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Mars Exploration: Search for Extant Life

Explore Mars for carbon, methane, water associations possibly linked to life. Rover missions to study geological features.

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Mars Exploration: Search for Extant Life

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  1. Vasco da Gama In Situ Mars Explorer VdG:ISME - July 2004

  2. Scientific Goals • Follow the Carbon • Methane, Other Organics • Possible association with water • Link carbon and geological features to possible extant and extinct life VdG:ISME - July 2004

  3. Roadmap • Precursor Mission & Assumptions • Landing site discussion • Scientific and Technical Justifications • Rover concept • Payload package • Bioscience and Geochemical Science • Summary VdG:ISME - July 2004

  4. Precursor mission • Spaced-based remote sensing (in development) • Avoids terrestrial atmospheric extinction • Spatially resolved measurements of atmospheric CH4 and photochemical products on Mars (Organics Origin Observatory) • Fundamental assumption and problem definition • Precursor space-based mission has spatially resolved methane gradients, focusing the search for carbon reservoirs in potential VdG:ISME landing sites VdG:ISME - July 2004

  5. Landing Sites • Equatorial Meridiani • Relatively near Opportunity • Hale Crater Gullies • 35o S, 324o E VdG:ISME - July 2004

  6. Landing Sites VdG:ISME - July 2004

  7. Scientific Justification: Meridiani • Atmospheric CH4 localization assumed • Interesting even if this is not assumed • Nature of hydrogen detection? • Relatively warm • Surface sulfates, hematite co-localized • Carbonates below these? • Aqueous precipitates can preserve micro-fossils (Squyres 2004, Int’l School for Astrobiology) VdG:ISME - July 2004

  8. Hale Crater Gullies • Again, assumed CH4 (although very tentative “current-day” detections indicate equatorial presence) • Possible water signatures (possible carbonates) • Natural surface excavation • Possible hydrothermal alteration VdG:ISME - July 2004

  9. Malin and Edgett 2000 Gullies VdG:ISME - July 2004

  10. Technical Justification-Landing • Landing error ellipse shrunk to 5km x 10km • Practical, uncomplicated, low-mass methods to increase accuracy • Navigation telemetry from existing positions to increase transverse accuracy • Closed-loop navigation system to respond to sensed variations in atmospheric density (Squyres 2004, personal communication) VdG:ISME - July 2004

  11. Hale Landing • Feasible • Smaller error ellipse • Increased rover range Edgett et al. 2003 VdG:ISME - July 2004

  12. The Rovers • Science payloads identical • Both have slope-climbing abilities • Powered by RTGs • Eliminates low-latitude and nighttime operations as a hazard • Heavier spacecraft, but increases operational parameters • Digging scoop • depth 1m in regolith VdG:ISME - July 2004

  13. Instrumentation • Main body • Pancam copy, Mini mid IR TES (MMIRTES) • Raman analysis and multi-range sensing package (up to 100m) • GCMS • rock-crushing package • Circular Dichroism Filter Set Spectrometer • 96 well culture plates, geared towards autotrophic methanogens VdG:ISME - July 2004

  14. Instrumentation • Manipulator arm • Microscope with fluorescence capabilities • Raman Capabilities (via fibre optics) • Mössbauer • APXS with micron sized mapping • Sample manipulation VdG:ISME - July 2004

  15. Raman • Complements MMIRTES • Organics • Minerals VdG:ISME - July 2004 Ellery & Wynn-Williams 2003

  16. GCMS NAP Signs of Life, Moldowan VdG:ISME - July 2004

  17. H2/CO2 atmosphere shielded from martian surface radiation Moveable 100x microscope Tiny Mars rock (~1mm) 500uL media: Combinations of organic rich, organic poor, nitrates, and phosphates DAPI, (gradual sonication) Light source (for microscopy) VdG:ISME - July 2004

  18. Summary • Precursor methane localization • Twin Rovers • Meridiani & Hale Crater gullies • Rovers • Climbing capabilities • Enhanced power • Enhanced instrument package (Raman, GCMS, Fluorescence) • Dual biological and geological payload VdG:ISME - July 2004

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