TY - JOUR A1 - Postberg, Frank A1 - Grün, Eberhard A1 - Horanyi, Mihaly A1 - Kempf, Sascha A1 - Krueger, Harald A1 - Schmidt, Jürgen A1 - Spahn, Frank A1 - Srama, Ralf A1 - Sternovsky, Zoltan A1 - Trieloff, Mario T1 - Compositional mapping of planetary moons by mass spectrometry of dust ejecta JF - Planetary and space science N2 - Classical methods to analyze the surface composition of atmosphereless planetary objects from an orbiter are IR and gamma ray spectroscopy and neutron backscatter measurements. The idea to analyze surface properties with an in-situ instrument has been proposed by Johnson et al. (1998). There, it was suggested to analyze Europa's thin atmosphere with an ion and neutral gas spectrometer. Since the atmospheric components are released by sputtering of the moon's surface, they provide a link to surface composition. Here we present an improved, complementary method to analyze rocky or icy dust particles as samples of planetary objects from which they were ejected. Such particles, generated by the ambient meteoroid bombardment that erodes the surface, are naturally present on all atmosphereless moons and planets. The planetary bodies are enshrouded in clouds of ballistic dust particles, which are characteristic samples of their surfaces. In situ mass spectroscopic analysis of these dust particles impacting onto a detector of an orbiting spacecraft reveals their composition. Recent instrumental developments and tests allow the chemical characterization of ice and dust particles encountered at speeds as low as 1 km/s and an accurate reconstruction of their trajectories. Depending on the sampling altitude, a dust trajectory sensor can trace back the origin of each analyzed grain with about 10 km accuracy at the surface. Since the detection rates are of the order of thousand per orbit, a spatially resolved mapping of the surface composition can be achieved. Certain bodies (e.g., Europa) with particularly dense dust clouds, could provide impact statistics that allow for compositional mapping even on single flybys. Dust impact velocities are in general sufficiently high at orbiters about planetary objects with a radius > 1000 km and with only a thin or no atmosphere. In this work we focus on the scientific benefit of a dust spectrometer on a spacecraft orbiting Earth's Moon as well as Jupiter's Galilean satellites. This 'dust spectrometer' approach provides key chemical and isotopic constraints for varying provinces or geological formations on the surfaces, leading to better understanding of the body's geological evolution. KW - Moon KW - Europa KW - Ganymede KW - Dust KW - Surface composition KW - Spectrometry Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2011.05.001 SN - 0032-0633 VL - 59 IS - 14 SP - 1815 EP - 1825 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Vera, Jean-Pierre Paul A1 - Böttger, Ute A1 - de la Torre Nötzel, Rosa A1 - Sanchez, Francisco J. A1 - Grunow, Dana A1 - Schmitz, Nicole A1 - Lange, Caroline A1 - Hübers, Heinz-Wilhelm A1 - Billi, Daniela A1 - Baque, Mickael A1 - Rettberg, Petra A1 - Rabbow, Elke A1 - Reitz, Günther A1 - Berger, Thomas A1 - Möller, Ralf A1 - Bohmeier, Maria A1 - Horneck, Gerda A1 - Westall, Frances A1 - Jänchen, Jochen A1 - Fritz, Jörg A1 - Meyer, Cornelia A1 - Onofri, Silvano A1 - Selbmann, Laura A1 - Zucconi, Laura A1 - Kozyrovska, Natalia A1 - Leya, Thomas A1 - Foing, Bernard A1 - Demets, Rene A1 - Cockell, Charles S. A1 - Bryce, Casey A1 - Wagner, Dirk A1 - Serrano, Paloma A1 - Edwards, Howell G. M. A1 - Joshi, Jasmin Radha A1 - Huwe, Björn A1 - Ehrenfreund, Pascale A1 - Elsaesser, Andreas A1 - Ott, Sieglinde A1 - Meessen, Joachim A1 - Feyh, Nina A1 - Szewzyk, Ulrich A1 - Jaumann, Ralf A1 - Spohn, Tilman T1 - Supporting Mars exploration BIOMEX in Low Earth Orbit and further astrobiological studies on the Moon using Raman and PanCam technology JF - Planetary and space science N2 - The Low Earth Orbit (LEO) experiment Biology and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX) is an interdisciplinary and international space research project selected by ESA. The experiment will be accommodated on the space exposure facility EXPOSE-R2 on the International Space Station (ISS) and is foreseen to be launched in 2013. The prime objective of BIOMEX is to measure to what extent biomolecules, such as pigments and cellular components, are resistant to and able to maintain their stability under space and Mars-like conditions. The results of BIOMEX will be relevant for space proven biosignature definition and for building a biosignature data base (e.g. the proposed creation of an international Raman library). The library will be highly relevant for future space missions such as the search for life on Mars. The secondary scientific objective is to analyze to what extent terrestrial extremophiles are able to survive in space and to determine which interactions between biological samples and selected minerals (including terrestrial, Moon- and Mars analogs) can be observed under space and Mars-like conditions. In this context, the Moon will be an additional platform for performing similar experiments with negligible magnetic shielding and higher solar and galactic irradiation compared to LEO. Using the Moon as an additional astrobiological exposure platform to complement ongoing astrobiological LEO investigations could thus enhance the chances of detecting organic traces of life on Mars. We present a lunar lander mission with two related objectives: a lunar lander equipped with Raman and PanCam instruments which can analyze the lunar surface and survey an astrobiological exposure platform. This dual use of testing mission technology together with geo- and astrobiological analyses will significantly increase the science return, and support the human preparation objectives. It will provide knowledge about the Moon's surface itself and, in addition, monitor the stability of life-markers, such as cells, cell components and pigments, in an extraterrestrial environment with much closer radiation properties to the surface of Mars. The combination of a Raman data base of these data together with data from LEO and space simulation experiments, will lead to further progress on the analysis and interpretation of data that we will obtain from future Moon and Mars exploration missions. KW - Moon KW - Mars KW - Low Earth Orbit KW - Astrobiology KW - Instrumentation KW - Spectroscopy KW - Biosignature Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2012.06.010 SN - 0032-0633 VL - 74 IS - 1 SP - 103 EP - 110 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER -