Developing and Testing Planetary Sample Collection
Techniques
NEEMO 13 Aquanauts collect and document
samples.
Image Credit:
NASA
The Importance of Planetary Sample Returns
Dr. Mary Sue Bell of NASA's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science
Directorate explains why it's important to help astronauts develop sample
collection techniques during NASA's analog missions.
Why are planetary sample returns so important?
Planetary science has seen a tremendous growth in new knowledge as a result
of recent NASA robotic missions that have detected deposits of water-ice at the
moon's poles and potential conditions under which life could have flourished on
Mars.
While some sophisticated data can be derived from "in situ" measurements taken by rovers and satellites, returned planetary samples allow scientists on Earth to use latest technologies available to maximize the scientific return. The science community has recently seen compelling sample returns, including solar wind particles (NASA's Genesis), comet particles (NASA's Stardust) asteroid particles (JAXA's Hayabusa) and Antarctic meteorites, which scientists collect each Austral summer.
The National Research Council Decadal Study of 2011 recommended that NASA's chief scientific goal should be to return samples from Mars by 2023. Measurements taken by the MER rovers Spirit and Opportunity indicate that Mars had a warmer and wetter climate early in Mars history – conditions in which scientists believe life could have formed on early Mars. But chemical evidence of life in materials like the rocky regolith of Mars can be quite small and difficult for robotic geologists to detect and measure.
While some sophisticated data can be derived from "in situ" measurements taken by rovers and satellites, returned planetary samples allow scientists on Earth to use latest technologies available to maximize the scientific return. The science community has recently seen compelling sample returns, including solar wind particles (NASA's Genesis), comet particles (NASA's Stardust) asteroid particles (JAXA's Hayabusa) and Antarctic meteorites, which scientists collect each Austral summer.
The National Research Council Decadal Study of 2011 recommended that NASA's chief scientific goal should be to return samples from Mars by 2023. Measurements taken by the MER rovers Spirit and Opportunity indicate that Mars had a warmer and wetter climate early in Mars history – conditions in which scientists believe life could have formed on early Mars. But chemical evidence of life in materials like the rocky regolith of Mars can be quite small and difficult for robotic geologists to detect and measure.
The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) directorate at
NASA's Johnson Space Center curates all of NASA's "extraterrestrial" samples.
The ARES directorate mission is to protect, preserve, and distribute samples for
study from the Moon, Mars, and interplanetary space in support of solar system
exploration. These sample collections include lunar rocks and regolith returned
by the Apollo missions.
Samples from Mars will require special handling protocols from the time the sample collection site is chosen through documentation, encapsulation, and transport to Earth and to NASA's curation facility for allocation to scientist for analysis and study. Because scientists don't yet know how to differentiate an Earth-derived sample of life from a Mars-derived sample of life, scientists are eager to develop protocols that will protect Mars samples from Earth contamination. Landers, collection tools and sample containers could all carry trace amounts of Earthly biology, so must be equipped with decontamination materials and procedures to protect the precious samples.
Samples from Mars will require special handling protocols from the time the sample collection site is chosen through documentation, encapsulation, and transport to Earth and to NASA's curation facility for allocation to scientist for analysis and study. Because scientists don't yet know how to differentiate an Earth-derived sample of life from a Mars-derived sample of life, scientists are eager to develop protocols that will protect Mars samples from Earth contamination. Landers, collection tools and sample containers could all carry trace amounts of Earthly biology, so must be equipped with decontamination materials and procedures to protect the precious samples.
A NEEMO Aquanaut tests sample collection tools in
the reduced gravity underwater environment.
Image Credit: NASA
How do NASA's analog missions, like NEEMO, help scientists develop special sample handling techniques for their exploration programs?
Planetary environments are considered extreme for both robotic and human
exploration. Apollo astronauts experienced lower gravity on the moon than on
Earth and a very thin atmosphere that required them to wear a space suit with
life protection and support systems. When they collected moon rocks, the
astronauts didn't know if they were exposing themselves to health hazards, so
they wore large bulky gloves and used special sample collection tools and
containers. These protective materials and special sample devices were developed
in laboratories at Johnson Space Center and then tested in the field by
geologists. After the sampling tools and techniques were sufficiently refined,
Apollo astronauts were trained to use the techniques developed by the
scientists.
Today, ARES scientists are developing tools and techniques for use on
planetary surfaces with the same life support requirements and gravity
conditions for human exploration as on the moon or Mars but lower gravity
environments like near-Earth asteroids as well. Low gravity environments present
special obstacles for collecting and containing geologic materials because loose
material can drift away and an astronaut can be propelled away from a planetary
surface just by hitting a rock with a hammer. NASA's Extreme Environment Mission
Operations (NEEMO) is an undersea research facility that allows humans to
experience reduced gravity due to the buoyancy provided by water in an
environment requiring life support for breathing air. During NEEMO 16, NASA can
refine sample collection techniques in an extreme environment and train
astronauts to use tools and procedures developed for those unique
conditions.
NASA develops tools and techniques during analog missions to ensure the scientific integrity of samples returned from a variety of planetary surfaces both by robots and by human explorers. NASA's returned samples will help scientists understand the formation and evolution of the solar system and determine if life or the conditions for life existed on other plantary bodies. These returned samples will be curated for future generations and allow them to employ advanced techniques not yet available to scientific researchers.
NASA develops tools and techniques during analog missions to ensure the scientific integrity of samples returned from a variety of planetary surfaces both by robots and by human explorers. NASA's returned samples will help scientists understand the formation and evolution of the solar system and determine if life or the conditions for life existed on other plantary bodies. These returned samples will be curated for future generations and allow them to employ advanced techniques not yet available to scientific researchers.
How does this Analog activity fit with NASA's current mission plans?
Aquanauts test and develop surface
operations.
Image Credit: NASA
NASA
is actively planning to expand the horizons of human space exploration, and with
the Space Launch System and the Orion crew vehicle, humans will soon have the
ability to travel beyond low Earth orbit. That opens up a solar system of
possibilities, and NASA's goal is to send humans to explore an asteroid by 2025.
Other destinations may include the moon or Mars and its moons.
Regardless of the destination, the work must start now. NASA is developing the technologies and systems to transport explorers to multiple destinations, each with its own unique – and extreme – space environment. Because sample return requirements are mission specific, the handling protocols are designed specifically for the types of questions the scientific community hopes to answer using samples from a particular planetary destination. ARES curation scientists are in collaboration with the mission architecture engineers to develop mission goals that are aligned with the science goals. ARES scientist participate in analog missions for protocol development and science operations development from mission conception to execution and sample return to ensure that the requirements of the scientific community will be met and the scientific return to the public will be maximized.
Regardless of the destination, the work must start now. NASA is developing the technologies and systems to transport explorers to multiple destinations, each with its own unique – and extreme – space environment. Because sample return requirements are mission specific, the handling protocols are designed specifically for the types of questions the scientific community hopes to answer using samples from a particular planetary destination. ARES curation scientists are in collaboration with the mission architecture engineers to develop mission goals that are aligned with the science goals. ARES scientist participate in analog missions for protocol development and science operations development from mission conception to execution and sample return to ensure that the requirements of the scientific community will be met and the scientific return to the public will be maximized.
NASA Announces Two Upcoming Undersea Missions
NASA is returning to the bottom of the ocean. Twice this summer, aquanauts
participating in the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) will
conduct activities on the ocean floor that will inform future International
Space Station and exploration activities.
These studies provide information that correlates directly to life aboard the
space station, where crew members must frequently perform critical tasks that
present constraining factors similar to those experienced in an undersea
environment.
“It is both challenging and exciting for our astronaut crews to participate
in these undersea missions in preparation for spaceflight,” says Bill Todd,
NEEMO project manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. “It is critical
that we perform science applicable to NASA’s exploration goals in a
high-fidelity space operational context. The extreme environment of life
undersea is as close to being in space as possible.”
NEEMO 18, a nine-day mission beginning July 21, will focus on studies in
behavioral health and performance, human health issues, and habitability.
Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will
command NEEMO 18. He will be joined by NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps and Mark
Vande Hei and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
NEEMO 19, which begins Sept. 7 and runs seven days, will focus on the
evaluation of tele-mentoring operations for ESA. Telementoring is when a crew
member is given instruction for a task by an expert who is located remotely but
is virtually present via a video and voice connection. NASA astronaut Randy
Bresnik will command this second mission. He will be joined by Canadian Space
Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and Herve
Stevenin, ESA’s Head of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Training at the European
Astronaut Center in Cologne, Germany.
Both NEEMO missions will include EVA objectives and engineering
investigations to mature technologies and training techniques for use on the
space station and in asteroid exploration. These EVAs will focus on evaluating
man-machine work systems and EVA tools and techniques for exploration tasks in
varying levels of gravity ranging from that of asteroids to the gravity of
Martian moons and Mars itself. The EVAs also will evaluate techniques to address
re-planning of exploration operations accounting for different communications
time delays.
The missions also will investigate tools to help astronauts learn new
procedures while in flight. One such tool for the "just in time training" that
is delivered to the crew in orbit is "intuitive procedures." These procedures
use a combination of text, pictures, and videos to instruct the crew on how to
perform a task that they were never trained on, and are presented in a way such
that the crew understands it quickly.
The NEEMO crews will live 62 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean,
5.4 nautical miles off the coast of Key Largo, Florida, in Florida International
University’s undersea research habitat Aquarius Reef Base, along with two
professional habitat technicians.
To request interviews with the NEEMO 18 or 19 crews during their mission,
contact William Jeffs of NASA at
Toshitami
Ikeda or Fuki Taniguchi of JAXA at
taniguchi.fuki@jaxa.jp, Rosita Suenson
of ESA at
rosita.suenson@esa.int, or
the CSA media relations team at
For more information about NEEMO, the crews and links to follow the missions
on Facebook and Twitter, visit:
NASA
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
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