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Can Terrestrial Microbes Grow on Mars?

The theme for AbSciCon 2012 is "Exploring Life: Past and Present, Near and Far." The conference will address our current understanding of life - from processes at the molecular level to those which operate at planetary scales. Studying these aspects of life on Earth provides an essential platform from which to examine the potential for life on other worlds, both within our solar system and beyond. Mars exhibits a variety of extreme environments characterized by high UV and ionizing radiation flux, low pressure anoxic atmosphere, scarce or absent liquid water, extreme low temperatures, etc. The ability of terrestrial microorganisms to survive and adapt to the Mars environment has profound implications for astrobiology, planetary protection, and Mars life detection missions. At the NASA Ames Synthetic Biology Initiative, we believe that synthetic biology has the potential to revolutionize human space exploration. As such, the initiative is dedicated to applying the tools and techniques of synthetic biology to space exploration and astrobiology. Biological solutions will be invaluable for space exploration because they are not resource intensive, and they are versatile and self-renewing. An understanding of how to work with DNA in an unfavorable environment is paramount to utilizing biological tools on space missions. Furthermore, the ability to adjust life to the parameters of Mars is vital both to discovering what life on Mars might look like, and to using biological tools under such conditions. As a first step, we need an energy-efficient, low cost means of transporting, storing, and protecting genomic DNA, DNA parts, and whole microbial strains. Our goal is to develop and demonstrate viable and superior alternatives to standard DNA storage methods, which can be optimized to the conditions of space exploration, using synthetic biology as a tool. This includes protocols and kit designs for easy and repeatable DNA and strain recovery from protective storage conditions. We are constructing newly engineered genetic parts for different valuable host organisms, designed to increased long-term survival and functional retention. These methods should be applied for DNA and strain storage and transportation. In parallel, we seek inspiration from natural organisms that have developed means for survival in extreme environmental conditions. We are utilizing novel techniques for analysis of lipid biomarkers in the Antarctic Dry Valleys in order to identify resident microbes in the Antarctic soil and permafrost, as well as biomarker fossils of organisms that survived in the valleys in ages past. Through the identification of these life forms, we hope to understand and draw on new biological tools and strategies for synthetic biological applications on Mars.

Rothschild, Lynn↗

Dusty Plasmas in Planetary Magnetospheres Award

This is my final report for the grant Dusty Plasmas in Planetary Magnetospheres. The funding from this grant supported our research on dusty plasmas to study: a) dust plasma interactions in general plasma environments, and b) dusty plasma processes in planetary magnetospheres (Earth, Jupiter and Saturn). We have developed a general purpose transport code in order to follow the spatial and temporal evolution of dust density distributions in magnetized plasma environments. The code allows the central body to be represented by a multipole expansion of its gravitational and magnetic fields. The density and the temperature of the possibly many-component plasma environment can be pre-defined as a function of coordinates and, if necessary, the time as well. The code simultaneously integrates the equations of motion with the equations describing the charging processes. The charging currents are dependent not only on the instantaneous plasma parameters but on the velocity, as well as on the previous charging history of the dust grains.

Horanyi, Mihaly↗

Latest Results from NASA Ames’ COSmIC and Optical Constants Facility (OCF): Determining Optical Constants for Titan, Pluto and Protoplanetary Disks Applications

The NASA Ames COsmic SImulation Chamber (COSmIC) is a unique experimental facility that can be used, among many applications, to produce solid particles from gas phase molecular precursors at low temperature (150 K) using a plasma discharge to induce the chemistry in the stream of a free jet expansion. The choice of the initial gas mixture used to produce the solid sample allows the simulation of either cold planetary atmospheres like Titan or Pluto (with N2/CH4-based initial mixtures), or circumstellar environments (with Ar/CxHy-based initial mixtures). The Ames Optical Constants Facility (OCF) allows the determination of optical constants covering a broad wavelength range with high spectral resolution for solid materials, analogs of organic refractory materials formed in planetary and astrophysical environments. The core of the OCF is a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer that allows the continuous characterization of solid samples in the visible to far-infrared (FIR) range (0.59–200 μm, 16,950–50 cm−1). Modeling of the laboratory measurements conducted with the OCF allows the determination of accurate optical constants, n and k, over the full vis-FIR range. Here we present the latest results of two studies that combined (1) experiments performed with COSmIC to produce analogs of aerosols forming in Titan’s atmosphere and analogs of cosmic grains forming in circumstellar envelops, and (2) the characterization of these analogs with the OCF to provide the real and imaginary parts of their refractive indices, n + ik, to the community, from the visible to the FIR. These optical constants can be used as critical input parameters in radiative transfer, atmospheric and reflectance models to interpret observational data of, e.g., Titan’s atmosphere and protoplanetary disks. Providing optical constants for various materials of different compositions allows to explore a broad range of composition by simulating mixtures of materials. We also present a new project to produce analogs of Pluto’s atmospheric aerosols with COSmIC and determine their optical constants with OCF, to be used in reflectance spectra models for the interpretation of New Horizons observations of Lowell Regio, Sputnik Planitia and Cthulhu.

COsmic SImulation Chamber (COSmIC)↗

Development of a Neutron Spectrometer to Assess Biological Radiation Damage Behind Spacecraft Materials

Astronauts who spend months and years traveling long distances in spacecraft and working on other planets will be subjected to high energy radiation of galactic and solar origin without the protection of the Earth's thick (one writer has called it buff) atmosphere and magnetic field. The lack of natural protection will allow high energy cosmic ray particles and solar protons to crash directly into relatively thin spacecraft walls and planetary atmospheres producing energetic secondary particles in these collisions. A substantial fraction of these secondaries will be neutrons that carry no electric charge and, consequently, are difficult to detect. At sea level on Earth the remaining neutrons are the result of many generations (approximately 10) of collisions, have very low energies (scientists call them thermal neutrons), and do not penetrate deeply into the human body. They do contribute to the natural background radiation seen by humans on Earth, but much of the dose is only at the surface or skin of the body. In the International Space Station or on the surface of Mars, the secondary neutrons will be the result of only one or two generations of interaction due to the thinner (about a factor of 20 compared to the Earth's atmosphere) walls or atmosphere, have considerably more energy and penetrate deeply into the human body. In addition, neutrons are substantially moderated by hydrogenous material such as water. A significant fraction of the water exists in the astronaut's body. Therefore, the neutron can not only penetrate more deeply into the body, but also be stopped there and deposit all or most of its radiation dose in organs such as the liver, spleen, kidney, etc. We hypothesize that the risk of serious cancers will be increased for the exposed humans. The portable, real time neutron spectrometer being developed by our team will monitor the environment inside spacecraft structures and on planetary surfaces. Activities supported by this grant will evaluate the neutron environment inside several candidate spacecraft materials at accelerator facilities. These experiments will enable engineers to choose the structure materials that minimize the production of secondary neutrons. With the information that the neutron energy spectrometer produces, scientists and doctors will be able to assess the increased risk of cancer and develop countermeasures. The instrument itself will include an alarm system to warn astronauts when high radiation fluxes are occurring so that they can seek shelter immediately.

Maurer, R. H.↗

Overview of Predictive Simulation Capability Development for Crater Evolution and Ejecta in Continuum/Rarefied Flows

As part of the Game Changing Development (GCD) Program, funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), the development of simulation capability for the prediction of extra-terrestrial Plume Surface Interaction (PSI) environments has been undertaken by the Fluid Dynamics Branch at NASA/MSFC. The Predictive Simulation Capability (PSC) Element is focused on creating simulation capability for the reliable and accurate prediction of PSI in Martian (~650 Pa) and Lunar (vacuum) ambient environments. In addition to the predictive simulation capability, the GCD Program also contains a companion Ground Testing Element for development of focused datasets for validation of predictive capability as well as a Flight-focused Instrumentation Element. The focus of this paper is to provide an overview and a brief status on one area of capability development through this GCD PSI project - capturing the effects of mixed continuum/rarefied flow on crater development and ejecta sheets. This includes both capability enhancements and maturation of the predictive tool, Loci/GGFS, into a production capable tool as well as validation of the tool against PSI data in Martian and Lunar environments. There are six newly developed capabilities that will be production ready by the end of the fiscal year. Newly developed capabilities must first be verified prior to being production ready, and this process includes capability demonstration, solution verification, and performance evaluation. An overview of the newly developed capabilities with respect to several test cases, including cratering simulations of the Apollo Lunar Module, will be presented. Several validation analyses have been performed to validate in Martian and more Lunar-like environments, including simulations of cratering from a subsonic flow test at Planetary Aeolian Lab (PAL) conducted in a Martian-like environment and pre-test cratering predictions of Physics Focused Ground Test (PFGT) tests planned to be performed in Martian-like and more Lunar-like environments. An overview of these validation analyses as it pertains to the capability development will be presented.

Andrew Weaver↗

Waste Container Filtration to Minimize Microbial Escape During Long-Term Storage on Mars

In the search for life on Mars, keeping its surface pristine and free of microbes due to human presence is of utmost importance. Astronauts will use emptied logistics containers during their Mars stay to store waste. These containers will be left on the planet’s surface and are a potential source of microorganism contamination. It is desired for these containers to be free from leaks for a minimum of 50 years. If leaks do occur, a likely location will be at any ports. At these locations the mating surfaces will be sealed using a flexible gasket material like a thin metal or a polymer. Eventually these seals will fail. To mitigate these effects, a particulate filter can be employed to equilibrate the pressure between the Martin environment and inside the container. To meet planetary protection requirements, the filter can only allow particulates smaller than 0.2 μm diameter to pass. This paper discusses why a particulate filter may be needed and how such a filter could be tested to survive and operate in the harsh Martian environment.

planetary protection↗

GEER (Glenn Extreme Environments Rig): Current Project Status

Venus is Earth’s closest planetary neighbor, and it is often considered as Earth’s twin for its size and density. However, the extreme Venus surface conditions (temperatures of ~ 460 o C, pressure of ~90 bars, and reactive atmospheric chemical species such as supercritical CO 2 , sulfuric acid, and other toxic elements) results in short duration of Venus lander missions to date to survive for only 127 minutes. It is essential to enable multiple longer-lived Venus surface missions to understand the planet’s origin, history, climate, and interior. A systematic approach for future Venus lander material selection is to characterize and study the reactivity of high potential materials by exposing materials to a simulated Venus surface conditions. Glenn Extreme Environments Rig (GEER) at NASA’s Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been the leading facility simulating the high-temperature and pressure extremes of Venus as well as reproducing conditions of the gas mixture expected at the Venus surface since 2015. Here, we report on GEER’s recent accomplishments in assessing risks for future potential Venus missions and ongoing testing process and capability enhancement in supporting other planetary science missions.

GEER↗

Directed Gas-Phase Formation of the 1-Cyanovinyl Radical (H 2 CCCN, X 2 A′) in the Interstellar Medium

The formation pathways to nitrogen-containing molecules and radicals are crucial to the understanding of the carbon–nitrogen chemistry in interstellar and atmospheric environments. While over 65 nitrogen-containing neutral species have been observed in deep space to date, their formation mechanisms─in particular, those of radical species─remain largely speculative. The crossed molecular beam technique in conjunction with electronic structure and statistical calculations was utilized to offer a detailed overview of the fundamental pathways in the gas-phase bimolecular reaction of ground-state atomic carbon (C, 3 P) with acetonitrile-d 3 (CD 3 CN, X 1 A 1 ) under single-collision conditions leading to the formation of the 1-cyanovinyl radical (D 2 CCCN, X 2 A′) coupled with deuterium atom loss. Here, the indirect reaction was initiated by barrierless carbon-atom addition, with the most probable route involving carbon addition across the carbon–nitrogen nitrile triple bond of acetonitrile, forming a three-membered ring intermediate followed by ring-opening and unimolecular decomposition via atomic deuterium loss from the C3 carbon atom. The reaction was overall exoergic, and intermediates and transition states lie lower in energy than the separated reactants, unlocking the reaction of carbon with acetonitrile in low-temperature environments such as cold molecular clouds, e.g., Taurus Molecular Cloud (TMC-1), and planetary atmospheres, e.g., Saturn’s moon Titan. In these environments, the 1-cyanovinyl radical may act as a building block for cyano-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and N-heterocycles, thus furthering our understanding of the complex carbon–nitrogen chemistry in deep space.

Chemical reactions↗

The Space Physics of Life: Searching for Biosignatures on Habitable Icy Worlds Affected by Space Weathering

Accessible surfaces of the most likely astrobiological habitats (Mars, Europa, Titan) in the solar system beyond Earth are exposed to various chemical and hydrologic weathering processes directly or indirectly induced by interaction with the overlying space environment. These processes can be both beneficial, through provision of chemical compounds and energy, and destructive, through chemical dissociation or burial, to detectable presence of biosignatures. Orbital, suborbital, and surface platforms carrying astrobiological instrumentation must survive, and preferably exploit, space environment interactions to reach these habitats and search for evidence of life or its precursors. Experience from Mars suggests that any detection of biosignatures must be accompanied by characterization of the local chemical environment and energy sources including irradiation by solar ultraviolet photons and energetic particles from the space environment. Orbital and suborbital surveys of surface chemistry and astrobiological potential in the context of the space environment should precede targeted in-situ measurements to maximize probability of biosignature detection through site selection. The Space Physics of Life (SPOL) investigation has recently been proposed to the NASA Astrobiology Institute and is briefly described in this presentation. SPOL is the astrobiologically relevant study of the interactions and relationships of potentially? or previously inhabited, bodies of the solar system with the surrounding environments. This requires an interdisciplinary effort in space physics, planetary science, and radiation biology. The proposed investigation addresses the search for habitable environments, chemical resources to support life, and techniques for detection of organic and inorganic signs of life in the context of the space environment.

Cooper, John F.↗

Photo-realistic Terrain Modeling and Visualization for Mars Exploration Rover Science Operations

Modern NASA planetary exploration missions employ complex systems of hardware and software managed by large teams of. engineers and scientists in order to study remote environments. The most complex and successful of these recent projects is the Mars Exploration Rover mission. The Computational Sciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center delivered a 30 visualization program, Viz, to the MER mission that provides an immersive, interactive environment for science analysis of the remote planetary surface. In addition, Ames provided the Athena Science Team with high-quality terrain reconstructions generated with the Ames Stereo-pipeline. The on-site support team for these software systems responded to unanticipated opportunities to generate 30 terrain models during the primary MER mission. This paper describes Viz, the Stereo-pipeline, and the experiences of the on-site team supporting the scientists at JPL during the primary MER mission.

Edwards, Laurence↗

Waste Container Filtration to Minimize Microbial Escape During Long-Term Storage on Mars

In the search for life on Mars, keeping its surface pristine and free of microbes due to human presence is of utmost importance. Astronauts will use emptied logistics containers during their Mars stay to store waste. These containers will be left on the planet’s surface and are a potential source of microorganism contamination. It is desired for these containers to be free from leaks for a minimum of 50 years. If leaks do occur, a likely location will be at any ports. At these locations the mating surfaces will be sealed using a flexible gasket material like a thin metal or a polymer. Eventually these seals will fail. To mitigate these effects, a particulate filter can be employed to equilibrate the pressure between the Martin environment and inside the container. To meet planetary protection requirements, the filter can only allow particulates smaller than 0.2 m diameter to pass. This paper discusses why a particulate filter may be needed and how such a filter could be tested to survive and operate in the harsh Martian environment.

planetary protection↗

Saturn's radio emissions - Rotational modulation

Observational data provided by Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 have revealed that the Saturnian ring system has important effects on the structures of the planetary ionosphere as well as the magnetospheric environment, such as the unexpected rotational modulation of the Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) and the Saturn electrostatic discharge (SED) as discovered by the Voyager planetary radio astronomy experiment. The challenge arises to devise a mechanism which can produce electrodynamic coupling between the ring system and the planetary ionosphere and/or magnetosphere in which the associated SKR and SED radio emissions are subject to longitudinal control. One candidate is the establishment of field-aligned current systems, connecting the rings and the ionosphere with longitudinal variation. Local acceleration processes in the vicinity of the rings are also needed. The interplay between the ring-current systems and the geometry of the dipole field and the rings is discussed, and a description is presented of some of the basic ingredients in the longitudinal modulations of SKR and SED.

Goertz, C. K.↗

Development and Evaluation of the Active Response Gravity Offload System as a Lunar and Martian EVA Simulation Environment

In preparation for future exploration missions, NASA seeks the ability to simulate partial-gravity operations for use in ground-based research, crew training, and engineering design evaluations. The Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is designed to simulate reduced gravity environments, such as lunar, Martian, or microgravity, using a robotic system similar to an overhead bridge crane. ARGOS continuously offloads a portion of a suited human’s weight during all dynamic motions within the test facility, which can include basic functional movements such as walking, running, and jumping, as well as a wide range of planetary surface activities. This system will be used as part of a metabolic-rate task characterization study to determine the workload associated with partial-gravity extravehicular activity (EVA). Pilot testing was conducted using the MKIII prototype planetary space suit and two gimbal designs to determine the ability of the ARGOS test environment to simulate planetary EVA operations. This paper will describe the lessons learned from the feasibility testing, simulation-environment mockup design, and the results from the pilot tests and their influence into the final study design. Being able to effectively simulate partial-gravity environments and characterize the performance of crewmembers will have an impact on multiple domains including suit design, task design, thermal models, and life-support-system capacity verification plans, among others.

Omar S Bekdash↗

Waste Container Filtration To Minimize Microbial Escape During Long-Term Storage On Mars

In the search for life on Mars, keeping its surface pristine and free of microbes due to human presence is of utmost importance. Astronauts will use emptied logistics containers during their Martian stay to store waste. These containers will be left on the planet’s surface and are a potential source of microbial contamination. It is desired for these containers to be free from leaks for a minimum of 50 years. If leaks do occur a likely location will be at the port. At this location the mating surfaces will be sealed using a flexible gasket material like a thin metal or a polymer. Eventually these seals will fail. To mitigate these effects, a particulate filter can be employed to equilibrate the pressure between the Martin environment and inside the container. To meet planetary protection requirements, the filter can only allow particulates smaller than 0.2 um diameter to pass. This paper discusses why a particulate filter may be needed and how such a filter would be tested to survive and operate in the harsh Martian environment.

Planetary Protection Waste Containment↗

Mercury's Weather-Beaten Surface: Understanding Mercury in the Context of Lunar and Asteroid Space Weathering Studies

Understanding the composition of Mercury's crust is key to comprehending the formation of the planet. The regolith, derived from the crustal bedrock, has been altered via a set of space weathering processes. These processes are the same set of mechanisms that work to form Mercury's exosphere, and are moderated by the local space environment and the presence of an intrinsic planetary magnetic field. The alterations need to be understood in order to determine the initial crustal compositions. The complex interrelationships between Mercury's exospheric processes, the space environment, and surface composition are examined and reviewed. The processes are examined in the context of our understanding of these same processes on the lunar and asteroid regoliths. Keywords: Mercury (planet) Space weathering Surface processes Exosphere Surface composition Space environment 3

Dominque, Deborah L.↗

Discrete Rotational Energy for Polyatomic Molecules in Direct Simulation Monte Carlo

The environments experienced by vehicles upon entry into planetary atmospheres generally result in severe aerothermodynamic loading. These flows are characterized by the formation of strong shock waves, behind which high temperatures and non-equilibrium environments are generated, and the accurate prediction of internal energy relaxation and chemical kinetics becomes important. This manuscript focuses on the internal relaxation of the rotational energy of polyatomic molecules. Previous work has described the implementation of a discrete rotational energy model for diatomic molecules (linear rotators). Later, Gimelshein et. al extended this model to include polyatomic molecular internal energies. However, they did not include details on how to generate the particles at equilibrium conditions and centrifugal distortion was not included in their model. The purpose of the present study is to extend the afore-mentioned models to the treatment of discrete rotational energy in polyatomic molecules with the addition of centrifugal distortion. An overview of the background theory needed for the implementation of the model will be given followed by the model itself and verification of the model. For example, sampled versus Boltzmann distributions are compared in Figure 1 for CH3 (oblate rotator – two quantum numbers) and examples of thermal relaxation behavior for linear and non-linear rotators are presented in Figure 2. In addition, comparisons of thermophysical properties will be presented, as well as examples of adiabatic relaxation and application to hypersonic flow.

Rarefied Gas Dynamics↗

NASA’s Moon-to-Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology Project: Overview and Status

NASA plans to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2025 through the initial Artemis missions. NASA and its international partners plan to establish a sustainable long-term presence on the lunar surface and build up infrastructure in the subsequent Artemis missions. The Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative (LSII), within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, aims to spur the creation of novel technologies needed for lunar surface exploration and accelerate the technology readiness of key systems and components. The primary thrust areas of LSII include sustainable power; dust mitigation; in-situ resource utilization; surface excavation, construction, and outfitting; and extreme access/extreme environments. The Moon-to-Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology (MMPACT) projectwas initiated to address the lunar surface construction thrust area of LSII. The goal of the MMPACT project is to develop, deliver, and demonstrate on-demand capabilities to protect astronauts and create infrastructure on the lunar surface via construction of landing pads, habitats, shelters, roadways, berms and blast shields using lunar regolith-based materials. The MMPACT project is leveraging technology derived from NASA’s 3D Printed Mars Habitat Challenge along with contributions from other Government agencies, and multiple partners within industry and academia. The MMPACT project is comprised of three interrelated elements, construction hardware and process development; feedstock materials development; and microwave structure construction capabilities. These elements are working together to address the multiple challenges of infrastructure construction on the surface of the Moon including increased autonomy of operations, hardware operation and manufacturing under lunar environmental conditions, long-duration operation of mechanisms and parts, scale of construction activities, and material and construction requirements and standards. This presentation will summarize the status of development activities in each of the three elements, including testing of the various candidate materials, preliminary design concepts for future lunar infrastructure elements, and the vision for future technology demonstrations on the lunar surface. These demonstrations, targeting the mid-to-late 2020’s, are expected to enable landing pad construction and habitat construction resulting in commercial capabilities early in the next decade.

lunar infrastructure↗

NASA’s Moon-to-Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology Project: Overview and Status

NASA plans to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2025 through the initial Artemis missions. NASA and its international partners plan to establish a sustainable long-term presence on the lunar surface and build up infrastructure in the subsequent Artemis missions. The Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative (LSII), within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, aims to spur the creation of novel technologies needed for lunar surface exploration and accelerate the technology readiness of key systems and components. The primary thrust areas of LSII include sustainable power; dust mitigation; in-situ resource utilization; surface excavation, construction, and outfitting; and extreme access/extreme environments. The Moon-to-Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology (MMPACT) project was initiated to address the lunar surface construction thrust area of LSII. The goal of the MMPACT project is to develop, deliver, and demonstrate on-demand capabilities to protect astronauts and create infrastructure on the lunar surface via construction of landing pads, habitats, shelters, roadways, berms and blast shields using lunar regolith-based materials. The MMPACT project is leveraging technology derived from NASA’s 3D Printed Mars Habitat Challenge along with contributions from other Government agencies, and multiple partners within industry and academia. The MMPACT project is comprised of three interrelated elements, construction hardware and process development; feedstock materials development; and microwave structure construction capabilities. These elements are working together to address the multiple challenges of infrastructure construction on the surface of the Moon including increased autonomy of operations, hardware operation and manufacturing under lunar environmental conditions, long-duration operation of mechanisms and parts, scale of construction activities, and material and construction requirements and standards. This presentation will summarize the status of development activities in each of the three elements, including testing of the various candidate materials, preliminary design concepts for future lunar infrastructure elements, and the vision for future technology demonstrations on the lunar surface. These demonstrations, targeting the mid-to-late 2020’s, are expected to enable landing pad construction and habitat construction resulting in commercial capabilities early in the next decade.

Additive construction, regolith processing, lunar ↗