Science Investigation Life in the Atacama 2004 Science & Technology Workshop Nathalie A. Cabrol NASA Ames

Science Investigation

Life in the Atacama 2004Science & Technology Workshop

Nathalie A. CabrolNASA Ames

Life in the Atacama 2004 Workshop 2 Carnegie Mellon

Outline of Presentation

Science Objectives and Investigation Plan

Science Activities since 12/03 Overall Science Goals Review of Science Questions and Objectives Summary of Year 01 Campaign Results Introduction to Year 02 Field Campaign


Science Activities since 12/03


Overall Science Mission: A real science question on Earth with critical applications to Mars

• Understand the Atacama as an habitat for life (large NASA and ASTEP effort);

• Document the limits of life on Earth;

• Test the capacity of a science payload to detect and characterize life in one of the most desertic terrestrial environments for application to Mars exploration

•**Document the current detection limit of life on Earth (robotic vs. human) and collect metrics and data for Mars exploration (new vision);


Overall Science Mission: A real science question on Earth with critical applications to Mars

• Remote Science:Test astrobiological exploration strategies and train planetary scientists to benefit future Mars mission operations;

• Telepresence: Test astrobiological exploration strategies for the robotic exploration of extreme terrestrial environments

•** Make genuine discoveries and contribute to the body of knowledge about the Atacama and life in terrestrial extreme environments;

•**Generate a scientific archive that will summarize the results of this campaign (e.g., sample library)


Science Question: Can we unambiguously identify the signatures of life remotely?

• Goal 1: Establish the presence of life in situ :

• Goal 2: Establish the gradient of life in the Atacama Desert as an Analog to Mars

• No speculation

• Converging evidence from Science Payload Instruments

• ** Is unambiguous realistic? If not,

• ** How to increase the probability of detecting life signature?


Objective 1

• Map habitats and understand past and/or present environmental conditions associated to life

• Morphology

• Geology

• Environment

• Texture, Physical, and Elemental Properties of Rocks and Soils

• Properties and structure of the subsurface (e.g., H2O)


Objective 2

• Document how life modifies its environment

• Identify extant/extinct biosignatures, such as patterns, symmetries, colors associated with life activity

• Identify the geosignatures of life (e.g., constructs, biomineralization)

• Characterize the survival strategies derived from the interaction between life and environment


Objective 3.1

•Analyze Samples

• During the mission (science field team, see ground-truth, E. A. Grin)

• Post-mission (Lab analysis)

• searching for life: full array

• Comparison with Remote Science Team (RST) results

• Identify limitations, missed habitats and life (or lack thereof) and try to establish possible causes.


Objective 3.2

Generate a Science Database• Establish a rigorous and consistent sampling method to

create a lasting database & archives of the Atacama bioactivity.

• Identify database structure and content outline prior to the mission (see ground-truth, E. A. Grin);

• Organize and maintain a web-based archive that will become a scientific archive for post-mission to be used by the science community abroad;

• Exchange information with other groups working in the Atacama (e.g., McKay) and update the database;

• Turn it over to NASA after the end of the project?


Objective 4

Develop New Remote Operations Tools That Improve Science Data Collection, Access, and Facilitate Interpretation and Sharing Between Science Theme Groups -STGs- (see Coppin, Wagner, et al.,)

• Test science tools during training sessions• Demonstrate tool use during the Atacama mission• Promote tools to NASA for use in future planetary

missions


Objective 5

Understand the Rover Science Mission Process to Improve the Operational Efficiency and Productivity of Future Missions (see Thomas et al., )

(How Mission Scientists Use the Data to Generate Observations and Hypotheses How Observations Lead to New Sequences Science Conclusions)

• Monitor the RST’s activity during the Atacama mission

• Establish ties between interpretation challenges to specific data types and interface tools

• Understand better the process that turns raw data into scientific conclusions:

• Group Theme Level

• RST Level


Objective 6

Publish the Science Results

• 02’ Campaign High-Priority

• Submit papers within 6 months of end of mission and agree on publication policies with “satellite” projects

• Science or Nature, one or a series of papers on the theme of searching life with automated vehicles (transition between MER and MSL). Contact editors;

• Astrobiology or Journal of Geophysical Research. Contact the editor for a possible Special Issue to be published in a year or so. Could include:• Our project results• Other Atacama scientists papers. McKay has agreed on the

principle and is highly favorable to the idea.


Objective 7

Education and Public Outreach

•Develop a project that conveys the excitement of exploration and discovery to the general public, and classroom. (see P. Coppin)

• Project is related to Mars Exploration and Zoe Rover field campaign


Summary of Year 01 Campaign Results: Geology / Morphology

•How did the RST perceive the Atacama through Hyperion?

Very-High RST Interpretation Accuracy Level Compared to Ground-Truth

SPI: MER Equivalent Camera


3 out of 4 hypothesized habitats were observed by the RST:• Habitat Type 1: Saline Environment -- hydrated sulfate, possibly gypsum (confirmed for sample 16);

• Habitat Type 2: Desert Pavement/Alluvial fan material

•Habitat Type 3: Soil

• Year 01 Campaign could not confirm unambiguously the presence of chlorophyll-based life. Instrument suffered from stray reflecting light entering the camera creating artifacts.

•Necessity of more than one sensor to confirm a positive

Year 01: Habitats


Year 01: Environment

Sol 3 pan 115-R Sol 3 pan 163-R

Sol 3 pan 176-R Sol 3 pan 210-R

T, P, RH, UVA-UVB: RST Identified possible weather patterns and moisture sources


Year 01: Mineralogy: Vis/NIR

Mineralogical Environment


Year 01 Biology: Fluorescence

VIS 530-570 450-660

• 24 samples acquired, 12 indicated a weak chlorophyll feature from spectral analysis. Only 1 strong (sample 3);

• No fluorescence data was sufficient to confirm the unambiguous presence of chlorophyll-based life.

• Instrument capable of detecting very low light level;

• Dyes necessary to confirm life? (see Waggoner et al.,)


• Building on Year 01 Methods and Results both for science and technology. Ongoing exploration;

• Two exploration sites, which will allow the RST to continue mapping the gradient of life and habitats in the Atacama;

• More payload instruments integrated onboard the rover;

• Some new instruments;

• Mars and Earth exploration strategies

Year 02 Science Campaign: Introduction

Documents

Science Investigation Life in the Atacama 2004 Science & Technology Workshop Nathalie A. Cabrol NASA Ames