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Veneranda M, Lopez-Reyes G, Saiz J, Manrique-Martinez JA, Sanz-Arranz A, Medina J, Moral A, Seoane L, Ibarmia S, Rull F. ExoFiT trial at the Atacama Desert (Chile): Raman detection of biomarkers by representative prototypes of the ExoMars/Raman Laser Spectrometer. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1461. [PMID: 33446849 PMCID: PMC7809400 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81014-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, the analytical research performed by the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) team during the ExoFiT trial is presented. During this test, an emulator of the Rosalind Franklin rover was remotely operated at the Atacama Desert in a Mars-like sequence of scientific operations that ended with the collection and the analysis of two drilled cores. The in-situ Raman characterization of the samples was performed through a portable technology demonstrator of RLS (RAD1 system). The results were later complemented in the laboratory using a bench top RLS operation simulator and a X-Ray diffractometer (XRD). By simulating the operational and analytical constraints of the ExoMars mission, the two RLS representative instruments effectively disclosed the mineralogical composition of the drilled cores (k-feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, muscovite and rutile as main components), reaching the detection of minor phases (e.g., additional phyllosilicate and calcite) whose concentration was below the detection limit of XRD. Furthermore, Raman systems detected many organic functional groups (–C≡N, –NH2 and C–(NO2)), suggesting the presence of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in the samples. The Raman detection of organic material in the subsurface of a Martian analogue site presenting representative environmental conditions (high UV radiation, extreme aridity), supports the idea that the RLS could play a key role in the fulfilment of the ExoMars main mission objective: to search for signs of life on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Veneranda
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, Univ. of Valladolid, Spain, Ave. Francisco Vallés, 8, 47151, Boecillo, Spain.
| | - Guillermo Lopez-Reyes
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, Univ. of Valladolid, Spain, Ave. Francisco Vallés, 8, 47151, Boecillo, Spain
| | - Jesus Saiz
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, Univ. of Valladolid, Spain, Ave. Francisco Vallés, 8, 47151, Boecillo, Spain
| | - Jose Antonio Manrique-Martinez
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, Univ. of Valladolid, Spain, Ave. Francisco Vallés, 8, 47151, Boecillo, Spain
| | - Aurelio Sanz-Arranz
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, Univ. of Valladolid, Spain, Ave. Francisco Vallés, 8, 47151, Boecillo, Spain
| | - Jesús Medina
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, Univ. of Valladolid, Spain, Ave. Francisco Vallés, 8, 47151, Boecillo, Spain
| | - Andoni Moral
- National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Laura Seoane
- National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Sergio Ibarmia
- National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Fernando Rull
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, Univ. of Valladolid, Spain, Ave. Francisco Vallés, 8, 47151, Boecillo, Spain
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Ciarletti V, Clifford S, Plettemeier D, Le Gall A, Hervé Y, Dorizon S, Quantin-Nataf C, Benedix WS, Schwenzer S, Pettinelli E, Heggy E, Herique A, Berthelier JJ, Kofman W, Vago JL, Hamran SE. The WISDOM Radar: Unveiling the Subsurface Beneath the ExoMars Rover and Identifying the Best Locations for Drilling. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:565-584. [PMCID: PMC5568567 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The search for evidence of past or present life on Mars is the principal objective of the 2020 ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Rover mission. If such evidence is to be found anywhere, it will most likely be in the subsurface, where organic molecules are shielded from the destructive effects of ionizing radiation and atmospheric oxidants. For this reason, the ExoMars Rover mission has been optimized to investigate the subsurface to identify, understand, and sample those locations where conditions for the preservation of evidence of past life are most likely to be found. The Water Ice Subsurface Deposit Observation on Mars (WISDOM) ground-penetrating radar has been designed to provide information about the nature of the shallow subsurface over depth ranging from 3 to 10 m (with a vertical resolution of up to 3 cm), depending on the dielectric properties of the regolith. This depth range is critical to understanding the geologic evolution stratigraphy and distribution and state of subsurface H2O, which provide important clues in the search for life and the identification of optimal drilling sites for investigation and sampling by the Rover's 2-m drill. WISDOM will help ensure the safety and success of drilling operations by identification of potential hazards that might interfere with retrieval of subsurface samples. Key Words: Ground penetrating radar—Martian shallow subsurface—ExoMars. Astrobiology 17, 565–584.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Ciarletti
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC, Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | | | | | - Alice Le Gall
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC, Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Yann Hervé
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC, Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Sophie Dorizon
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC, Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Cathy Quantin-Nataf
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1/CNRS/ENS Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Susanne Schwenzer
- Open University Centre for Earth Planetary Space and Astronomical Research, Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Pettinelli
- Universita degli Studi Roma Tre Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Roma, Italy
| | - Essam Heggy
- University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, California
| | - Alain Herique
- Université Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble; CNRS, IPAG, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Wlodek Kofman
- Université Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble; CNRS, IPAG, F-38000, Grenoble, France
- Space Research Centre, PAN, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jorge L. Vago
- European Space Agency, ESA/ESTEC (HME-ME), Noordwijk, The Netherlands
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Abstract
The scientific objectives of the ExoMars rover are designed to answer several key questions in the search for life on Mars. In particular, the unique subsurface drill will address some of these, such as the possible existence and stability of subsurface organics. PanCam will establish the surface geological and morphological context for the mission, working in collaboration with other context instruments. Here, we describe the PanCam scientific objectives in geology, atmospheric science, and 3-D vision. We discuss the design of PanCam, which includes a stereo pair of Wide Angle Cameras (WACs), each of which has an 11-position filter wheel and a High Resolution Camera (HRC) for high-resolution investigations of rock texture at a distance. The cameras and electronics are housed in an optical bench that provides the mechanical interface to the rover mast and a planetary protection barrier. The electronic interface is via the PanCam Interface Unit (PIU), and power conditioning is via a DC-DC converter. PanCam also includes a calibration target mounted on the rover deck for radiometric calibration, fiducial markers for geometric calibration, and a rover inspection mirror. Key Words: Mars—ExoMars—Instrumentation—Geology—Atmosphere—Exobiology—Context. Astrobiology 17, 511–541.
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Vago JL, Westall F. Habitability on Early Mars and the Search for Biosignatures with the ExoMars Rover. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:471-510. [PMID: 31067287 PMCID: PMC5685153 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The second ExoMars mission will be launched in 2020 to target an ancient location interpreted to have strong potential for past habitability and for preserving physical and chemical biosignatures (as well as abiotic/prebiotic organics). The mission will deliver a lander with instruments for atmospheric and geophysical investigations and a rover tasked with searching for signs of extinct life. The ExoMars rover will be equipped with a drill to collect material from outcrops and at depth down to 2 m. This subsurface sampling capability will provide the best chance yet to gain access to chemical biosignatures. Using the powerful Pasteur payload instruments, the ExoMars science team will conduct a holistic search for traces of life and seek corroborating geological context information. Key Words: Biosignatures-ExoMars-Landing sites-Mars rover-Search for life. Astrobiology 17, 471-510.
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