Roving on ice: field testing an ice screw end effector and sample collection tool
UNKNOWN
Parness, Aaron↗
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “sample collection”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Jupyter on Mars: Executable Procedures for Mars Sample Collection Qualification
No abstract provided
West, Justine↗
Small Body GN and C Research Report: G-SAMPLE - An In-Flight Dynamical Method for Identifying Sample Mass [External Release Version]
G-SAMPLE is an in-flight dynamical method for use by sample collection missions to identify the presence and quantity of collected sample material. The G-SAMPLE method implements a maximum-likelihood estimator to identify the collected sample mass, based on onboard force sensor measurements, thruster firings, and a dynamics model of the spacecraft. With G-SAMPLE, sample mass identification becomes a computation rather than an extra hardware requirement; the added cost of cameras or other sensors for sample mass detection is avoided. Realistic simulation examples are provided for a spacecraft configuration with a sample collection device mounted on the end of an extended boom. In one representative example, a 1000 gram sample mass is estimated to within 110 grams (95% confidence) under realistic assumptions of thruster profile error, spacecraft parameter uncertainty, and sensor noise. For convenience to future mission design, an overall sample-mass estimation error budget is developed to approximate the effect of model uncertainty, sensor noise, data rate, and thrust profile error on the expected estimate of collected sample mass.
in-flight sample-mass identification↗
Collecting a sample of solar wind - An experimental study of its capture in metal films.
Solar wind sample collection, describing experiment to determine ion flux capture efficiency for various metal foils
Alton, G. D.↗
A Mars Sample Return Sample Handling System
We present a sample handling system, a subsystem of the proposed Dragon landed Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission [1], that can return to Earth orbit a significant mass of frozen Mars samples potentially consisting of: rock cores, subsurface drilled rock and ice cuttings, pebble sized rocks, and soil scoops. The sample collection, storage, retrieval and packaging assumptions and concepts in this study are applicable for the NASA's MPPG MSR mission architecture options [2]. Our study assumes a predecessor rover mission collects samples for return to Earth to address questions on: past life, climate change, water history, age dating, understanding Mars interior evolution [3], and, human safety and in-situ resource utilization. Hence the rover will have "integrated priorities for rock sampling" [3] that cover collection of subaqueous or hydrothermal sediments, low-temperature fluidaltered rocks, unaltered igneous rocks, regolith and atmosphere samples. Samples could include: drilled rock cores, alluvial and fluvial deposits, subsurface ice and soils, clays, sulfates, salts including perchlorates, aeolian deposits, and concretions. Thus samples will have a broad range of bulk densities, and require for Earth based analysis where practical: in-situ characterization, management of degradation such as perchlorate deliquescence and volatile release, and contamination management. We propose to adopt a sample container with a set of cups each with a sample from a specific location. We considered two sample cups sizes: (1) a small cup sized for samples matching those submitted to in-situ characterization instruments, and, (2) a larger cup for 100 mm rock cores [4] and pebble sized rocks, thus providing diverse samples and optimizing the MSR sample mass payload fraction for a given payload volume. We minimize sample degradation by keeping them frozen in the MSR payload sample canister using Peltier chip cooling. The cups are sealed by interference fitted heat activated memory alloy caps [5] if the heating does not affect the sample, or by crimping caps similar to bottle capping. We prefer cap sealing surfaces be external to the cup rim to prevent sample dust inside the cups interfering with sealing, or, contamination of the sample by Teflon seal elements (if adopted). Finally the sample collection rover, or a Fetch rover, selects cups with best choice samples and loads them into a sample tray, before delivering it to the Earth Return Vehicle (ERV) in the MSR Dragon capsule as described in [1] (Fig 1). This ensures best use of the MSR payload mass allowance. A 3 meter long jointed robot arm is extended from the Dragon capsule's crew hatch, retrieves the sample tray and inserts it into the sample canister payload located on the ERV stage. The robot arm has capacity to obtain grab samples in the event of a rover failure. The sample canister has a robot arm capture casting to enable capture by crewed or robot spacecraft when it returns to Earth orbit
Wilson, David↗
Squeezing Every Last 'Bit' of Information from Enceladus Mass Spectrometry
Potential opportunities to return to Enceladus in Discovery and Flagship class missions inspire development of next-generation instruments and creative approaches to sample collection, sample analysis, and data analysis and transmission strategies. Mass spectrometers (MS) are ideally suited to future Enceladus missions due to their analytical power in identifying a range of molecular and ionic compositions – including complex organics – and potentially astrobiologically-important features such as isotope ratios, chirality, and enantiomeric excess. However, long communication delays from Enceladus and limited bandwidth limits the data transmission from these higher-data-volume instruments, likely delaying mission-related response to new data. We explore the utility of data science and machine learning (ML) on isotope ratio (IR)MS data collected from laboratory analogs of Enceladus to: 1) process data quickly for rapid ground-based analyses, 2) understand if compositional and biosignature information could be extracted from IRMS data, and 3) evaluate whether onboard ML techniques could improve sample analysis, cadence, and transmission prioritization. Laboratory analogs analyzed isotopes of volatile CO2 that interacted with seawaters of varying composition, and include both abiotic and biotic (microbially-influenced) experiments. Enceladus’s alkaline oceans promote speciation of carbon into multiple forms (e.g., H2CO3 / CO2, HCO3-, and CO32-), each of which could be isotopically fractionated by abiotic or biotic reactions. Large (>2‰) changes in carbon isotopes (δ13C) are observed from some biotic experiments inoculated with complex microbial ecosystems relative to the abiotic seawaters. ML training and classification suggests that microbial samples can be distinguished from abiotic samples, yet that a broad range of microbial experiments are necessary to train ML models to cover a range of complexities including disequilibria, and isotopic and compositional fractionation.
geochemistry↗
Evaluation of the Biocidal Efficacy of Different Forms of Silver Against Cupriavidus (formerly Wautersia) Species Bacteria
Contingency Water Containers (CWCs) are used to store potable and technical water that is transferred to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Shuttle orbiter vehicles. When CWCs are filled, water from the orbiter galley is passed through an ion exchange/activated carbon cartridge that removes the residual iodine biocide used on Shuttle before silver biocide is added. Removal of iodine and addition of silver is necessary to inhibit microbial growth inside CWCs and maintain compatibility with the water systems in the Russian segment of ISS. As part of nominal water transfer activities, crewmembers collect samples from several CWCs for postflight analysis. Results from the analysis of water transfer samples collected during the docked phases of STS-118/13A.1 and STS-120/10A showed that several of the CWCs contained up to 10(exp 4) CFU/mL of bacteria despite the fact that the silver concentrations in the CWCs were within acceptable limits. The samples contained pure cultures of a single bacteria, a Cupriavidus (formerly Wautersia) species that has been shown to be resistant to metallic biocides. As part of the investigation into the cause and remediation of the bacterial contamination in these CWCs, ground studies were initiated to evaluate the resistance of the Cupriavidus species to the silver biocides used on ISS and to determine the minimum effective concentration for the different forms of silver present in the biocides. The initial findings from those experiments are discussed herein.
Gazda, Daniel B.↗
Isotopic and Geochemical Investigation of Two Distinct Mars Analog Environments Using Evolved Gas Techniques in Svalbard, Norway
The 2010 Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) investigated two distinct geologic settings on Svalbard, using methodologies and techniques to be deployed on Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). AMASErelated research comprises both analyses conducted during the expedition and further analyses of collected samples using laboratory facilities at a variety of institutions. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on MSL includes pyrolysis ovens, a gas-processing manifold, a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), several gas chromatography columns, and a Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS). An integral part of SAM development is the deployment of SAM-like instrumentation in the field. During AMASE 2010, two parts of SAM participated as stand-alone instruments. A Hiden Evolved Gas Analysis- Mass Spectrometer (EGA-QMS) system represented the EGA-QMS component of SAM, and a Picarro Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer (EGA-CRDS), represented the EGA-TLS component of SAM. A field analog of CheMin, the XRD/XRF on MSL, was also deployed as part of this field campaign. Carbon isotopic measurements of CO2 evolved during thermal decomposition of carbonates were used together with EGA-QMS geochemical data, mineral composition information and contextual observations made during sample collection to distinguish carbonates formation associated with chemosynthetic activity at a fossil methane seep from abiotic processes forming carbonates associated with subglacial basaltic eruptions. Carbon and oxygen isotopes of the basalt-hosted carbonates suggest cryogenic carbonate formation, though more research is necessary to clarify the history of these rocks.
Svalbard↗
A Corrected Score Function Framework for Modelling Circadian Gene Expression
Many biological processes display oscillatory behaviour based on an approximately 24 h internal timing system specific to each individual. One process of particular interest is gene expression, for which several circadian transcriptomic studies have identified associations between gene expression during a 24 h period and an individual's health. A challenge with analysing data from these studies is that each individual's internal timing system is offset relative to the 24 h day-night cycle, where day–night cycle time is recorded for each collected sample. Laboratory procedures can accurately determine each individual's offset and determine the internal time of sample collection. However, these laboratory procedures are labour-intensive and expensive. Here, in this paper, we propose a corrected score function framework to obtain a regression model of gene expression given internal time when the offset of each individual is too burdensome to determine. A feature of this framework is that it does not require the probability distribution generating offsets to be symmetric with a mean of zero. Simulation studies validate the use of this corrected score function framework for cosinor regression, which is prevalent in circadian transcriptomic studies. Illustrations with data from three circadian transcriptomic studies further demonstrate that the proposed framework consistently mitigates bias relative to using a score function that does not account for this offset.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
The Use of Chlorophyll Fluorescence Lifetime to Assess Phytoplankton Physiology within a River-Dominated Environment
Chlorophyll a fluorescence lifetime was measured for phytoplankton populations inhabiting the three physical zones surrounding the Mississippi River's terminus in the Gulf of Mexico. Observations of river discharge volume, nitrate + nitrite, silicate, phosphate, PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) diffuse attenuation within the water column, salinity, temperature, SPM, and chl a concentration were used to characterize the distribution of chl fluorescence lifetime within a given region within restricted periods of time. 33 stations extending from the Mississippi River plume to the shelf break of the Louisiana coast were surveyed for analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence lifetime during two cruises conducted March 31 - April 6, 2000, and October 24 - November 1, 2000. At each station, two to three depths were chosen for fluorescence lifetime measurement to represent the vertical characteristics of the water column. Where possible, samples were taken from just below the surface and from just above and below the pycnocline. All samples collected were within the 1% light level of the water column (the euphotic zone). Upon collection, samples were transferred to amber Nalgene bottles and left in the dark for at least 15 minutes to reduce the effects of non-photochemical quenching and to insure that photosynthetic reaction centers were open. Before measurements within the phase fluorometer were begun, the instrument was allowed to warm up for no less than one hour.
Hall, Callie M.↗
Autotrophic Ecosystems on the Early Earth
Ophiolite sequences, sections of lower oceanic crust and upper mantle that have been thrust onto continental craton, are located in northern and central California and provide easily accessible areas that serve as good analogs for similar, more extensive areas of the early Earth. We have begun investigating and characterizing these sites in order to understand better the processes that may be responsible for the water chemistry, mineralogy and biology of similar environments on the early Earth. The geophysical and geochemical processes in these terranes provide niches for unique communities of extremeophiles and likely provide a good analog to the location that first gave rise to life on Earth. The ophiolites found in northern and central California include the Trinity, Josephine, Coast Range and Point Sal, all of which are approximately 160 million years old. Fluids from serpentinizing springs are generally alkaline with high pH and H2 contents, indicating that the mafic rock compositions control the fluid composition through water-rock reactions during relatively low-grade hydrothermal processes. There are significant amounts of primary mineralogy remaining in the rocks, meaning that substantial alteration processes are still occurring in these terranes. The general reaction for serpentinization of olivine is given by one of the authors. olivine + H2O = serpentine + brucite + magnetite + H2. We have analyzed the mineralogical composition of several rock samples collected from the Coast Range Ophiolite near Clear Lake, CA by electron microprobe. The remnant primary mineralogy is fairly urnform in composition, with an olivine composition of Fo(sub 90), and with pyroxene compositions of En(sub 90) for orthopyroxene and En(sub 49)Wo(sub 48)Fs(sub 03) for the clinopyroxene. Other primary phases observed include chromites and other spinels. Examination of petrographic thin sections reveals that serpentinization reactions have occurred in these locations. The serpentine resulting from aqueous alteration of olivine resides in veins that are see to cross cut the primary mineral grains. There are several generations of alteration products, comprised mostly of serpentines that are magnesium rich, with magnetite, brucite and carbonates observed as accessory minerals. The formation of carbonates can be taken to indicate the presence of CO2 in the altering fluids. We collected samples from a spring in the Coast Range Ophiolite in order to determine whether the geochemical environment serves as a habitat for chemotrophic microorganisms. DNA was extracted from the sediment samples and the 16s rRNA gene was PCR amplified using universal Archaeal primers. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to determine the community of Archaea thriving in these samples. Our results indicate that there were 8 different genera of Archaea from a single sample. A sequence was obtained from one of these eight. The sequence is of an organism similar to Halorubrum tibetense, and alkalophilic Archaeon. This result suggests that these environments are likely hosts for communities of organisms that are adapted for the unique chemistry provided by the alkaline spring.
Schulte, M.↗
Microbial Ecology of a Crewed Rover Traverse in the Arctic: Low Microbial Dispersal and Implications for Planetary Protection on Human Mars Missions
Between April 2009 and July 2011, the NASA Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) led the Northwest Passage Drive Expedition (NWPDX), a multi-staged long-distance crewed rover traverse along the Northwest Passage in the Arctic. In April 2009, the HMP Okarian rover was driven 496 km over sea ice along the Northwest Passage, from Kugluktuk to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada. During the traverse, crew members collected samples from within the rover and from undisturbed snow-covered surfaces around the rover at three locations. The rover samples and snow samples were stored at subzero conditions (-20C to -1C) until processed for microbial diversity in labs at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The objective was to determine the extent of microbial dispersal away from the rover and onto undisturbed snow. Interior surfaces of the rover were found to be associated with a wide range of bacteria (69 unique taxa) and fungi (16 unique taxa). In contrast, snow samples from the upwind, downwind, uptrack, and downtrack sample sites exterior to the rover were negative for both bacteria and fungi except for two colony-forming units (cfus) recovered from one downwind (1 cfu; site A4) and one uptrack (1 cfu; site B6) sample location. The fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus (GenBank JX517279), and closely related bacteria in the genus Brevibacillus were recovered from both snow (B. agri, GenBank JX517278) and interior rover surfaces. However, it is unknown whether the microorganisms were deposited onto snow surfaces at the time of sample collection (i.e., from the clothing or skin of the human operator) or via airborne dispersal from the rover during the 12-18 h layovers at the sites prior to collection. Results support the conclusion that a crewed rover traveling over previously undisturbed terrain may not significantly contaminate the local terrain via airborne dispersal of propagules from the vehicle. Key Words: Planetary protection-Contamination-Habitability-Haughton Crater-Mars. Astrobiology 15, 478-491.
Human Mars Missions↗
NASA Life Sciences Portal (NLSP): Supporting Scientific Transparency and Reproducibility
NASA’s Life Sciences Ports (NLSP) serves the scientific community by providing curated data from space life science experiment. The Human Research Program (HRP) with the help of NLSP is currently transforming their life sciences data archive systems and processes to improve compliance with the FAIR principles [1]. Some of these improvements will at the same time support the twin pillars of Open Science [2]: transparency of methods and reproducibility of results. Scientific transparency is marked by the easily intelligible communication of what has been investigated: what were the procedures for collecting sample and the characteristics of samples collected? what kinds of measurements were made, what were the environmental conditions of the measurements? What were the analysis techniques of the collected data? Reproducibility of the results and findings from the investigation requires a high level of transparency for all but the simplest investigations; the slightest deviation in communicating and replicating complex experimental procedures or data analyses can often yield quite different data and even findings, thwarting their validation. One of the ways the NLSP is aiming to improve the communication of scientific information is through the use of ontology-driven metadata. Ontologies are powerful, graph-based knowledge representation structures, which can be leveraged to increase data interoperability, the area of the FAIR principles in which many data systems most lack compliance. Over the past decade, there has been a concerted effort in the biomedical community to develop modular and narrowly focused domain and application-specific ontologies in a common, open-source framework, the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology (OBO) Foundry [3]. The open sharing and modular nature of this effort promises huge increases in harmonized data sharing for systems that leverage these models. Which is in line with the FAIR Data Principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse for scientific data management and stewardship. 1. Wilkinson, M.D., et al., The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship. Sci Data, 2016. 3: p. 160018. 2. National Academies of Sciences, E. and Medicine, Open Science by Design: Realizing a Vision for 21st Century Research. 2018, Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 232. 3. Smith, B., et al., The OBO Foundry: coordinated evolution of ontologies to support biomedical data integration. Nat Biotechnol, 2007. 25(11): p. 1251-5.
Life Sciences data↗
Provenance of Sediments in the Jezero Delta From Perseverance Rover and Orbital Observations.
The Perseverance rover is exploring an ancient delta in Jezero crater to search for potential biosignatures and collect samples for return to Earth by Mars Sample Return [1]. Understanding the source (provenance) of the sediments and how it changes in the delta stratigraphy will be important for developing hypotheses for the origin and transport history of potential biosignatures, will help constrain the evolution of the delta and watershed through time, and will enable us to identify the origin of detrital grains from outside Jezero in sandstones and conglomerate samples collected by Perseverance. In this study, we constrain the provenance of delta sediments by studying the distribution of primary mafic minerals detected using spectroscopy at rover and orbital scales.
B Horgan↗
NASA Life Sciences Portal (NLSP): Supporting Scientific Transparency and Reproducibility
NASA’s Life Sciences Ports (NLSP) serves the scientific community by providing curated data from space life science experiment. The Human Research Program (HRP) with the help of NLSP is currently transforming their life sciences data archive systems and processes to improve compliance with the FAIR principles [1]. Some of these improvements will at the same time support the twin pillars of Open Science [2]: transparency of methods and reproducibility of results. Scientific transparency is marked by the easily intelligible communication of what has been investigated: what were the procedures for collecting sample and the characteristics of samples collected? what kinds of measurements were made, what were the environmental conditions of the measurements? What were the analysis techniques of the collected data? Reproducibility of the results and findings from the investigation requires a high level of transparency for all but the simplest investigations; the slightest deviation in communicating and replicating complex experimental procedures or data analyses can often yield quite different data and even findings, thwarting their validation. One of the ways the NLSP is aiming to improve the communication of scientific information is through the use of ontology-driven metadata. Ontologies are powerful, graph-based knowledge representation structures, which can be leveraged to increase data interoperability, the area of the FAIR principles in which many data systems most lack compliance. Over the past decade, there has been a concerted effort in the biomedical community to develop modular and narrowly focused domain and application-specific ontologies in a common, open-source framework, the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology (OBO) Foundry [3]. The open sharing and modular nature of this effort promises huge increases in harmonized data sharing for systems that leverage these models. Which is in line with the FAIR Data Principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse for scientific data management and stewardship.
Life Sciences data↗
JSC Advanced Curation: Research and Development for Current Collections and Future Sample Return Mission Demands
Curation of NASA's astromaterials sample collections is a demanding and evolving activity that supports valuable science from NASA missions for generations, long after the samples are returned to Earth. For example, NASA continues to loan hundreds of Apollo program samples to investigators every year and those samples are often analyzed using instruments that did not exist at the time of the Apollo missions themselves. The samples are curated in a manner that minimizes overall contamination, enabling clean, new high-sensitivity measurements and new science results over 40 years after their return to Earth. As our exploration of the Solar System progresses, upcoming and future NASA sample return missions will return new samples with stringent contamination control, sample environmental control, and Planetary Protection requirements. Therefore, an essential element of a healthy astromaterials curation program is a research and development (R&D) effort that characterizes and employs new technologies to maintain current collections and enable new missions - an Advanced Curation effort. JSC's Astromaterials Acquisition & Curation Office is continually performing Advanced Curation research, identifying and defining knowledge gaps about research, development, and validation/verification topics that are critical to support current and future NASA astromaterials sample collections. The following are highlighted knowledge gaps and research opportunities.
Fries, M. D.↗
Advanced Navigation Strategies for an Asteroid Sample Return Mission
The proximity operations phases of a sample return mission to an asteroid have been analyzed using advanced navigation techniques derived from experience gained in planetary exploration. These techniques rely on tracking types such as Earth-based radio metric Doppler and ranging, spacecraft-based ranging, and optical navigation using images of landmarks on the asteroid surface. Navigation strategies for the orbital phases leading up to sample collection, the touch down for collecting the sample, and the post sample collection phase at the asteroid are included. Options for successfully executing the phases are studied using covariance analysis and Monte Carlo simulations of an example mission to the near Earth asteroid 4660 Nereus. Two landing options were studied including trajectories with either one or two bums from orbit to the surface. Additionally, a comparison of post-sample collection strategies is presented. These strategies include remaining in orbit about the asteroid or standing-off a given distance until departure to Earth.
Bauman, J.↗