Automated biological laboratory soil sampling study Final report, 17 Feb. 1966 - 17 Feb. 1967
Prototypes of automated soil sampling systems for use in Voyager-class capsules of 1970 decade for Mars exploration
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Prototypes of automated soil sampling systems for use in Voyager-class capsules of 1970 decade for Mars exploration
Sulfur oxidation in desert soils due to bacterial activity
After the success of Surveyor I in meeting the objectives of the engineering flight series, selection from among candidate experiments led to the inclusion of the Soil Mechanics Surface Sampler (SMSS) on the payload. Though originally planned for later Surveyors, the SMSS design was modified to fit the reduced telemetry and commanding capability of the earlier spacecraft. These modifications included removal of the strain-, acceleration-, and position-measuring systems originally planned, and incorporation of a means for measuring current drawn by the motors during operation. A description of the modified device, its performance on Surveyor III, and some conclusions regarding the lunar surface material drawn from the experiment are presented.
Soil response to dynamic loads measured by penetrometers
Soil mechanics surface sampler aboard Surveyor III spacecraft
Lunar soil and rock program in support of lunar exploration
Microorganisms trapping by colonization of sterile organic plant parts buried in Chile desert soil samples
Soil mechanics surface sampler experiment for Surveyor
Lunar soil composition determined to be porous fine-grain moderately cohesive rock powder, from Surveyor I and Luna IX pictures
Fluorimetric technique for phosphatase activity in soil based on beta-naphthol release from sodium- beta-naphthylphosphate
Adhesive qualities of lunar soil simulated by rock comminuted in ultrahigh vacuum
Approximately 1500 cultures of microorganisms were isolated from rocks and soils of the Ross Desert (McMurdo-Dry Valleys). From these, 15 coccoid strains were chosen for more detailed investigation. They were characterized by morphological, physiological and chemotaxonomical properties. All isolates were Gram-positive, catalase-positive and nonmotile. Six strains showed red pigmentation and could be identified as members of the genera Micrococcus (M. roseus, M. agilis) or Deinococcus. In spite of their coccoid morphology, the remaining nine strains had to be associated with coryneform bacteria (Arthrobacter, Brevibacterium), because of their cell wall composition and G+C ratios. Most of the strains were psychrotrophic, but one strain was even obligately psychrophilic, with a temperature maximum below 20 degrees C. Red cocci had in vitro pH optima above 9.0 although they generally originated from acid samples. Most isolates showed a preference for sugar alcohols and organic acids, compounds which are commonly known to be released by lichens, molds and algae, the other components of the cryptoendolithic ecosystem. These properties indicate that our strains are autochthonous members of the natural Antarctic microbial population.
In this paper, we present a soil moisture algorithm theoretically derived using the tilted Bragg proximation.
To address a key science research topic for the global water and energy cycle, namely measuring soil moisture under substantial vegetation canopies and to useful depths, we have developed a concept for a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system operating simultaneously at UHF and VHF frequencies. We are currently prototyping key technology items that enable this concept under the NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP). This presentation describes the technological challenges and innovations we are addressing to enable the implementation of this instrument and its integration into a future Earth-orbiting mission.
In this paper, we use a time series of coarse spatial resolution remote sensing data to examine the interannual variability of vegetation biomass and soil moisture over the Amazonian Cerrado.
Mapping soil wetness or moisture on the large scale is important to the monitoring of global water cycle and its variability.
Radiometers operating in the 1-3 GHz frequency range have been studied as a means for observing ocean salinity and soil moisture globally from space.
A concept is described for passive microwave sensing of soil moisture and ocean salinity from space. The Inflatable Radiometric Imaging System (IRIS) makes use of a large-diameter, offset-fed, parabolic-torus antenna with multiple feeds, in a conical pushbroom configuration.