MARSBUGS: The Electronic Astrobiology Newsletter Volume 7, Number 44, 20 November 2000. Editors: Dr. David J. Thomas, Math and Science Division, Lyon College, Batesville, AR 72503-2317, USA. dthomas@lyon.edu Dr. Julian A. Hiscox, School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AJ, United Kingdom. J.A.Hiscox@reading.ac.uk Marsbugs is published on a weekly to quarterly basis as warranted by the number of articles and announcements. Copyright of this compilation exists with the editors, except for specific articles, in which instance copyright exists with the author/authors. While we cannot copyright our mailing list, our readers would appreciate it if others would not send unsolicited e-mail using the Marsbugs mailing list. The editors do not condone “spamming” of our subscribers. Persons who have information that may be of interest to subscribers of Marsbugs should send that information to the editors. E-mail subscriptions are free, and may be obtained by contacting either of the editors. Article contributions are welcome, and should be submitted to either of the two editors. Contributions should include a short biographical statement about the author(s) along with the author(s)’ correspondence address. Subscribers are advised to make appropriate inquiries before joining societies, ordering goods etc. Back issues and Adobe Acrobat PDF files suitable for printing may be obtained from the official Marsbugs web page at http://welcome.to/marsbugs. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide a channel of information for scientists, educators and other persons interested in exobiology and related fields. This newsletter is not intended to replace peer- reviewed journals, but to supplement them. We, the editors, envision Marsbugs as a medium in which people can informally present ideas for investigation, questions about exobiology, and announcements of upcoming events. Astrobiology is still a relatively young field, and new ideas may come from the most unexpected places. Subjects may include, but are not limited to: exobiology and astrobiology (life on other planets), the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), ecopoeisis and terraformation, Earth from space, planetary biology, primordial evolution, space physiology, biological life support systems, and human habitation of space and other planets. --------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS 1) WHEREVER YOU LOOK, THERE’S LIFE By Joanna Marchant 2) LEONID METEORS YIELD RICH ASTROBIOLOGY RESEARCH RESULTS NASA/ARC release 00-77AR 3) BREATHING EASY ON THE SPACE STATION By Patrick L. Barry 4) MSU SPACE EXPERIMENTS HELP FIND TREATMENT FOR DISEASES Mississippi State University release 5) NASA PROGRAM HELPS BRAIN-INJURED PATIENTS REACH FOR THE STARS NASA release 00-180 6) SMART SURGICAL PROBE FOLLOW-ON TO FIGHT BREAST CANCER NASA release 00-179 7) SCIENTISTS, SCHOOLTEACHERS AND STUDENTS STUDY PHYSICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES ON PARABOLIC FLIGHTS WITH THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY ESA release 73-2000 8) MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR CAPTURES MORE VIEWS OF GULLIES JPL image advisory 9) NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY, EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS AND TERRAFORMATION INDEX By David J. Thomas 10) CASSINI WEEKLY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS JPL release 11) THIS WEEK ON GALILEO JPL release 12) MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR STATUS REPORT JPL release 13) STARDUST STATUS REPORT JPL release --------------------------------------------------------------------- WHEREVER YOU LOOK, THERE’S LIFE By Joanna Marchant From New Scientist 11 November 2000 Life exists even at the South Pole, one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. Microbiologist Ed Carpenter of the State University of New York in Stony Brook and his colleagues have found between 200 and 5000 bacteria per milliliter of melted snow from the pole. To their surprise, biochemical tests and electron microscope images show that the organisms can grow and divide even at ­17°C—the coldest condition the team tested. “Probably they could live at even lower temperatures,” says Carpenter. Although bacteria have been found in the snow near the pole before, they were thought to have blown in accidentally. No one believed they could grow in the harsh conditions there, where temperatures range between ­85°C and ­13°C. DNA tests revealed that all the bacteria are previously unknown species. Their closest relatives are a group called Deinococcus, which are known for their extremely efficient DNA repair mechanisms. It was not known why the Deinococcus evolved such high protection, since nowhere on Earth is ultraviolet radiation strong enough to damage DNA so badly. However, severe desiccation can harm DNA just as much as UV radiation does—and the Antarctic is very dry, because all the water is frozen. “At the South Pole, the repair mechanisms make sense,” says Carpenter. The finding suggests that life could exist in other environments previously thought too harsh, such as the polar ice cap on Mars, the researchers say. “The more extreme conditions that we look at, the more we find that bacteria are able to survive,” says Carpenter. Rich Zurek, who worked on NASA’s Mars Polar Lander program, says that while the average temperature at Mars’s North Pole is only around ­70°C in summer, local areas of volcanic activity or hot springs might have provided enough warmth for life to evolve. In the martian winter, temperatures fall to around ­120°C, but Zurek says there is no reason why organisms would not be able to survive. “Under those kind of conditions, life goes dormant. It finds a way to preserve itself, “ he says. More information is available in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 66:4514. From New Scientist magazine, 11 November 2000, http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns226415. --------------------------------------------------------------------- LEONID METEORS YIELD RICH ASTROBIOLOGY RESEARCH RESULTS NASA/ARC release 00-77AR 13 November 2000 A team of NASA researchers and their collaborators report their findings from last year’s Leonid meteor storm in today’s special issue of the journal, Earth, Moon and Planets. The scientists—all members of the NASA and U.S. Air Force-sponsored Leonid Multi- Instrument Aircraft Campaign—discussed their results in a series of astrobiology-related papers in the peer-reviewed journal. While their findings covered a range of areas, the key results reported have implications for the existence and survival of life’s precursors in comet materials that reach Earth. “Last year’s Leonid meteor storm yielded rich research results for NASA astrobiologists,” said Dr. Peter Jenniskens, a NASA astronomer based at Ames Research Center and principal investigator for the airborne research mission. “Findings to date indicate that the chemical precursors to life—found in comet dust—may well have survived a plunge into early Earth’s atmosphere.” Jenniskens and his international cadre of researchers think that much of the organic matter in comet dust somehow survived the rapid heating of Earth’s atmospheric entry. “Organic molecules in the meteoroid didn’t seem to burn up in the atmosphere,” he explained. They may have cooled rapidly before breaking apart, he concluded. Another manner in which organic matter can somehow survive the fiery plunge into Earth’s atmosphere was discovered by a team from the Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, who detected the fingerprint of complex organic matter, identical to space-borne cometary dust, in the path of a bright Leonid fireball. This “fingerprint” is still under investigation to ensure that trace-air compounds are not contributing to the detection. Another finding with potentially important implications for astrobiology is that meteors are not as hot as researchers had previously believed. “We discovered that most of the visible light of meteors comes from a warm wake just behind the meteor, not from the hot meteoroid’s head,” said Jenniskens. This warm wake has just the right temperature for the creation of life’s chemical precursors, he said. Utah State University researchers found that, during the meteors’ demise in the atmosphere, their rapid spinning caused small fragments to be ejected in all directions, quite far from the meteoroid’s head. This is an important finding for astrobiology, because it means that meteors may be able to chemically alter large amounts of atmosphere. This year, the 2000 Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak twice— once on Thursday night November 16 and again on Friday night November 17. Although not as strong as last year’s storm, meteors will be visible across the continental United States, with the East Coast predicted to provide the best meteor viewing. Each night, optimal East Coast viewing will be at approximately 2:50 AM (EST). West Coast observers can glimpse the showers beginning after 11:00 PM (PST), and peaking between midnight and 1:30 AM. Astronomers recommend that, because this year’s showers take place during a last- quarter moon, optimal observing conditions demand a wide field of view, with the moon behind trees or buildings. An observing tool called the “Leonid MAC flux estimator” is available for the general public at http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov. It predicts how much meteor activity is expected at a particular U.S. observing location. Further images from 1999’s meteor storm, information about Earth, Moon and Planets and other Leonids information can be found at http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, dissemination and future of life in the universe. NASA’s Ames Research Center, in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, is the Center of Excellence for NASA’s astrobiology research. It is also the location of the central offices of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, an international research partnership—among NASA and non-NASA agencies and institutions—to further astrobiology research. Contact: Kathleen Burton NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Phone: 650-604-1731 E-mail: kburton@mail.arc.nasa.gov An additional article on this subject is available at http://www.space.com/searchforlife/leonids_biology_001115.html. --------------------------------------------------------------------- BREATHING EASY ON THE SPACE STATION By Patrick L. Barry From NASA Science News 13 November 2000 Life support systems on the ISS provide oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, and manage vaporous emissions from the astronauts themselves. It’s all part of breathing easy in our new home in space. Many of us stuck on Earth wish we could join (at least temporarily) the Expedition 1 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Floating effortlessly from module to module, looking down on Earth from a breathtaking height of 350 kilometers. It’s a dream come true for innumerable space lovers. But be careful what you wish for! Living on the Space Station also means hard work, cramped quarters, and what’s that smell? Probably more outgassing from a scientific experiment or, worse yet, a crewmate. With 3 to 7 people sharing a small, enclosed volume on the still-growing Space Station, air management is critical. Life support systems on the ISS must not only supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the cabin’s atmosphere, but also prevent gases like ammonia and acetone, which people emit in small quantities, from accumulating. Vaporous chemicals from science experiments are a potential hazard, too, if they combine in unforeseen ways with other elements in the air supply. So, while air in space is undeniably rare, managing it is no small problem for ISS life support engineers. In this second article in a series about the practical challenges of living in space, Science@NASA examines how the ISS will provide its residents with the breath of life. Making oxygen from water Most people can survive only a couple of minutes without oxygen, and low concentrations of oxygen can cause fatigue and blackouts. To ensure the safety of the crew, the ISS will have redundant supplies of that essential gas. “The primary source of oxygen will be water electrolysis, followed by O2 in a pressurized storage tank,” said Jay Perry, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center working on the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) project. ECLSS engineers at Marshall, at the Johnson Space Center and elsewhere are developing, improving and testing primary life support systems for the ISS. Most of the station’s oxygen will come from a process called “electrolysis,” which uses electricity from the ISS solar panels to split water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. Each molecule of water contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Running a current through water causes these atoms to separate and recombine as gaseous hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). The oxygen that people breathe on Earth also comes from the splitting of water, but it’s not a mechanical process. Plants, algae, cyanobacteria and phytoplankton all split water molecules as part of photosynthesis—the process that converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into sugars for food. The hydrogen is used for making sugars, and the oxygen is released into the atmosphere. “Eventually, it would be great if we could use plants to (produce oxygen) for us,” said Monsi Roman, chief microbiologist for the ECLSS project at MSFC. “The byproduct of plants doing this for us is food.” However, “the chemical-mechanical systems are much more compact, less labor intensive, and more reliable than a plant-based system,” Perry noted. “A plant-based life support system design is presently at the basic research and demonstration stage of maturity and there are a myriad of challenges that must be overcome to make it viable.” Hydrogen that’s leftover from splitting water will be vented into space, at least at first. NASA engineers have left room in the ECLSS hardware racks for a machine that combines the hydrogen with excess carbon dioxide from the air in a chemical reaction that produces water and methane. The water would help replace the water used to make oxygen, and the methane would be vented to space. “We’re looking to close the loop completely, where everything will be (re)used,” Roman said. Various uses for the methane are being considered, including expelling it to help provide the thrust necessary to maintain the Space Station’s orbit. At present, “all of the venting that goes overboard is designed to be non-propulsive,” Perry said. The ISS will also have large tanks of compressed oxygen mounted on the outside of the airlock module. These tanks will be the primary supply of oxygen for the U.S. segment of the ISS until the main life support systems arrive with Node 3 in 2005. After that, the tanks will serve as a backup oxygen supply. Last week, while the crew was waiting for activation of a water electrolysis machine on the Zvezda Service Module, they breathed oxygen from “perchlorate candles,” which produce O2 via chemical reactions inside a metal canister. “You’ve got a metallic canister with this material (perchlorate) packed inside it,” Perry explained. “They shove this canister into a reactor and then pull an igniter pin. Once the reaction starts, it continues to burn until it’s all used.” Each canister releases enough oxygen for one person for one day. “It’s really the same technology that’s used in commercial aircraft,” he continued. “When the oxygen mask drops down, they say to yank on it, which actuates the igniter pin. That’s why you have to give it a tug to begin the flow of oxygen.” Keeping the air “clean” At present, carbon dioxide is removed from the air by a machine on the Zvezda Service Module based on a material called “zeolite,” which acts as a molecular sieve, according to Jim Knox, a carbon dioxide control specialist at MSFC. The removed CO2 will be vented to space. Engineers are also thinking of ways to recycle the gas. In addition to exhaled CO2, people also emit small amounts of other gases. Methane and carbon dioxide are produced in the intestines, and ammonia is created by the breakdown of urea in sweat. People also emit acetone, methyl alcohol and carbon monoxide—which are byproducts of metabolism—in their urine and their breath. Activated charcoal filters are the primary method for removing these chemicals from the air. Maintaining a healthy atmosphere is made even more complex by the dozens of chemicals that will be used in the science experiments on board the ISS. “In a 30 year period, there could be any number of different types of experimental facilities on board that could have any number of chemical reagents,” Perry said. Some of these chemicals are likely to be hazardous, particularly if they’re allowed to combine in unforeseen ways, Perry said. Keeping these chemicals out of the air will be vital for the crew’s health. When the Space Station was first being designed, NASA engineers envisioned a centralized chemical-handling system that would manage and contain all the chemicals used for experiments. But such a system proved to be too complex. “The ability for the Station to provide generic monitoring capability to try to cover the broad spectrum of chemicals that 15 plus years of basic research will require—obviously that’s not something that the Station itself can provide,” Perry said. “It really made much greater sense that each experimental facility on board the lab module would provide its own containment of its (chemicals), essentially maintaining responsibility for the chemicals from cradle to grave,” Perry said. A safety review for each proposed experiment will determine the level of containment that the rack-mounted experiment facilities must provide. In the event of a release, the crew will seal off the contaminated module and then follow procedures for cleanup, if possible. But careful planning and well-designed hardware should minimize the risk of this scenario, enabling the crew of the Space Station to breathe easy. For more information on this article, see http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast13nov_1.htm. An additional article on this subject is available at http://www.spacedaily.com/news/iss-00zzy.html. --------------------------------------------------------------------- MSU SPACE EXPERIMENTS HELP FIND TREATMENT FOR DISEASES Mississippi State University release 13 November 2000 How on Earth can a future space shuttle mission to the International Space Station lead to a better treatment for diseases? Chemistry professor Bill Wilson of Mississippi State University and colleagues working at NASA have discovered that gravity may be the key. Their efforts are part of what is known as the Dynamically Controlled Protein Crystal Growth mission, a $13 million National Aeronautics and Space Administration project. Other research sponsors include the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, and the Center for Biophysical Science and Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Wilson, an MSU Giles Distinguished Professor, was the first researcher to develop a method for predicting the conditions in which protein crystals will grow efficiently. In tribute, the process, known as the Wilson Crystallization Slot, bears his name. He also will be the first Mississippi State faculty member to have an experiment fly aboard the space station. He said a space shuttle flight, possibly next summer, will transport proteins associated with certain diseases—sickle cell anemia, influenza, and diabetes, among others—to the just-opened space station. In the gravity-free environment, the crystals will be grown to produce accurate three-dimensional structures of the proteins. Wilson said the absence of gravity generally produces better three- dimensional crystal growth. “Earth gravity has an adverse influence on crystal growth,” he explained. “Because there is almost no gravity in space, you get a better protein crystal structure.” Wilson, whose research efforts have been supported continuously by NASA since 1991, said drug companies can use structures determined from the crystal analysis for what is known as structure-based drug design. “That basically means the protein crystal is giving the drug companies a 3-D model of what the disease protein looks like so they can design their drugs to combat that disease.” Mississippi State is playing an integral part in the research aspects of the flight mission. The university’s newly renovated Hand Chemical Laboratory will enable Wilson’s research group to better study the proteins. “Scientists traditionally have used trial and error to get these protein crystals,” he said. “Now people all over the world are beginning to use the method we discovered to render better crystals in a more efficient manner.” MSU also is involved in constructing the actual flight hardware for growing the crystals. “The crystallization process will be controlled automatically and totally self-contained through hardware MSU and UAB are collaborating to build,” Wilson said. “The astronauts will be busy doing housekeeping of sorts on the space station and won’t have the time or the expertise to deal with the crystals. With our hardware, the crystals will take care of themselves.” The first NASA flight with the crystals tentatively is scheduled for June. “People always ask me if I am going to make the flight,” Wilson said with a smile. “I tell them I don’t even like to ride the teapots at Disney World!” Contact: Karie Patton, News Bureau University Relations Mississippi State University Phone: 662-325-3442 --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA PROGRAM HELPS BRAIN-INJURED PATIENTS REACH FOR THE STARS NASA release 00-180 14 November 2000 Brain-injured patients are exploring the stars with a click of a computer mouse, thanks to a special hands-on, interactive NASA education program. Through “Telescopes In Education,” sponsored by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA, patients are no longer limited by their physical barriers, and are free to stretch their imaginations. In May, a dozen patients who suffered severe head injuries took control of a science-grade reflecting telescope located at the Mount Wilson Observatory, high above the Los Angeles basin in the San Gabriel Mountains. Using the Internet, patients at Delta Rehabilitation Facility for the Severely Head-Injured in Snohomish, WA, downloaded digital images of nine deep space objects, including several galaxies and star clusters. The director of Internet Services for the Brain Injury Association of Washington, Paul Walsh, and his wife, Valarie, began teaching basic astronomy to a roomful of Delta residents nearly one year ago. Walsh discovered the patients were an eager and attentive group of students. “People who have sustained a major brain injury often have a keen and hungry intelligence that has been masked and hidden behind the devastation caused by their injuries,” Walsh said. “I had a hunch astronomy might be a way to help tear down the walls, not just mental and emotional, but literally the physical walls that separate the residents of Delta from the outside world.” The program allows educators and students around the world to remotely control research-quality telescopes and charge-coupled device cameras created at JPL and located at the Mount Wilson Observatory. All they need is a computer modem and special astronomy software. Educators and students from all over the world get hands-on, real- time interaction from the comfort of their classrooms. This type of interaction enables students to increase their knowledge of astronomy, astrophysics, and mathematics; improve their computer literacy and strengthen their critical thinking skills. Hundreds of schools in the United States and around the world, including Australia, Canada, England and Japan, have used the telescope successfully over the past seven years. In 1999, the program enabled more than 10,850 students, located in 25 states, to conduct astronomical observations and meaningful research. Use of the system is free except for the purchase of the remote software, which controls the telescope. The Delta rehabilitation facility is associated with and supports the Brain Injury Association, whose mission is to create a better future through brain injury prevention, research, education and advocacy. The prime mission at Delta Rehab is to help residents “live life,” all of it. To that end, the staff, family members and volunteers from the surrounding community do their best to bring life and stimulation right to the residents. Telescopes In Education is a NASA education outreach program sponsored by NASA’s High Performance Computing and Communications Learning Technologies Program, the Office of Space Science, and the Office of Human Resources and Education. JPL space exploration missions, businesses, and numerous volunteers also support the program. Managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology, JPL is the lead U.S. center for robotic exploration of the solar system. “We are sincerely grateful to JPL and Mount Wilson for the Telescopes In Education Program. It’s one of the best down-to-earth ideas they’ve ever come up with,” added Walsh. “The program is all about tying people to the stars; the young, the disabled, the city bound and the imagination bound.” Information on the Telescopes In Education program is available at http://tie.jpl.nasa.gov/. Delta Rehab information on this special project and a link to the Brain Injury Association Web site is located at http://www.nwlink.com/~filmdos/m111/infinityproject.htm. Contacts: Sonja Alexander Headquarters, Washington, DC Phone: 202-358-1761 Carolina Martinez Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA Phone: 818-354-9382 --------------------------------------------------------------------- SMART SURGICAL PROBE FOLLOW-ON TO FIGHT BREAST CANCER NASA release 00-179 14 November 2000 A Silicon Valley start-up company has obtained a license to develop, produce and market an innovative diagnostic device for early breast cancer detection based on technology originally developed by NASA researchers. San Jose-based BioLuminate, Inc. plans to develop a commercial version of the “Smart Surgical Probe” originally developed at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. The probe is a small disposable needle with multiple sensors. It has the potential to enable physicians to diagnose tumors without surgery, thereby dramatically reducing the number of breast biopsies that women undergo annually. “This device is being developed to make real-time, detailed interpretations of breast tissue at the tip of the needle,” said Robert Mah, the Ames scientist who invented the technology. “The instrument may allow health care providers to make expert, accurate diagnoses as well as to suggest proper, individualized treatment, even in remote areas,” he said. “Every week in the United States, approximately 18,000 surgical breast biopsies are performed on women with suspicious breast lesions,” explained BioLuminate Chief Executive Officer Richard Hular. “By taking the Ames Smart Probe and developing it further, BioLuminate hopes to be able to produce a real-time-measurement instrument that will reduce the need for surgery. If we are successful, the probe will significantly improve women’s health care, and could potentially reduce annual health care costs,” said Hular. Further development of the smart surgical probe is focused on distinguishing cancer tissue types and obtaining real-time measurements. “The probe uses special neural net software developed at Ames that learns from experience. This enables the instrument to detect the physiologic signs of cancer and may predict its progress,” explained Mah. The breast cancer tool is being developed in collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. It is a spin- off from a computerized robotic brain surgery “assistant” previously developed by Mah and Stanford neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Andrews. The larger brain surgery device is a simple robot that can “learn” the physical characteristics of the brain. It soon may give surgeons finer control of surgical instruments during delicate brain operations. This commercial venture demonstrates how NASA’s commercial technology offices maximize NASA’s research efforts by inviting U.S. industry to benefit from NASA-developed technologies. NASA reaches out to the business community in a way that leverages the Agency’s resources with those of the private sector. The objective is to stimulate job growth and increase the competitiveness of American products in the global marketplace. Contacts: Michael Braukus Headquarters, Washington, DC Phone: 202-358-1979 Ann Hutchison Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Phone: 650-604-0176 --------------------------------------------------------------------- SCIENTISTS, SCHOOLTEACHERS AND STUDENTS STUDY PHYSICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES ON PARABOLIC FLIGHTS WITH THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY ESA release 73-2000 15 November 2000 Experiments in weightlessness will be flown on 21-23 November on the special “Zero-g” Airbus A300 during the 29th ESA parabolic flight campaign, conducted from Bordeaux-Mérignac airport. Three flights of 30 parabolas each are planned for the mornings of 21, 22 and 23 November. Organized by ESA, this campaign includes 11 experiments: four in physical sciences, four in life sciences, two experiments proposed by students and one serving educational purposes for the general public. Parabolic flights are practically the only means on Earth of reproducing weightlessness with human operators on board. During a parabolic flight, the “Zero-g” Airbus pilot—flying at an altitude of approximately 6000 meters, usually in a specially-reserved air- corridor above the Gulf of Gascogne—first performs a nose-up maneuver to put the aircraft into a steep climb (7600m). This generates an acceleration of 1.8 g (1.8 times the acceleration of gravity on the ground) for about 20 seconds. Then the pilot reduces engine thrust to almost zero, injecting the aircraft into a parabola. The plane continues to climb until it reaches the apex of the parabola (8500m), then starts descending. This condition lasts for about 20 seconds, during which time the passengers in the cabin float in the weightlessness resulting from the free fall of the aircraft. When the angle below the horizontal reaches 45°, the pilot accelerates again and pulls up the aircraft to return to steady horizontal flight. These maneuvers are repeated 30 times per flight. With Europe and its international partners now building the International Space Station, where research will be carried out for the next 15 years, parabolic flights are crucial to the preparation of experiments, equipment and astronauts, and allow scientists to have their experiments tested before they are actually flown on a space mission. ESA’s next parabolic flight campaign, the 30th, is scheduled for May 2001 and will have a mixed complement of experiments in life and physical sciences, again with student-proposed experiments. More information on ESA parabolic flights can be found on ESA’s special parabolic flight Internet pages at http://www.estec.esa.nl/spaceflight/parabolic. Contacts: Vladimir Pletser ESA/ESTEC, Microgravity Payloads Division Directorate of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity Phone: +31.71.565.33.16 Fax: +31.71.565. 31.41 Anna Brück ESA/ESTEC Coordination Office Directorate of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity Phone: +31.71.565.5445 Fax: +31.71.565.5441 For further information on ESA, visit our web site at http://www.esa.int. For more information on this article, see http://subs.esa.int:8330/pressows/documents/news/1/2000/press73.html. --------------------------------------------------------------------- MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR CAPTURES MORE VIEWS OF GULLIES JPL image advisory 17 November 2000 NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, currently orbiting Mars, simultaneously snapped both a wide-angle and high-resolution view of Hale crater that show gullies—possibly carved by water—in the peaks of sand dunes inside the crater. The Global Surveyor images, which support findings release last spring, are available at: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/nov_00_hale/ Mars Global Surveyor is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA’s Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Contact: Mary Hardin Media Relations Office Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology National Aeronautics and Space Administration Pasadena, CA 91109 Telephone: (818) 354-5011 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov An additional article on this subject is available at http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0011/20mgsgullies/. --------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY, EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS AND TERRAFORMATION INDEX By David J. Thomas http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/astrobiology.h tml 20 November 2000 Astrobiology, exobiology and terraformation articles http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s1.html L. E. Orgel, 2000. A simpler nucleic acid. Science (enhanced), 290(5495):1306. R. R. Britt, 2000. Leonid meteor shower: sowing the seeds of life? Space.com. Articles on the biology of extreme environments (on Earth) http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s2.html E. J. Carpenter, S. Lin and D. G. Capone, 2000. Bacterial activity in South Pole snow. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 66(10):4514-4517. J. Marchant, 2000. Wherever you look. New Scientist. --------------------------------------------------------------------- CASSINI WEEKLY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS JPL release 9-15 November 2000 The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired from the Madrid tracking station on Tuesday, November 14. The Cassini spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and is operating normally. The speed of the spacecraft can be viewed on the “Where is Cassini Now?” web page at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/english/where/. Activities this week included the completion of the ninth and final instance of the Phase A 5-Day Repeating Template, and start of the first instance of the Phase B 5-Day Repeating Template for Jupiter Observations. Other activities included Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) power on, Solid State Power Switch (SSPS) Fault Protection Algorithm update to set Magnetometer Subsystem (MAG) heater on if tripped, update to Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA) Unexpected Current threshold, AACS Clear Highwater Marks, Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) clear Write Protect Violations flag, Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) Assisted Load Format (ALF) MRO from SSR, Command & Data Subsystem (CDS) SSR Memory Load Partition Repair (CDS- A and B), and a Reaction Wheel momentum unload. This week marked the start of Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer Jupiter observations. Playback of this data will occur next week. Over 4,200 Imaging Science Subsystem frames have been received and processed. Radio Science personnel conducted a Cassini Radio Science Implementation Assessment Meeting. The meeting was convened to provide an opportunity to view the end-to-end implementation progress of the new Radio Science instrument. Managers from the Cassini Program, TMOD, and the Communications Systems and Research Section (Section 331) participated. Invitees expressed appreciation for the level of detail presented and insight gained from the meeting. The Spacecraft Office (SCO) delivered Version 6.1 of the Cassini Spacecraft Analysis Software (CSAS) to operations this week. This version contains updates to the Inertial Vector Propagation tool and the Kinematic Prediction tool. Mission Planning provided Deep Space Network schedulers with a Program Manager approved update to the long range User Loading Profile. The update reflected a plan of two passes per week during post-Jupiter cruise and the change of the Gravitational Wave Experiment test from a two-week period to two one-week periods in 2001. The update will be used to support the February 2001 Resource Allocation Review Board meeting. From now until the post Jupiter time frame, various Cassini Teams will be conducting lessons learned discussions. The purpose is to document valuable information gained primarily from the Jupiter related activities that may be applied to ongoing cruise and future tour operations. The first such discussion was held this week by members of the Science and Uplink Office. The meeting was considered beneficial enough that a second meeting has been scheduled for the near term. Cassini Outreach conducted a teacher workshop jointly with the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope project with 100 attendees. The teachers learned about student measurements of Jupiter that will be used by the Cassini Program to calibrate Cassini’s radar receiver and for science observations, and about related lesson plans suitable for their classrooms. Outreach also participated in a two-day Solar System Exploration Forum retreat, intended to facilitate cooperation among many projects. Pasadena City College has agreed to host the Jupiter Fly-by event “Jupiter in Music, Myth, History, and Science” to be held on December 30. Cassini is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Cassini mission for NASA’s Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. --------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK ON GALILEO JPL release 13-19 November 2000 This week Galileo completes the third week of a 100-day continuous survey of the Jovian magnetosphere. The survey is performed by Galileo’s suite of Fields and Particles instruments as part of a dual-spacecraft observation campaign with the Cassini spacecraft. Cassini will pass by Jupiter later this year on its way to arrival at Saturn in 2004. The data collected by Galileo are extremely valuable as it is rare to find two spacecraft in the same region of space, simultaneously examining the same phenomena. During the 100-day survey, Galileo’s flight path will take it from the solar wind into the heart of the Jovian magnetosphere, and back out into the solar wind. All the while, Cassini’s instruments will provide additional information on the solar wind. The most valuable portion of the dual-spacecraft campaign will be when Galileo finds itself within the Jovian magnetosphere later this year. With the data from both spacecraft, scientists will be able to see how changes in the solar wind can affect the interior of the magnetosphere. Galileo is completely dedicated to maintaining the continuity of the fields and particles survey. In preparation, all planned data playback from previous encounters was completed several weeks ago. This allows Galileo’s tape recorder to be used to record the contents of an onboard data buffer. The data buffer is used to store survey data when radio antennas of the Deep Space Network are being used by other missions. When insufficient time is available for Galileo, the data buffer overflows and the data are lost. To prevent data loss, the contents of the buffer are recorded to the tape recorder for playback at a later time. Galileo uses its tape recorder only four times this week to maintain a continuous data set, because sufficient antenna time has been allotted on the Deep Space Network. Out of the total 168 hours in the week (24 hours times 7 days), 124 hours of antenna time has been scheduled for use by Galileo. On Monday, Galileo also performs standard maintenance on its propulsion systems. For more information on the Galileo spacecraft and its mission to Jupiter, please visit the Galileo home page at one of the following URL’s: http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo --------------------------------------------------------------------- MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR STATUS REPORT JPL release 15 November 2000 Launch / Days since Launch = November 7, 1996 / 1470 days Start of Mapping / Days since Start of Mapping = April 1, 1999 / 594 days Total Mapping Orbits = 7,559 Total Orbits = 9,162 Recent events The spacecraft continues to operate nominally in performing the beta- supplement daily recording and transmission of science data. The mm086 sequence executed successfully from 00-314 (11/9/00) through 00-316 (11/11/00). The mm087 sequence has performed well since it started on 00-317 (11/13/00). It terminates on 00-320 (11/15/00). The mm088 sequence, successfully uplinked on 00-319 (11/14/00), begins executing on 00-321 (11/16/00). MOLA Polar Scans, contained in the mz062 mini-sequence, were performed successfully on 00-316 (11/11/00) through 00-319 (11/14/00). Data processing will begin as soon as the data are available on the central database. Spacecraft health All subsystems report nominal health. Telecom link margin is improving as the distance between Earth and Mars decreases. This will allow us to increase the record and playback rates by a factor of two. We plan to increase the record rate to 8 ksps on 00-331 (11/26/00) and the playback rate to 42 ksps on 00-332 (11/27/00). Uplinks There have been 15 uplinks to the spacecraft during the last week, including new star catalogs and ephemeris files, instrument command loads, and the sequences cited above. Unfortunately, seven uplinks attempted today (00-320) were unsuccessful due to bad spacecraft frequency predictions. The affected command files will be uplinked tomorrow morning, 00-321 (11/16/00). There have been 4,947 command files radiated to the spacecraft since launch. Upcoming events The mm089 background sequence will be uplinked on 00-322 (11/17/00). Radio Science Occultation Egress Scans, scheduled for 00-322 (11/17/00) through 00-325 (11/20/00), will be commanded by the mz063 and mz064 mini-sequences. The mz063a command file will be retransmitted to the spacecraft tomorrow, 00-321 (11/16/00), because today’s attempt failed as explained above. --------------------------------------------------------------------- STARDUST STATUS REPORT JPL release 13 November 2000 The Stardust spacecraft is successfully communicating with Earth and all subsystems onboard the spacecraft are operating normally. At 06:45 GMT on Wednesday, November 8, and before the next scheduled DSN (Deep Space Network) pass at 8:45 GMT on Thursday, November 9, the Stardust spacecraft went into safe mode. The cause of the safe mode was apparently due to the loss of spacecraft attitude from the star camera’s inability to match star patterns. The safe mode event may possibly be related to a very large solar flare which occurred at about 23:00 GMT on Wednesday, November 8. On Monday, November 13, commands were sent to take the spacecraft out of safe mode and back into its normal cruise-operating mode. This operation was successfully completed and the Stardust spacecraft is out of safe mode and operating normally. Currently, we are on IMU’s (Initial [Inertial?] Measuring Unit) with the star camera position updates, and the High Gain Antenna (HGA) is pointed towards Earth for uplink/downlink activities for the remainder of today’s scheduled DSN pass. The Stardust Flight Team will continue monitoring the spacecraft to ensure there are no residual effects from the solar flare and will begin preparing for the next expected trajectory correction maneuver scheduled for early next week. For more information on the Stardust mission—the first ever comet sample return mission—please visit the Stardust home page at http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov. ---------------------------------------------------------------------