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

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Annex I Team IV: A Manned Mars Station and <strong>Exobiology</strong> Research
Team IV was asked to exam<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> ways <strong>in</strong> which a manned station on Mars, operat<strong>in</strong>g over an extended period, might assist <strong>in</strong> fur<strong>the</strong>r develop<strong>in</strong>g exobiology research on that planet a decade or so from now. It was also asked to consider whe<strong>the</strong>r such a station would pose significant risks to that research. <strong>The</strong> Team did not consider <strong>the</strong> question of whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> benefits from manned <strong>in</strong>tervention <strong>in</strong> exobiology research on Mars constituted a reason to argue <strong>for</strong> a manned mission. On <strong>the</strong> contrary, it was assumed that <strong>the</strong> reasons <strong>for</strong> such a mission would be based upon a variety of considerations, most of which would not directly relate to exobiology. Hence, <strong>the</strong> discussions were narrowly focused upon <strong>the</strong> question ‘What could a manned presence do to aid exobiology research?’ Until <strong>the</strong>re is a susta<strong>in</strong>able manned presence on Mars, all exobiology research will have to be done by <strong>in</strong> situ measurements us<strong>in</strong>g robotic systems, toge<strong>the</strong>r with sample return missions. Consequently, human <strong>in</strong>tervention is likely to be welcomed, just as it is on Earth <strong>in</strong> a research environment, to do those th<strong>in</strong>gs that cannot readily be done by mach<strong>in</strong>es. <strong>The</strong>se primarily <strong>in</strong>volve <strong>the</strong> exercise of judgement, based upon extensive professional and personal experience, coupled with flexibility and <strong>in</strong>genuity to adapt and to improvise. To benefit fully from exobiology research and its associated fields of m<strong>in</strong>eralogy and geochemistry, it is <strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e important that some of <strong>the</strong> Mars crew have professional tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se fields. Without that background expertise, <strong>the</strong> value of <strong>the</strong>ir presence will be substantially dim<strong>in</strong>ished, just as it would be <strong>in</strong> a terrestrial laboratory. <strong>The</strong> extent of <strong>the</strong>ir stay on Mars and, <strong>in</strong> particular, <strong>the</strong> time <strong>the</strong>y will have <strong>for</strong> scientific activities, as dist<strong>in</strong>ct from life-support and base-systems ma<strong>in</strong>tenance activities, are very important factors <strong>in</strong> judg<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir potential value to science. If humans are to play a useful scientific role on Mars <strong>the</strong>n it is essential <strong>the</strong>y have <strong>the</strong> time, <strong>the</strong> means and <strong>the</strong> professional tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to do so. Science support should not come as some late afterthought. <strong>The</strong> Team considered a number of ways <strong>in</strong> general where human <strong>in</strong>tervention could be beneficial. More difficult was <strong>the</strong> question of specific activities, s<strong>in</strong>ce exobiology research on Mars is only two missions old. Organics have yet to be discovered and fossils are a distant dream. Consequently, <strong>the</strong> Team could extrapolate only a short distance. None<strong>the</strong>less, <strong>the</strong>re was a consensus that tra<strong>in</strong>ed professionals could be of considerable value <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g types of activities on Mars: • site identification by local analysis of areas identified from orbital surveys. This may be achieved by long-range rovers under <strong>the</strong> control of Mars-located specialists or, <strong>for</strong> shorter journeys, actually driven by specialists; • sample acquisition at those sites would be aided by manned <strong>in</strong>tervention. This would be especially valuable when deep (>1.5 m) subsurface drill<strong>in</strong>g and core sampl<strong>in</strong>g is undertaken; • <strong>the</strong> actual sampl<strong>in</strong>g process, <strong>in</strong> a geological field prospect<strong>in</strong>g scenario, is greatly improved if undertaken by a qualified person, ra<strong>the</strong>r than by a remotely-controlled robot; • <strong>the</strong>re is <strong>in</strong>evitably an element of serendipity <strong>in</strong> even <strong>the</strong> most carefully planned search <strong>for</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g samples. If <strong>the</strong> search is per<strong>for</strong>med by tra<strong>in</strong>ed personnel, <strong>the</strong>n benefits can accrue ow<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> exercise of judgement and ‘<strong>in</strong>tuition’; • if a laboratory can be established on Mars, <strong>the</strong>n manned supervision of prelim<strong>in</strong>ary sample analyses becomes a valuable facility that can significantly speed up <strong>the</strong> (NASA/Pat Rawl<strong>in</strong>gs) 187
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SP-1231 Exobiology
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Cover Fossil coccoid bacteria, 1 µ
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4 I.5 Potential Non-Martian Sites <
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6 6.2 Imaging of F
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The Exobio
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pyrolysis, or similar techniques, f
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Ignasi Casanova, Institute
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I AN EXOBIOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE SOLA
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SP-1231 18 surface pressure of CO 2
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SP-1231 20 10 bar befor</st
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SP-1231 22 kilometres in</s
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SP-1231 24 Laboratory Investigation
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I.3 Limits of Life
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temperatures of 95-106ºC. This sug
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(mainly found <str
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cannot exclude fin
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Responses to Cosmic Radiation <stro
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acid to identify the</stron
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Horneck, G. (1993). Responses of Ba
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.2.2/1. Size distri
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.2.2/4. Evaporite w
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.2.3/1A (left). Net
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SP-1231 48 A detailed chemical anal
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.3.1.1/1. Scheme of
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.3.1.2/1. A: Compar
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SP-1231 54 I.4.3.2.1 Sedimentary Or
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SP-1231 56 The iso
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.3.2.3/1. Cholester
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SP-1231 60 References regard to non
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SP-1231 62 Klein,
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SP-1231 64 ities in</strong
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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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Page 161 and 162: SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND REQUIREMENTS
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Exobiology in the Solar System & The Search for Life on Mars - ESA

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