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At least 1,495 records · Page 83

Design of a scientific probe for obtaining Mars surface material

With the recent renewed interest in interplanetary and deep space exploratory missions, the Red Planet, Mars, which has captured people's imagination for centuries, has again become a center of attention. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a series of Mariner missions performed fly-by investigations of the Mars surface and atmosphere. Later, in the mid 1970s, the data gathered by these earlier Mariner missions provided the basis of the much-publicized Viking missions, whose main objective was to determine the possibility of extraterrestrial life on Mars. More recently, with the dramatic changes in international politics, ambitious joint manned missions between the United States and the Soviet Union have been proposed to be launched in the early 21st century. In light of these exciting developments, the Spacecraft Design course, which was newly established at UCLA under NASA/USRA sponsorship, has developed its curriculum around a design project: the synthesis of an unmanned Martian landing probe. The students are required to conceive a preliminary design of a small spacecraft that is capable of landing at a designated site, collecting soil samples, and then returning the samples to orbit. The goal of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of such a mission. This preliminary study of an interplanetary exploration mission has shown the feasibility of such a mission. The students have learned valuable lessons about the complexity of spacecraft design, even though the mission is relatively simple.

Source record↗

Photon-Counting Multikilohertz Microlaser Altimeters for Airborne and Spaceborne Topographic Measurements

We consider the optimum design of photon-counting microlaser altimeters operating from airborne and spaceborne platforms under both day and night conditions. Extremely compact Q-switched microlaser transmitters produce trains of low energy pulses at multi-kHz rates and can easily generate subnanosecond pulse-widths for precise ranging. To guide the design, we have modeled the solar noise background and developed simple algorithms, based on Post-Detection Poisson Filtering (PDPF), to optimally extract the weak altimeter signal from a high noise background during daytime operations. Practical technology issues, such as detector and/or receiver dead times, have also been considered in the analysis. We describe an airborne prototype, being developed under NASA's instrument Incubator Program, which is designed to operate at a 10 kHz rate from aircraft cruise altitudes up to 12 km with laser pulse energies on the order of a few microjoules. We also analyze a compact and power efficient system designed to operate from Mars orbit at an altitude of 300 km and sample the Martian surface at rates up to 4.3 kHz using a 1 watt laser transmitter and an 18 cm telescope. This yields a Power-Aperture Product of 0.24 W-square meter, corresponding to a value almost 4 times smaller than the Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter (0. 88W-square meter), yet the sampling rate is roughly 400 times greater (4 kHz vs 10 Hz) Relative to conventional high power laser altimeters, advantages of photon-counting laser altimeters include: (1) a more efficient use of available laser photons providing up to two orders of magnitude greater surface sampling rates for a given laser power-telescope aperture product; (2) a simultaneous two order of magnitude reduction in the volume, cost and weight of the telescope system; (3) the unique ability to spatially resolve the source of the surface return in a photon counting mode through the use of pixellated or imaging detectors; and (4) improved vertical and transverse spatial resolution resulting from both (1) and (3). Furthermore, because of significantly lower laser pulse energies, the microaltimeter is inherently more eyesafe to observers on the ground and less prone to internal optical damage, which can terminate a space mission prematurely.

Degnan, John J.↗

Development towards stable chlorine isotope measurements of astromaterials using the modified Middleton source of an accelerator mass spectrometer

The volatile element Cl can be lost during the formation and evolution of planetary bodies, leading to fractionation of its two stable isotopes 35 Cl and 37 Cl. Chlorine isotope variations (reported as δ 37 Cl in parts per thousand (‰) relative to Standard Mean Ocean Chloride, SMOC) are documented to exceed 80‰ between different lunar rock samples and have been variably interpreted as the fingerprint of degassing during accretion, magma ocean, or volcanic portions of lunar history. The large intersample and intrasample variations observed by both bulk isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and in-situ secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) methods are difficult to interpret in part because of a paucity of bulk Cl isotope measurements. This lack of high-precision bulk data is due to the relative rarity of IRMS laboratories capable of making these high precision measurements on small samples of precious planetary materials such as those returned by human or robotic exploration. Here we present a new method for performing high precision δ 37 Cl measurements using the modified Middleton ion source of an existing accelerator mass spectrometer. For samples with as little as 1 μg Cl–the equivalent of 2–4 mm 3 of a typical lunar rock sample–the average cathode accuracy is ~1‰. Finally, cathode reproducibility is typically ~1‰ (2σ) for samples with at least 10 μg of Cl, increasing to ~3–6‰ for aliquots with ~1–2 μg Cl, similar to published SIMS results and sufficient to study astromaterials from the Moon, Mars, or 4 Vesta, which have tens of ‰ observed variations.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Red Dragon Drill Missions to Mars

We present the concept of using a variant of a Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) Dragon space capsule as a low-cost, large-capacity, near-term, Mars lander (dubbed "Red Dragon") for scientific and human precursor missions. SpaceX initially designed the Dragon capsule for flight near Earth, and Dragon has successfully flown many times to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and successfully returned the Dragon spacecraft to Earth. Here we present capsule hardware modifications that are required to enable flight to Mars and operations on the martian surface. We discuss the use of the Dragon system to support NASA Discovery class missions to Mars and focus in particular on Dragon's applications for drilling missions. We find that a Red Dragon platform is well suited for missions capable of drilling deeper on Mars (at least 2 m) than has been accomplished to date due to its ability to land in a powered controlled mode, accommodate a long drill string, and provide payload space for sample processing and analysis. We show that a Red Dragon drill lander could conduct surface missions at three possible targets including the ice-cemented ground at the Phoenix landing site (68degN), the subsurface ice discovered near the Viking 2 (49degN) site by fresh impact craters, and the dark sedimentary subsurface material at the Curiosity site (4.5degS).

Drill↗

TECHEDSAT-7 and 10: The Little Spacecraft That Could

The NOW (Nanosatellite Orbital Workshop) of NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) has two cubesats in orbit at this time: 6 U TechEdSat-10 (T-10) and the 3U TechEdSat-7 (T-7). T10 was jettisoned from the ISS via the NANORACKS system 7/13/2020, and T-7 was launched via Virgin Orbit 1/17/2021. Both were built by the Nano-satellite Orbital Workshop (NOW) at NASA ARC, and designed and fabricated by interns and students in collaboration with educational institutions. Prototyping novel technologies for non-powered re-entry and communications from orbit are primary research interests, however all subsystems including power generation and distribution, subsystem control, navigation, positioning, heat management etc. extend current technologies. Use of distributed processors using open software platforms and standards other based technologies and software is integral to all segments of spacecraft design. Here, we will present an overview of the spacecraft, experiments, and accomplishments – as well as the next three flight experiments. Some of these experiments include: The exo-brake re-entry system is being developed to enable sample return and end of life disposal; Internal communications for sensors, inter-subsystem and experiments uses both a Zigbee based PAN and internal Wi-Fi for high-speed inter-device communications; The Iridium small message LEO system (Short Burst Data) is used to both command the spacecraft and send data to the ground; Experimental use of the Global-Star system for L-band system comparison and back-up; Collaborative NOAA an experiment to communicate from LEO to the GOES geostationary satellite using the DCS (Data Collection System) with on-board Doppler correction; Mars and Lunar experimental communication systems for future cis-lunar and interplanetary nano-satellites; First demonstration of the NASA Near Earth Network systems with nano-satellites at NASA/Wallops Island; Solar array design and implementation for unique future flexible structures; Power distribution using Tardigrade rad-hard processor omni-board (designed by the team); Distributed processors with internal Wi-Fi connectivity; and Initial experiments with AI/Machine Learning.

M Murbach↗

Culture-Independent Microbial Air Profiling using a Spaceflight-Compatible Nanopore Sequencing Method

Microbial monitoring of spacecraft air is critical toward assessing the efficacy of microbial controls within the environmental control and life support systems to protect both the crew and the vehicle environment. Additionally, understanding of the atmospheric microbial profiles will be essential toward Mars-forward planetary protection planning. Currently, onboard the International Space Station (ISS), the air is monitored on a quarterly basis using an impaction air sampler. With this method, bacterial and fungal cells and spores are pulled onto plates containing growth medium. Following five days of ambient incubation onboard the ISS, the crew compares the growth to density charts and provides the approximations to the ground. Upon return of the culture plates to the Johnson Space Center’s Microbiology Laboratory, the isolates present are identified for crew health risk assessments. As NASA moves beyond the low-Earth orbit of ISS, sample return will be impractical. As such, a near real-time monitoring capability for the assessment of the spacecraft atmosphere is necessary. Significant strides have been made in recent years to utilize a molecular-based method for microbial profiling of ISS surfaces. The developed method is not dependent on microbial culture, thus removing the associated risk to the crew from high microbial levels, the bias toward detecting only the culturable organisms, and eliminates the need for sample return. The work described here details the evaluation of three different air sampling platforms whose product is amenable to downstream molecular processing and nanopore sequencing. The three samplers were compared in terms of mass and power requirements, ease-of -use, and the resulting data. For the two highest ranking samplers, a basic concept of operations was developed to transfer the sample into the already established preparation and sequencing process. Using these concepts of operations, an in-depth comparison of the molecular data generated was compared to the historical culture-based method. Data from both methods detailed similar microbial profiles, while the molecular method detailed microbial identifications that could not be identified through the culture-based method. The developed method will enable the generation of near real-time microbial profiles of the spacecraft atmosphere.

Brandon J Dunbar↗

Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) 2009 Expedition Crew Perspectives

The Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS), located on the rim of the Haughton Crater on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic, is a simulated Mars habitat that provides operational constraints similar to those which will be faced by future human explorers on Mars. In July 2009, a six-member crew inhabited the isolated habitation module and conducted the twelfth FMARS mission. The crew members conducted frequent EVA operations wearing mock space suits to conduct field experiments under realistic Mars-like conditions. Their scientific campaign spanned a wide range of disciplines and included many firsts for Mars analog research. Among these are the first use of a Class IV medical laser during a Mars simulation, helping to relieve crew stress injuries during the mission. Also employed for the first time in a Mars simulation at FMARS, a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) was used by the space-suited explorers, aiding them in their search for mineral resources. Sites identified by the UAV were then visited by geologists who conducted physical geologic sampling. For the first time, explorers in spacesuits deployed passive seismic equipment to monitor earthquake activity and characterize the planet's interior. They also conducted the first geophysical electromagnetic survey as analog Mars pioneers to search for water and characterize geological features under the surface. The crew collected hydrated minerals and attempted to produce drinkable water from the rocks. A variety of equipment was field tested as well, including new cameras that automatically geotag photos, data-recording GPS units, a tele-presence rover (operated from Florida), as well as MIT-developed mission planning software. As plans develop to return to the Moon and go on to Mars, analog facilities like FMARS can provide significant benefit to NASA and other organizations as they prepare for robust human space exploration. The authors will present preliminary results from these studies as well as their perspectives on topics including human factors, logistics, EVA operations, and the use of social media throughout the mission.

Cusack, Stacy↗

Human and Robotic Exploration of Near-Earth Objects

A study in late 2006 was sponsored by the Advanced Projects Office within NASA's Constellation Program to examine the feasibility of sending the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle to a near-Earth object (NEO). The ideal mission profile would involve two or three astronauts on a 90 to 180 day flight, which would include a 7 to 14 day stay for proximity operations at the target NEO. More recently U.S. President Obama stated on April 15, 2010 that the next goal for human spaceflight will be to send human beings to a near-Earth asteroid by 2025. Given this direction from the White House, NASA has been involved in studying various strategies for NEO exploration in order to follow U.S. space exploration policy. Prior to sending a human mission, a series of robotic spacecraft would be launched to reduce the risk to crew, and enhance the planning for the proximity and surface operations at the NEO. The human mission would ideally follow five or more years later. This mission would be the first human expedition to an interplanetary body beyond the Earth-Moon system and would prove useful for testing technologies required for human missions to Mars and other solar system destinations. Piloted missions to NEOs would undoubtedly provide a great deal of technical and engineering data on spacecraft operations for future human space exploration while conducting in-depth scientific investigations of these primitive objects. The main scientific advantage of sending piloted missions to NEOs would be the flexibility of the crew to perform tasks and to adapt to situations in real time. A crewed vehicle would be able to test several different sample collection techniques and target specific areas of interest via extra-vehicular activities (EVAs) more efficiently than robotic spacecraft. Such capabilities greatly enhance the scientific return from these missions to NEOs, destinations vital to understanding the evolution and thermal histories of primitive bodies during the formation of the early solar system. Data collected from these missions would help constrain the suite of materials possibly delivered to the early Earth, and would identify potential source regions from which NEOs originate. In addition, the resulting scientific investigations would refine designs for future extraterrestrial resource extraction and utilization, and assist in the development of hazard mitigation techniques for planetary defense.

Abell, Paul A.↗

Performance of Adsorption - Based CO2 Acquisition Hardware for Mars ISRU

Chemical processing of the dusty, low-pressure Martian atmosphere typically requires conditioning and compression of the gases as first steps. A temperature-swing adsorption process can perform these tasks using nearly solid-state hardware and with relatively low power consumption compared to alternative processes. In addition, the process can separate the atmospheric constituents, producing both pressurized CO2 and a buffer gas mixture of nitrogen and argon. To date we have developed and tested adsorption compressors at scales appropriate for the near-term robotic missions that will lead the way to ISRU-based human exploration missions. In this talk we describe the characteristics, testing, and performance of these devices. We also discuss scale-up issues associated with meeting the processing demands of sample return and human missions.

Finn, John E.↗

Overview and Results From the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover's First Science Campaign on the Jezero Crater Floor

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater on 18 February 2021. After a 100-sol period of commissioning and the Ingenuity Helicopter technology demonstration, Perseverance began its first science campaign to explore the enigmatic Jezero crater floor, whose igneous or sedimentary origins have been much debated in the scientific community. This paper describes the campaign plan developed to explore the crater floor's Máaz and Séítah formations and summarizes the results of the campaign between sols 100–379. By the end of the campaign, Perseverance had traversed more than 5 km, created seven abrasion patches, and sealed nine samples and a witness tube. Analysis of remote and proximity science observations show that the Máaz and Séítah formations are igneous in origin and composed of five and two geologic members, respectively. The Séítah formation represents the olivine-rich cumulate formed from differentiation of a slowly cooling melt or magma body, and the Máaz formation likely represents a separate series of lava flows emplaced after Séítah. The Máaz and Séítah rocks also preserve evidence of multiple episodes of aqueous alteration in secondary minerals like carbonate, Fe/Mg phyllosilicates, sulfates, and perchlorate, and surficial coatings. Post-emplacement processes tilted the rocks near the Máaz-Séítah contact and substantial erosion modified the crater floor rocks to their present-day expressions. Results from this crater floor campaign, including those obtained upon return of the collected samples, will help to build the geologic history of events that occurred in Jezero crater and provide time constraints on the formation of the Jezero delta.

Mars 2020↗

In-Space Propulsion Technology Products Ready for Infusion on NASA's Future Science Missions

Since 2001, the In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) program has been developing and delivering in-space propulsion technologies that will enable or enhance NASA robotic science missions. These in-space propulsion technologies are applicable, and potentially enabling, for future NASA flagship and sample return missions currently being considered. They have a broad applicability to future competed mission solicitations. The high-temperature Advanced Material Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) engine, providing higher performance for lower cost, was completed in 2009. Two other ISPT technologies are nearing completion of their technology development phase: 1) NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system, a 0.6-7 kW throttle-able gridded ion system; and 2) Aerocapture technology development with investments in a family of thermal protection system (TPS) materials and structures; guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) models of blunt-body rigid aeroshells; aerothermal effect models; and atmospheric models for Earth, Titan, Mars and Venus. This paper provides status of the technology development, applicability, and availability of in-space propulsion technologies that have recently completed their technology development and will be ready for infusion into NASA s Discovery, New Frontiers, SMD Flagship, or technology demonstration missions.

Anderson, David J.↗

In-Space Propulsion Technology Products for NASA's Future Science and Exploration Missions

Since 2001, the In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) project has been developing and delivering in-space propulsion technologies that will enable or enhance NASA robotic science missions. These in-space propulsion technologies are applicable, and potentially enabling, for future NASA flagship and sample return missions currently being considered, as well as having broad applicability to future competed mission solicitations. The high-temperature Advanced Material Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) engine providing higher performance for lower cost was completed in 2009. Two other ISPT technologies are nearing completion of their technology development phase: 1) NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system, a 0.6-7 kW throttle-able gridded ion system; and 2) Aerocapture technology development with investments in a family of thermal protection system (TPS) materials and structures; guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) models of blunt-body rigid aeroshells; aerothermal effect models: and atmospheric models for Earth, Titan, Mars and Venus. This paper provides status of the technology development, applicability, and availability of in-space propulsion technologies that have recently completed their technology development and will be ready for infusion into NASA s Discovery, New Frontiers, Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Flagship, and Exploration technology demonstration missions

Anderson, David J.↗

Ka-Band Link Study and Analysis for a Mars Hybrid RF/Optical Software Defined Radio

The integrated radio and optical communications (iROC) project at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is investigating the feasibility of a hybrid RF and optical communication subsystem for future deep space missions. The hybrid communications subsystem enables the advancement of optical communications while simultaneously mitigating the risk of infusion by combining an experimental optical transmitter and telescope with a reliable Ka-band RF transmitter and antenna. The iROC communications subsystem seeks to maximize the total data return over the course of a potential 2-year mission in Mars orbit beginning in 2021. Although optical communication by itself offers potential for greater data return over RF, the reliable Ka-band link is also being designed for high data return capability in this hybrid system. A daily analysis of the RF link budget over the 2-year span is performed to optimize and provide detailed estimates of the RF data return. In particular, the bandwidth dependence of these data return estimates is analyzed for candidate waveforms. In this effort, a data return modeling tool was created to analyze candidate RF modulation and coding schemes with respect to their spectral efficiency, amplifier output power back-off, required digital to analog conversion (DAC) sampling rates, and support by ground receivers. A set of RF waveforms is recommended for use on the iROC platform.

communication↗

Viking 1975 Mars lander interactive computerized video stereophotogrammetry

A novel computerized interactive video stereophotogrammetry system has been developed for analysis of Viking 1975 lander imaging data. Prompt, accurate, and versatile performance is achieved. Earth-returned digital imagery data are driven from a computer to a pair of video monitors. Powerful computer support enables a photogrammetrist, stereoscopically viewing the video displays, to create diverse topographic products. Profiles, representing the intersection of any definable surface with the Martian relief, are readily generated. Vertical profiles and elevation contour maps, including stereo versions, are produced. Computer overlays of map products on stereo images aid map interpretation and permit independent quality evaluation. Slaved monitors enable parallel viewing. Maps span from the immediate foreground to the remote limits of ranging capability. Surface sampler arm specific vertical profiles enable direct reading of arm commands required for sample acquisition, rock rolling, and trenching. The ranging accuracy of plus or minus 2 cm throughout the sample area degrades to plus or minus 20 m at 100-m range.

Liebes, S., Jr.↗

Volatile Detections in Gale Crater Sediment and Sedimentary Rock: Results from the Mars Science Laboratory's Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument

This chapter discusses the detection of evolved gases from Gale crater sedimentary rock and eolian sediment by the Mars Science Laboratory rover's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument. An overview is presented of the SAM instrument along with summary of key results from previous evolved gas analyses conducted at the Viking and Phoenix landing sites. The SAM measurements of evolved water, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxygen, and nitrous oxide from Gale crater samples are presented. The phases responsible for the evolved gas detections and the implications for their presence are then evaluated. The water deuterium to hydrogen (D/H) ratio is discussed in context of understanding the degree of water loss from Mars. In the introduction of this book, we briefly explored the history of the exploration of Mars, where we discussed a major shift in the scientific thinking and public perception of the nature of the surface of Mars as new missions explored the Red Planet. The first observations of the surface sparked speculations of Mars being inhabited by intelligent beings, inspiring fantasy, science fiction, and, of course, further exploration. The turn came when Mariner 4 returned images of a lunar-like landscape, a monotonous basaltic world with many impact craters but no water, and therefore no prospects for life to find a habitable niche. The authors of the chapters of this book show how different our understanding of Mars is today from the historical Mariner 4 perspective!

Sutter, Brad↗

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.↗

Organics Exposure in Orbit (OREOcube): A Next-Generation Space Exposure Platform

The OREOcube (ORganics Exposure in Orbit cube) experiment on the International Space Station (ISS) will investigate the effects of solar and cosmic radiation on organic thin films supported on inorganic substrates. Probing the kinetics of structural changes and photomodulated organic− inorganic interactions with real-time in situ UV−visible spectroscopy, this experiment will investigate the role played by solid mineral surfaces in the (photo)chemical evolution, transport, and distribution of organics in our solar system and beyond. In preparation for the OREOcube ISS experiment, we report here laboratory measurements of the photostability of thin films of the 9,10-anthraquinone derivative anthrarufin (51 nm thick) layered upon ultrathin films of iron oxides magnetite and hematite (4 nm thick), as well as supported directly on fused silica. During irradiation with UV and visible light simulating the photon flux and spectral distribution on the surface of Mars, anthrarufin/iron oxide bilayer thin films were exposed to CO2 (800 Pa), the main constituent (and pressure) of the martian atmosphere. The time-dependent photodegradation of anthrarufin thin films revealed the inhibition of degradation by both types of underlying iron oxides relative to anthrarufin on bare fused silica. Interactions between the organic and inorganic thin films, apparent in spectral shifts of the anthrarufin bands, are consistent with presumed free-electron quenching of semiquinone anion radicals by the iron oxide layers, electively protecting the organic compound from photodegradation. Combining such in situ real-time kinetic measurements of thin films in future space exposure experiments on the ISS with postflight sample return and analysis will provide time-course studies complemented by in-depth chemical analysis. This will facilitate the characterization and modeling of the chemistry of organic species associated with mineral surfaces in astrobiological contexts.

Organics↗

Spaceflight Biospecimen and Data Sharing in Support of Science Discovery and Exploration

For decades, NASA and international partners have conducted biological experiments in space to understand effects of spaceflight and address potential hazards. To enable spaceflight back to the Moon, and then to Mars and beyond, it is imperative to further understand basic science and health risks associated with spaceflight, along with developing countermeasures. The sending of experiments and organisms into space is a costly endeavor. To maximize scientific return, sharing with the scientific community both space-flown biospecimens and data from completed experiments is essential. New fundamental, applied, and bioinformatic science insights can be gained from specimen and data sharing efforts. Data reuse enables spaceflight health risk modeling, analyzing adverse outcomes across spaceflight hazards, and deep space autonomous support for the flight medical officer. Space-flown biospecimens not required by mission Principal Investigators are regularly archived and made available for scientific request. The largest biorepository of these samples are found within NASA’s Institutional Scientific Collection at Ames Research Center (ISC-ARC), which stores over 32,000 specimens mostly from Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) missions, but also some ground-based analog samples. The Ames Life Sciences Data Archive manages the ISC-ARC. Tissues are predominantly from mice and rats, though samples are also available from bacteria and quail. Only a handful of other similar collections exist worldwide. Rodent biospecimens exposed to simulated space radiation at Brookhaven National Laboratory are archived under the purview of NASA HRP Space Radiation Element. Microbial collection and analyses from 20 years of routine environmental monitoring of air, surfaces, and water systems of the ISS were performed to ensure a safe environment for astronauts. Samples from the ISC-ARC, space radiation and microbial collections are searchable and requestable through the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA). Decades of planetary protection microbial isolates derived from spacecraft bioburden are archived in JPL’s microbial collection. Rodent biospecimens from spaceflight investigations conducted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are archived and available at the JAXA Biorepository at Tsukuba Space Center. The Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems also has a collection of animal, microbial, cellular, and fungi available for research from ground analog experiments. Several data repositories exist for scientists to utilize. The LSDA is the primary NASA source of life sciences research data and information. It contains decades of spaceflight and ground-analog research involving human, microbial, cellular, plant, and animal subjects. Data is collected from NASA-funded investigations through the Human Research Program and the Space Biology Program. The NASA Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health collects and grants access to clinical and occupational health monitoring data from astronauts, with a list and description of data collected available for request through the LSDA. NASA GeneLab at ARC collects genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data from any species. It is a repository and platform for collaborative open-science bioinformatic approaches. JAXA is establishing an ‘omics-based repository in collaboration with the Tohoku Medical Megabank (ToMMo), called the JAXA-ToMMo Integrated Biobank for Space Life Science. Overall, the sharing of these biospecimen and data resources can assist researchers worldwide in understanding spaceflight effects on biology, along with enabling next generation data science applications for space exploration platforms. Websites: https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/ ; https://www.nasa.gov/ames/research/space-biosciences/isc-bsp ; https://www.nasa.gov/ames/research/space-biosciences/alsda

Ryan T. Scott↗