An instrument originally developed to search for organic molecules on Mars is being repurposed to potentially hunt for life on a handful of moons in the outer solar system that appear to host oceans, geysers and vents of ice volcanoes.
Will Brinckerhoff, a NASA scientist at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, helped build a mass spectrometer for the European Space Agency's 2020 ExoMars Rover mission. He then leveraged the same model to create an even more capable instrument for a future NASA Mars mission. He now is parlaying these experiences to build yet another instrument under a new multi-million-dollar technology development award.
The latest incarnation, the Europan Molecular Indicators of Life Investigation, or EMILI, would search the surfaces and subsurfaces of Jupiter's moon Europa or other icy moons for molecular biosignatures: structures or patterns of organic compounds indicating the presence of current or past life on these intriguing worlds.
Although at least six moons are believed to harbor liquid, Jupiter's Europa has special appeal among astrobiologists — so much so, in fact, that NASA is conducting an early feasibility study for a dedicated lander mission that would follow the planned Europa Clipper multiple-flyby mission in the 2020s. Such a lander would study surface samples of the ice overlaying Europa's vast subsurface ocean. Scientists believe the ocean may have existed for billions of years, time enough for potential life forms to evolve.
"If life exists in Europa's subsurface ocean, its molecular signs may be detectable in surface samples," Brinckerhoff said. "We're talking about microbial organic concentrations at levels well below a part per billion by weight."
NASA's Concepts for Ocean Worlds Life Detection Technology program, or COLDTech, awarded Brinckerhoff and his team two-year funding to advance EMILI as a potential instrument on a lander. The goal is to mature the instrument to a technology readiness level of six, or TRL 6, which means EMILI is ready for flight development and capable of detecting and analyzing microbial life forms.
EMILI has a head start, Brincerkhoff said.
The prototype would carry a similar suite of capabilities already developed for the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer-Mass Spectrometer, or MOMA-MS, and the Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer, or LITMS.
MOMA-MS, which Brinckerhoff's team will deliver in less than a year for integration onto ESA's 2020 ExoMars mission, will identify organic material by measuring the mass of the individual molecules locked inside crushed Martian rock samples. LITMS, under development for a potential future Mars mission with support from NASA's Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration program, is nearly at TRL-6, pending a final round of Mars environmental tests.
Both instruments detect and identify organic material on Mars with two techniques. In one, called laser desorption mass spectrometry, an onboard high-intensity laser converts a sample's molecules into ions, which once formed, are directed into a mass analyzer where they are separated according to their mass-to-charge ratios. The result is a spectrum that reveals elements and structural details that make up the molecules.
The other technique, called gas-chromatography mass spectrometry, involves heating powdered samples with a miniature oven and analyzing the released gases. All these capabilities are linked through a single, highly miniaturized linear ion trap analyzer.
LITMS, however, takes these capabilities to the next level. In addition to these capabilities, LITMS carries a precision core sample-handling system and can analyze both positive and negative ions, which broadens the range of molecules the instrument can identify.
"EMILI represents a redevelopment of LITMS for Europa. In some respects, EMILI is a more straightforward implementation than MOMA or LITMS at Mars," Brinckerhoff said, adding that Europa doesn't have a significant atmosphere, eliminating the need for certain types of hardware that add size and complexity to the instrument.
"What we have with the EMILI breadboard is far enough along in development that we are confident we can build a flight version," he added. "COLDTech is giving us an opportunity to demonstrate that we can make the critical biosignature-detection measurements on an ocean world like Europa."
For more technology news, go to https://gsfctechnology.gsfc.nasa.gov/newsletter/Current.pdf
Kifaa kilichotengenezwa awali kutafuta molekuli za kikaboni kwenye sayari ya Mars kimetumiwa tena kutafuta uhai kwenye nyota kadhaa katika mfumo wa jua wa nje ambazo zinaonekana kuwa na bahari, geyser na vimbunga vya volkano za barafu. Will Brinkerhoff, mwanasayansi wa NASA katika Kituo cha Ndege za Angani cha Goddard huko Greenbelt, Maryland, alisaidia kujenga spectrometer ya wingi kwa ujumbe wa ExoMars Rover wa Shirika la Anga la Ulaya mnamo 2020. Kisha akatumia mfano huo kuunda kifaa chenye uwezo zaidi kwa ajili ya misheni ya NASA ya baadaye ya Mars. Sasa anatumia uzoefu huu kujenga kifaa kingine chini ya tuzo mpya ya maendeleo ya teknolojia ya mamilioni ya dola. "Mfano wa mwisho wa uchunguzi huo, unaoitwa ""Europan Molecular Indicators of Life Investigation"" (EMILI), utachunguza uso na chini ya uso wa mwezi wa Jupiter, Europa, au miezi mingine yenye barafu kwa ajili ya ""molecular biosignatures"" - miundo au mifumo ya misombo ya kikaboni inayoonyesha uwepo wa maisha ya sasa au ya zamani kwenye sayari hizo zenye kuvutia." Ingawa angalau miezi sita inaaminika kuwa na maji, Europa ya Jupiter ina rufaa maalum kati ya wataalamu wa astrobiolojia - kwa hivyo, kwa kweli, NASA inaendesha utafiti wa mapema wa uwezekano wa utume wa kutua wa kujitolea ambao ungefuata mpango wa Europa Clipper wa safari nyingi za ndege katika miaka ya 2020. Chombo hicho kingejifunza sampuli za barafu iliyo juu ya bahari kubwa iliyo chini ya ardhi ya Europa. Wanasayansi wanaamini kwamba bahari inaweza kuwa imekuwepo kwa mabilioni ya miaka, muda wa kutosha kwa aina za maisha zinazowezekana kuibuka. "Ikiwa kuna uhai katika bahari ya chini ya uso wa Europa, ishara zake za molekuli zaweza kugunduliwa katika sampuli za uso", akasema Brinckerhoff. "Tunazungumza juu ya viwango vya kikaboni vya vimelea vilivyo chini ya sehemu moja kwa bilioni kwa uzito". Programu ya NASA ya Concepts for Ocean Worlds Life Detection Technology (COLDTech) imempa Brinkerhoff na timu yake fedha za miaka miwili ili kuendeleza EMLI kama chombo cha uwezekano kwenye lander. Lengo ni kukomaa chombo kwa kiwango cha utayari wa teknolojia ya sita (TRL6), ambayo inamaanisha EMILI iko tayari kwa maendeleo ya ndege na uwezo wa kugundua na kuchambua aina za maisha ya vimelea. "Mfano wa EMU ni ""Mwanzo wa Uongozi,"" alisema Brinckheimer." Mfano huo wa kwanza una uwezo wa kufanana na ule uliotengenezwa kwa ajili ya Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer-Mass Spectrometer (MOMAMS) na Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (LITMS). MOMA-MS, ambayo timu ya Brinkerhoff itatoa katika chini ya mwaka mmoja kwa ajili ya ushirikiano kwenye ujumbe wa ExoMars wa ESA 2020, itatambua nyenzo za kikaboni kwa kupima wingi wa molekuli za mtu binafsi zilizofungwa ndani ya sampuli za mwamba wa Mars. LITMS, ambayo inapatikana kwa ajili ya mradi wa baadaye wa Mars, na msaada kutoka kwa mpango wa NASA wa Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration, iko karibu na TRL-6, ikisubiri mzunguko wa mwisho wa majaribio ya mazingira ya Mars. Vifaa vyote viwili huchunguza na kutambua vitu vya kikaboni kwenye Mihiri kwa kutumia mbinu mbili. Laser desorption mass spectrometry (LSM) ni mbinu ya kuunganisha molekuli za sampuli na ion, ambayo mara baada ya kufanyizwa, huelekezwa kwenye mchanganyiko wa mass analyzer ambapo hutenganishwa kulingana na uwiano wa wingi na malipo. Matokeo ni wigo unaofunua elementi na maelezo ya muundo ambao hufanyiza molekuli. Mbinu nyingine, inayoitwa gas-chromatography mass spectrometry, inahusisha kupasha joto sampuli za unga kwa tanuru ndogo na kuchanganua gesi zinazotolewa. Uwezo huu wote ni kushikamana kupitia moja, sana miniaturized linear ion mtego mchambuzi. LITMS, hata hivyo, inachukua uwezo huu kwa ngazi inayofuata. LITMS ina mfumo wa usahihi wa kushughulikia sampuli ya msingi na inaweza kuchambua ioni chanya na hasi, ambayo inaongeza safu ya molekuli ambayo chombo kinaweza kutambua. "EMILI inawakilisha maendeleo upya ya LITMS kwa ajili ya Ulaya. "Kwa njia fulani, EMIS ni utekelezaji rahisi zaidi kuliko MOMA au LITMS kwenye Mars, ""Brinckerhoff alisema, akiongeza kwamba Europa haina anga kubwa, kuondoa haja ya aina fulani za vifaa ambavyo huongeza ukubwa na utata kwa chombo." "Kama ilivyo kwa EMIS, tuna uhakika kwamba tunaweza kujenga toleo la ndege,"" aliongeza." "COLDTech inatuwezesha kuonyesha kwamba tunaweza kufanya vipimo muhimu vya kugundua biosignature kwenye ulimwengu wa bahari kama Europa. """ Kwa habari zaidi kuhusu teknolojia, tembelea https: www.gsmarttech.com.au