Exobiology in the Solar System & The Search for Life on Mars - ESA

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SP-1231 12 reason – and <strong>the</strong> prospect of Mars missions <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>for</strong>eseeable future – that it was recommended a search <strong>for</strong> life be focused on <strong>the</strong> planet. In stat<strong>in</strong>g that life may have begun on <strong>the</strong> surface of Mars, we reveal a natural <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ation to consider life as a planet’s surface phenomenon. <strong>The</strong> assumption may yet be proved wrong, with life perhaps able to develop com<strong>for</strong>tably with<strong>in</strong> a warm wet subterrannean world. In that sense, <strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e, life may have actually evolved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> subsurface world of Mars and of o<strong>the</strong>r planets and satellites. For example, Europa, a satellite of Jupiter heated by gravitational tidal <strong>for</strong>ces, has an icy carapace envelop<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> surface and possibly many kilometres thick. Indications of cryovolcanic flows at <strong>the</strong> surface po<strong>in</strong>t to a possible water or br<strong>in</strong>e subsurface region which might harbour a basic life<strong>for</strong>m. NASA may mount a mission to Europa to <strong>in</strong>vestigate that possibility. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Search</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Life</strong> on Mars As an extension to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itial general study, <strong>the</strong> ESA <strong>Exobiology</strong> Science Team was <strong>the</strong>n asked by ESA to consider more specifically <strong>the</strong> case of Mars. This is presented below, <strong>in</strong> Part II. <strong>The</strong> constitution of <strong>the</strong> Science Team was slightly modified and expanded from <strong>the</strong> team that undertook <strong>the</strong> orig<strong>in</strong>al broader study on ‘<strong>The</strong> <strong>Search</strong> For <strong>Life</strong> In <strong>The</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>System</strong>’. Focus<strong>in</strong>g on Mars, toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> need to concentrate on <strong>the</strong> practical and technical aspects, <strong>in</strong>evitably called <strong>for</strong> some changes <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Team’s overall constitution. <strong>The</strong> ESA <strong>Exobiology</strong> Study Team of 1998 comprised: Chairman: André Brack, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France. Beda Hofmann, Naturhistorisches Museum, Bern, Switzerland. Gerda Horneck, Institute of Aerospace Medic<strong>in</strong>e, DLR, Porz-Wahn, Germany. Gero Kurat, Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. James Maxwell, Chemistry Department, Bristol University, Bristol, UK. Gian G. Ori, Dipartimento di Scienze, Universita d’Annunzio, Pescara, Italy. Col<strong>in</strong> Pill<strong>in</strong>ger, Planetary Sciences Research Institute, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. François Raul<strong>in</strong>, LISA, CNRS, Universités de Paris 7 et 12, Créteil, France. Nicolas Thomas, MPI für Aeronomie, L<strong>in</strong>dau, Germany. Frances Westall, Dipartimento di Protezione Agrolimentare, Universita degli Studi di Bologna, Italy. (Currently at: Planetary Sciences Branch, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, USA.) Secretary: Brian Fitton, European Science Consultants, Noordwijk, Ne<strong>the</strong>rlands. This second study was carried out primarily through <strong>the</strong> ef<strong>for</strong>ts of three subgroups of <strong>the</strong> Science Team, aided by o<strong>the</strong>r specialist advisors. It also benefited from presentations and discussions dur<strong>in</strong>g an extended meet<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong> Team, which was attended by a wider group of advisors and specialists, toge<strong>the</strong>r with ESA scientific and technical personnel. <strong>The</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal tasks of <strong>the</strong> subgroups – Teams I, II and III – are outl<strong>in</strong>ed below, toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> list of contributors to Part II of this report: TEAM I To def<strong>in</strong>e those surface and near-surface environments of Mars where evidence of past life might best be sought and to establish a shortlist of preferred land<strong>in</strong>g sites <strong>for</strong> a future exobiology mission. Leader: Gian G.Ori, Dipartimento di Scienze, Universita d’Annunzio, Pescara, Italy.
Ignasi Casanova, Institute <strong>for</strong> Space Studies, Univ. Politechnica Catalunya, Barcelona, Spa<strong>in</strong>. Beda Hofmann, Naturhistorisches Museum, Bern, Switzerland. Gerda Horneck, Institute <strong>for</strong> Aerospace Medic<strong>in</strong>e, DLR, Porz-Wahn, Germany. Gero Kurat, Naturhistorisches Museum,Vienna,Austria. Nicolas Thomas, MPI für Aeronomie, L<strong>in</strong>dau, Germany. TEAM II To study specifically <strong>the</strong> chemical analysis aspects of an exobiology multi-user package. This <strong>in</strong>cludes <strong>the</strong> chemical analysis of surface and subsurface m<strong>in</strong>erals and organics, to search <strong>for</strong> microbial life, past or present, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Martian soil. Leader: François Raul<strong>in</strong>, LISA, Université de Paris, Créteil, France. André Brack, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France. Howell Edwards, Chemistry Department, University of Brad<strong>for</strong>d, UK. Gerda Horneck, Institute <strong>for</strong> Aerospace Medic<strong>in</strong>e, DLR, Porz-Wahn, Germany. Göstar Kl<strong>in</strong>gelhöfer, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. Gero Kurat, Naturhistorisches Museum,Vienna, Austria. Alexandra MacDermott, Chemistry Dept., University of Cambridge, UK. James Maxwell, Chemistry Dept., Bristol University, UK. Col<strong>in</strong> Pill<strong>in</strong>ger, PSRI, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. Robert Sternberg, LISA, Université de Paris 7 & 12, France. Harald Strauss, Institut für Geologie, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany. Nicolas Thomas, MPI für Aeronomie, L<strong>in</strong>dau, Germany. TEAM III To def<strong>in</strong>e a set of imag<strong>in</strong>g and spectroscopic systems which will allow a search <strong>for</strong> evidence of ext<strong>in</strong>ct microbial life at all scales down to 0.01 µm, whilst also provid<strong>in</strong>g <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> study of <strong>the</strong> m<strong>in</strong>eralogy and petrography, as a function of depth, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> nearsubsurface region of Mars and <strong>in</strong> surface rocks. Leader: Nicolas Thomas, MPI für Aeronomie, L<strong>in</strong>dau, Germany. Michael Fernandes, MPI für Aeronomie, L<strong>in</strong>dau, Germany. Beda Hofmann, Naturhistorisches Museum, Bern, Switzerland. Gero Kurat, Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Wojtek Markiewicz, MPI für Aeronomie, L<strong>in</strong>dau, Germany. Harald Strauss, Ruhr Universität, Bochum, Germany. Frances Westall, Universita di Bologna, Italy. In this volume, <strong>the</strong> three separate contributions from <strong>the</strong>se Teams are <strong>in</strong>troduced sequentially. From <strong>the</strong>m, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Exobiology</strong> Science Team drew up conclusions on <strong>the</strong> desired strategy <strong>for</strong> searches and <strong>the</strong> set of sample acquisition, observation and analysis <strong>in</strong>strumentation to fulfil <strong>the</strong> scientific requirements. <strong>The</strong>se conclusions were <strong>the</strong>n adapted so that <strong>the</strong> result<strong>in</strong>g exobiology package and <strong>the</strong> operational strategies are reasonably consistent with <strong>the</strong> major constra<strong>in</strong>ts of potential future Mars lander missions. That has been achieved without a major loss of scientific potential. Later, ano<strong>the</strong>r subgroup (Team IV) embarked upon an analysis, from an exobiology viewpo<strong>in</strong>t, of <strong>the</strong> potential value of human exploration of Mars. Its conclusions and recommendations on this critical subject are presented <strong>in</strong> Annex 1. <strong>for</strong>eword 13
Page 1 and 2: SP-1231 Exobiology
Page 3 and 4: Cover Fossil coccoid bacteria, 1 µ
Page 5 and 6: 4 I.5 Potential Non-Martian Sites <
Page 7 and 8: 6 6.2 Imaging of F
Page 9 and 10: The Exobio
Page 11: pyrolysis, or similar techniques, f
Page 15 and 16: I AN EXOBIOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE SOLA
Page 17 and 18: SP-1231 18 surface pressure of CO 2
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Page 23 and 24: SP-1231 24 Laboratory Investigation
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Page 27 and 28: temperatures of 95-106ºC. This sug
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Page 31 and 32: cannot exclude fin
Page 33 and 34: Responses to Cosmic Radiation <stro
Page 35 and 36: acid to identify the</stron
Page 37 and 38: Horneck, G. (1993). Responses of Ba
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Page 45 and 46: SP-1231 48 A detailed chemical anal
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SP-1231 Fig. I.5.1.1/1. A 34×42 km
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SP-1231 Fig. I.5.2.1/1. Titan’s a
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SP-1231 Fig. I.5.2.2/2. Modelled Ti
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SP-1231 72 Galileo: images availabl
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SP-1231 74 TABLE I.6.2/1 EVIDENCE O
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SP-1231 I.6.3 What to Searc
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SP-1231 78 I.7.3 Organic Chemistry
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II.1 Introduction The</stro
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II.2 The Planet Ma
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cover the range 4.
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The depletion of c
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valley networks (Fig. II.2.5/2) are
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plate tectonic evidence has been ob
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Table II.2.7.4/1. Potential Mars <s
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II.3 The Martian M
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principal atmosphe
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Lines of evidence
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indicated by carbo
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quest for
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Anders, E. (1989). Prebiotic organi
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Urey, H.C. (1968). Origin</
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SP-1231 Fig. II.4.1.1/1. A Gilbert-
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SP-1231 Fig. II.4.1.3/1. Th
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SP-1231 114 Sinuou
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SP-1231 Fig. II.4.3/1. Ages of seve
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SP-1231 118 orbital characteristics
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SP-1231 120 II.4.5 The</str
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SP-1231 122 II.4.6 Rovers and Drill
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SP-1231 124 Site 2: Apolin<
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SP-1231 126 Site 4: Chasma area, ea
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SP-1231 128 Sharp, M., Parkes, J.,
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SP-1231 Fig. II.5.1/1. The<
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SP-1231 132 II.5.3 Isotopic Analysi
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SP-1231 134 chemical composition de
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SP-1231 Fig. II.5.7.1/1. Th
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SP-1231 138 optical microscope. Bot
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SP-1231 140 protons of discrete ene
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SP-1231 142 atures should be per<st
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SP-1231 Fig. II.5.7.7/1. Example of
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SP-1231 146 soils. In this approach
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SP-1231 148 discrimin</stro
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SP-1231 150 determin</stron
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SP-1231 Fig. II.5.10.2/2. Enantiome
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SP-1231 154 References achiral colu
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II.6 Team III: The
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in width and heigh
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Searchin</
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minerals or oxidat
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A second group of rocks, however, m
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SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND REQUIREMENTS
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The sample materia
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surprising. To ach
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The main</
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Consideration of a diamond wire-saw
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Schoonen, M.A. & Barnes, H.L. (1991
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SP-1231 180 II.7.2 The</str
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SP-1231 Fig. II.7.4/1. Look
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SP-1231 184 II.7.5 A Possible <stro
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Team IV was asked to examin
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Exobiology in the Solar System & The Search for Life on Mars - ESA

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