Mars polar Pathfinder.

Meyer, Michael A.↗

NASA NTRS1994

An exobiology science strategy for Mars exploration

Of all the other planets in the solar system, Mars remains the most promising for further elucidating concepts about chemical evolution and the origin of life. Exobiological objectives for Mars exploration include: determining the abundance and distribution of the biogenic elements and organic compounds, detecting evidence of an ancient biota on Mars, and determining whether indigenous organisms exist anywhere on the planet. Both approved and planned missions to Mars were evaluated for their potential to contribute to the understanding of these exobiology science objectives and an exploration strategy was developed for each objective.

Klein, H. P.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Exobiological exploration of Mars

Of all the other planets in the solar system, Mars remains the most promising for further elucidating concepts about chemical evolution and the origin of life. Strategies were developed to pursue three exobiological objectives for Mars exploration: determining the abundance and distribution of the biogenic elements and organic compounds, detecting evidence of an ancient biota on Mars, and determining whether indigenous organisms exist anywhere on the planet. The three strategies are quite similar and, in fact, share the same sequence of phases. In the first phase, each requires global reconnaissance and remote sensing by orbiters to select sites of interest for detailed in situ analyses. In the second phase, lander missions are conducted to characterize the chemical and physical properties of the selected sites. The third phase involves conducting 'critical' experiments at sites whose properties make them particularly attractive for exobiology. These critical experiments would include, for example, identification of organics, detection of fossils, and detection of extant life. The fourth phase is the detailed analysis of samples returned from these sites in Earth-based laboratories to confirm and extend previous discoveries. Finally, in the fifth phase, human exploration is needed to establish the geological settings for the earlier findings or to discover and explore sites that are not accessible to robotic spacecraft.

Klein, H. P.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Exobiological Exploration of Mars

Of all the other planets in the solar system, Mars remains the most promising for studying concepts about chemical evolution and the origin of life. Strategies were developed to pursue three exobiological objectives for Mars: determine abundance and distribution of biogenic elements and organic compounds, detect evidence of an ancient biota, and determine if organisms exist anywhere on the planet. The three strategies share the same sequence of phases. In the first phase, each requires global reconnaissance and remote sensing by orbiters to select sites of interest for detailed in situ analyses. In the second phase, lander missions are conducted to characterize the chemical and physical properties of the selected sites. The third phase involves conducting "critical" experiments at sites whose properties make them particularly attractive for exobiology. These critical experiments would include, for example, identification of organics, detection of fossils, and detection of extant life. The fourth phase is the detailed analysis of samples returned from these sites in Earth-based laboratories to confirm and extend previous discoveries. Finally, in the fifth phase, human exploration is needed to establish the geological context or to discover and explore sites that are not accessible to robotic spacecraft.

DeVincenzi, Donald L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Extreme environments and exobiology

Ecological research on extreme environments can be applied to exobiological problems such as the question of life on Mars. If life forms (fossil or extant) are found on Mars, their study will help to solve fundamental questions about the nature of life on Earth. Extreme environments that are beyond the range of adaptability of their inhabitants are defined as "absolute extreme". Such environments can serve as terrestrial models for the last stages of life in the history of Mars, when the surface cooled down and atmosphere and water disappeared. The cryptoendolithic microbial community in porous rocks of the Ross Desert in Antarctica and the microbial mats at the bottom of frozen Antarctic lakes are such examples. The microbial communities of Siberian permafrost show that, in frozen but stable communities, long-term survival is possible. In the context of terraforming Mars, selected microorganisms isolated from absolute extreme environments are considered for use in creation of a biological carbon cycle.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

NASA NTRS1963