Robotic Lunar EcopoiesisTest Bed. Phase II

NIAC

Paul Todd, Penelope Boston and David Thomas Presented by Paul Todd

October 11, 2004

Four Levels of Inquiry Concerning Biology and Mars

1. Planetary protection, contamination and quarantine issues (NRC, 1992),

2. The search for life on Mars (Banin, 1989; Banin and Mancinelli, 1995; Ivanov, 1995; Koike et al., 1995; Biemann et al., 1977),

3. Human expeditions to Mars and ecosynthesis (Meyer & McKay, 1984, 1989, 1995)

4. The terraforming of Mars, ecopoiesis(Haynes, 1990; McKay, 1990; Haynes and McKay, 1992; McKay et al., 1991, 1994; Hiscox, 1993, 1995, 1998).

ECOPOIESIS

Term introduced by Haynes and McKayTerraforming = making another planet or object in the solar system like EarthHeating: (1) Greenhouse gases, (2) Mirrors and smoke, (3) EcopoiesisEcopoiesis = emergence of a living, eventually self-sustaining ecosystemPrecedes terraformingRequired step: experimental ecopoiesis

Starting Position: Robotic Lunar Ecopoiesis Test Bed

•Trenched, depressed site

•Sealed in all dimensions

•Inflatable dome solidifies

•Sealed interior controlled to Mars atmosphere

•Organisms & chemicals added to artificial regolith

•Control and data telemetry to earth

Project Architecture: Roadmap

Science base

Laboratory test bed

Basic research

Distributed test beds

Low-gravity venues

Lunar test bed

Mars experiments

ILLUMINATORCOOLING VENTS

SOLAR SPECTRUMILLUMINATOR &

HOUSING

VACUUMGAS LINE

MARS REGOLITHSIMULANT

SUBSURFACEREGOLITH

ACCESS PORTS

REPLACEABLEDESSICANT

PANEL

FREEZER BOX -35O C

FUSED SILICAATMOSPHERE

JAR, 15mb

ENERGYCONCENTRATOR

ATMOSPHEREGAS LINE

RECHARGESTATION

Mars Atmosphere And Regolith Simulator-Modular Test Bed

MARS-MTB

SENSORARRAY

TELEMETRY

GAS BOTTLE(BURIED)

H O ?2

POWER & CONTROL

40cm

100c

m

T = -35OC

T = Tr

T = Ta

T = -133 to +23o C

10m

Robotic Lunar EcopoiesisTest Bed: Phase II Goals

1.Build and demonstrate Laboratory Test Bed. Use preliminary chamber design from Phase I, purchase and assemble components, demonstrate operation.

2. Evaluate pioneer organisms using Laboratory Test Bed. Subject organisms identified in Phase I to various Mars-like ecopoieticconditions, test activity and viability.

3. Develop ecopoiesis research community.Design modular test beds for lab and classroom use. Develop user community.

4. Refine requirements for extraterrestrial test beds. Pursue opportunities within NASA programs such as ISS and RLEP.

Robotic Lunar EcopoiesisTest Bed: Science Advisory Committee

Penelope Boston. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; Complex Systems Research, Inc.

Lawrence Kuznetz, NASA Space Biomedical Research Institute

Christopher McKay, NASA Ames Research CenterLynn Rothschild, NASA Ames Research CenterAndrew Schuerger, University of FloridaDavid Thomas, Lyon College

Objective 1: Laboratory Test Bed

RequirementsDesign and ConstructionPerformance

Mars’ atmosphere today:Assume that initial engineering efforts will increase atmospheric pressure and maintain the same relative abundances of gases or raise only CO2.

•CO2 95%•N2 2.7%•Ar 1.6%•O2 0.13%•CO 0.07%•H2O 0.03%•Trace amounts of Ne, Kr, Xe, O3•No significant ozone layer•Surface pressure 6-10 mbar

Pat Rawlings

Temperature Cycles on Mars Surface

M. H. Carr, 1996

Liquid Water on Mars (Sometimes)?

UV

The main challenge for survival on the surface of Mars is the UV radiation between 200 and 300 nm.

Lighting: Temporal Simulation

Integral at mid-day is about 590

W/m2

BY SEASON AT EQUATOR

Laboratory Chamber and Subsystems Design Drawings

Outer housing controls temperature -130 to +26oC (dry nitrogen cryogenic)Sealed illuminator with housing & cooling ventsLow-pressure “Mars Jar” held at >7 mbar Atmosphere composition analysis and controlRegolith simulantAutomated operation and data loggingAffordable product for research laboratories

ENVIRONMENTALCONTROL UNIT

1.5kW SOLARSPECTRUM

GENERATOR LAPTOP COMPUTER

SPECIMENCHAMBER

FULL SPECTRUMLIGHT DISTRIBUTION

MIRROR

2 STAGE REGULATOR

LIQUID NITROGEN

SIPHON TANK

VACUUMPUMP

LOW PRESSUREGAS RESERVOIR

MARS ATMOSHPEREHIGH PRESSURE

GAS TANK

STAND

MARS GAS SUPPLY/VACUUM SYSTEM

MULTI-PANEWINDOW (UV SAFE)

WITH CURTAIN

MARS ATMOSPHEREGAS LINE IN

VACUUM LINE OUT

INSULATEDDOOR

Laboratory Test Bed Thermal Control

Continuous operation on Mars sol program (-80oC night; +26oC day) consumes >200 gal LN2 /wk. A 500-gal supply

tank was installed behind a locked safety fence. During dawn and evening, set-point is reset every 10 min to

reproduce thermal profile on Mars at low latitude.

Laboratory Test Bed Optical Path

•1000W Xenon arc

•Automated arc striking

•8” x 8” lighted area

•Fused quartz container

•Photosyntheticallyactive radiation (PAR) = 1100 µmoles/m2-s = 237 W/m2 (vs. 242)

•Translates closely to 590 W/m2

Laboratory Test Bed Regolith Temperature Control

•Rise rate (triangles) exceeds requirements

•Cooling rate (squares) exceeds requirements

•Watlow controller programmed to new set point every hour

•Simulates daily temperature profile at low latitude at vernal equinox

•Controlling sensor submerged in regolithsimulant

-160

-140

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

12:00 AM 4:00 AM 8:00 AM 12:00 PM 4:00 PM 8:00 PM

Time Of Day (hh:mm)

Tem

pera

ture

(C)

Laboratory Test Bed Performance Data

Mars Environmental Conditions (14 day test) 6/1/05 - 6/15/05

-90.00-85.00-80.00-75.00-70.00-65.00-60.00-55.00-50.00-45.00-40.00-35.00-30.00-25.00-20.00-15.00-10.00-5.000.005.00

10.0015.0020.0025.0030.0035.0040.0045.00

DAY 1

Time (hours) 14 days total

Valu

e

REGOLITH RTD (C)

VACUUM (In Hg)

Light (0=off, 10=on)

RTD CHAMBER (C)

Objective 2Evaluate Pioneer Organisms

Selection of organisms based on Phase I resultsPerformance of experiments in test bedPreliminary results

Summary of Requirementsfor Pioneer Martians

AnaerobicUV resistantLow pressureDrought resistantFreeze resistantPhototrophNitrogen fixing

C. McKay, 2004

Physiological traits of engineered martian organisms (“Marsbugs”):

• Reactive oxygen tolerance (superoxides, peroxides, ozone, etc.).

• CO2 tolerance.• Intracellular acidification tolerance.

• Carbonate dissolution.

• Osmotic tolerance and adaptation.

• Ultraviolet radiation resistance and repair.

• “Switchable” genes for nutrient cycling (e.g., N-fixation, denitrification). (Hiscox and Thomas, 1995)

Lava HabitatsLava Habitats

LavatubesLavatubes

BubblesBubbles

SqueezeSqueeze--upsups

PalagonitizationPalagonitization

Dr. Penny BostonDr. Penny Boston

Chroococcidiopsis

• Primitive cyanobacterialgenus.

• Unicellular, multicellular.• Capable of surviving in a

large variety of extreme conditions: aridity, salinity, high and low temperature.

• Sole surviving organism in hostile environments.

• Often endolithic.

High % CO2 tolerance

0

50

100

150

200

0 10 20 30 40 50

Hours

Fv/F

m (%

of s

tarti

ng)

Air20% CO240% CO2100% CO2

CO2 effects on Synechococcus. Synechococcus responds to high CO2 similarly to Anabaena. PS-II activity increases at 20% CO2, but is inhibited at 40-100% CO2. At 100%, the photosystems do not recover after 24 hours in air (n = 4, bars = s.d.). Dr. David Thomas.

Experiments with Microbial Specimens to Date

EXPERIMENT DATE DURATION SPECIMENS 1 May 31 23 hours Dr. Thomas’ 2 June 1 14 days Dr. Thomas’ 3 June 18 8 days Dr. Thomas’ 4 June 23 22 hours Dr. Boston’s 5 June 25 5 weeks Dr. Boston’s Dr. Thomas’

Preliminary Results of Microbial Experiments

14 days at 100mbar, water saturaturationCyanobacteria (5 strains), Atacama desert bacteria (6 isolates)Esterase activity, FDA assay

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

Atac

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002 -

1Roc

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den -

1Roc

k Gar

den -

2Roc

k Gar

den -

3Roc

k Gar

den -

4

Yung

ay - 2

Anab

aena

Chrooc

occid

iopsis

CCM

EE 1

Plecto

nema U

TEX

48Sy

nech

ococ

cus 7

94Sy

nech

ocys

tis 68

0

Organism

Fluo

resc

ein

prod

uctio

n, m

g/m

L

Control Direct exposure Indirect exposure

Objective 3.Modular Ecopoiesis Test Bed

RECHARGESTATION

Mars Atmosphere And Regolith Simulator-Modular Test Bed

MARS-MTB

•Controlled volume = 80 cc

•Several simulators per recharge station

•Temperature -80 -- +26oC

•SHOT-designed computing hardware and software

•Thermoelectric cascade

•Solar spectrum simulator

•Classrooms and labs

•Funding applied for

Objective 4Extraterrestrial Test Bed Opportunities (Phase III)Partial gravity on Shuttle or ISS? Modified Avian Development Facility and up to 4 low-pressure jars Test pioneer communities in MARS-chamber, 0.38 g

Concept Proposed for RLEP

•Test chamber same as laboratory test bed

•Mars gas pressure reservoir at 10 atmospheres

•Louvres for light and temperature control

T E L E M E T R Y

P O W E R A R R A Y F O R

L O U V R E S

E C O P O IE S I S T E S T

L A N D E R B A S EO N L U N A R S U R F A C E

B E D

T H E R M A L C O N T R O L

L O U V R E S & T E L E M E T R Y

PROGRESS ON MILESTONES

Phase I completed; laboratory test bed design, extremophile selection initiatedPhase I articles for publicationLaboratory test bed completed, operatedModular portable test bed proposedLow-volume lunar test bed proposedScience Advisory Committee met twiceAnnual First report submittedPhase II presentations at conferences

Year 2 TasksPerform 4 additional 5-week biological experimentsCreate community of ecopoiesis and astrobiology simulation scientistsObtain funding for modular test bedsReport biological resultsStay connected to RLEP

Thanks to HIAC and the SHOT EcopoiesisTeam

Paul Todd, Principal InvestigatorPenny Boston, Co-Investigator (lithotrophs)David Thomas, Co-Investigator (cyanobacteria)Nathan Thomas, EE, Project ManagerBill Metz, MET, Mechanical design John Phelps, EETBill Johnson, Software Engineer Darrell Masden, ME, Thermal Engineer Lara Deuser, ChE, Lab ScientistHeidi Platt, ChE