An ESA roadmap for geobiology in space exploration
| Autor: | Cousins, Claire R, Cockell, Charles S, and the, Geobiology in Space Exploration Topical Team, Angerer, Oliver, Bryce, Casey, Cockell, Charles, Cousins, Claire, Cullen, David, de la Torre, Rosa, de Vera, Jean-Pierre, Finister, Kai, Foing, Bernard, Kminek, Gerhard, Leach, Sydney, Lehto, Kirsi, Leys, Natalie, Ngo-Anh, Jennifer, Olsson-Francis, Karen, Onofri, Silvano, Ori, Gian Grabiele, Payler, Sam, Rabbow, Elke, Rettberg, Petra, Samuels, Toby, Schröder, Christian, Van Houdt, Rob, van Loon, Jack, Willaert, Ronnie, Zuccioni, Laura |
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| Přispěvatelé: | University of St Andrews. Earth and Environmental Sciences, Department of Bio-engineering Sciences, Structural Biology Brussels |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Engineering
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences QH301 Biology T-NDAS Aerospace Engineering 01 natural sciences International Space Station Space exploration Geobiology QH301 0103 physical sciences Instrumentation (computer programming) 010303 astronomy & astrophysics geobiology Simulation QC 0105 earth and related environmental sciences GE Habitability business.industry Astrobiology QC Physics Extraterrestrial life Systems engineering Extraterrestrial Environment business space exploration Space environment GE Environmental Sciences |
| Popis: | This work was supported by the European Space Agency under the Topical Team, 'Geobiology in Space Exploration'. Claire Cousins is funded by a Royal Society of Edinburgh Research Fellowship, co-funded by the Marie Curie Actions FP7 Programme. Geobiology, and in particular mineral-microbe interactions, has a significant role to play in current and future space exploration. This includes the search for biosignatures in extraterrestrial environments, and the human exploration of space. Microorganisms can be exploited to advance such exploration, such as through biomining, maintenance of life-support systems, and testing of life-detection instrumentation. In view of these potential applications, a European Space Agency (ESA) Topical Team “Geobiology in Space Exploration” was developed to explore these applications, and identify research avenues to be investigated to support this endeavour. Through community workshops, a roadmap was produced, with which to define future research directions via a set of 15 recommendations spanning three key areas: Science, Technology, and Community. These roadmap recommendations identify the need for research into: (1) New terrestrial space-analogue environments; (2) Community level microbial-mineral interactions; (3) Response of biofilms to the space environment; (4) Enzymatic and biochemical mineral interaction; (5) Technical refinement of instrumentation for space-based microbiology experiments, including precursor flight tests; (6) Integration of existing ground-based planetary simulation facilities; (7) Integration of fieldsite biogeography with laboratory- and field-based research; (8) Modification of existing planetary instruments for new geobiological investigations; (9) Development of in situ sample preparation techniques; (10) Miniaturisation of existing analytical methods, such as DNA sequencing technology; (11) New sensor technology to analyse chemical interaction in small volume samples; (12) Development of reusable Lunar and Near Earth Object experimental platforms; (13) Utility of Earth-based research to enable the realistic pursuit of extraterrestrial biosignatures; (14) Terrestrial benefits and technological spin-off from existing and future space-based geobiology investigations; and (15) New communication avenues between space agencies and terrestrial research organisations to enable this impact to be developed. Postprint |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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