A Simple Instrument Suite for Characterizing Habitability and Weathering: The Modern Aqueous Habitat Reconnaissance Suite (MAHRS)

Rennó, N. O.; Backhus, Roger; Cooper, Curt; Flatico, Joseph M.; Fischer, Erik; Greer, Lawrence C.; Krasowski, Michael J.; Kremic, Tibor; Martínez, G.; Prokop, Norman F.; Sweeney, David; Vicente‐Retortillo, Á.

doi:10.1089/ast.2018.1945

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 81 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The PIE sensor is a modification of the Saltation Sensor (SALT) developed by the NASA GRC team, in support of NASA's planetary exploration program, to measure the flux and energy of saltating particles impacting the surface of Mars [37]. Saltation refers to particle transport by wind, where saltating particles hop along the surface resulting in a horizontal displacement of soil mass [38].…”

Section: Particle Impact Event (Pie) Sensor Heritage-saltation Sensormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The original design of SALT is a tube-shaped device where piezoelectric films are affixed to the interior of an aluminum tube that provides protection to the sensor from the elements without compromising the signal of particle impact events. The tube shape design was selected after experimentation revealed that pre-stressing the piezoelectric thin-film by curving it further heightened its sensitivity [37]. As shown in Figure 7, the original instrument design consists of a four-quadrant configuration that can enable coarse measurements on particle direction.…”

Section: Particle Impact Event (Pie) Sensor Heritage-saltation Sensormentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Instrument to Study Plume Surface Interactions (PSI) on the Lunar Surface: Science Motivation, Requirements, Instrument Overview, and Test Plans

Bueno,

Krasowski,

Prokop

et al. 2024

Aerospace

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Safe landings are imperative to accomplish NASA’s Artemis goal to enable human exploration on the Moon, including sample collection missions. However, a process known as plume surface interaction (PSI) presents a significant hazard to lunar landings. PSI occurs when the engine exhaust of a lander interacts with the surface ejecting large amounts of regolith particles at high velocities that can interfere with the landing, disturb the surface, and damage hardware. To better understand PSI, the particle impact event (PIE) sensor is being developed to measure the kinetic energy and the flux of ejecta during landings, to quantify the potential damage, and to quantify the ejecta displaced. Multiple parameters were estimated to define the PIE instrument requirements. These estimates demonstrate that ejecta can travel at velocities of up to 800 m/s and impact the surrounding area with energies of up to 400 µJ. A significant amount of ejecta can be deposited several 10 s of meters away from the landing site, modifying the surface and causing dust-related challenges. The PIE sensor will be launched for the first time in an upcoming lunar lander. Then, PIE measurements will be used to improve PSI prediction capabilities and develop mitigation strategies to ensure safe landings.

show abstract

Section: Particle Impact Event (Pie) Sensor Heritage-saltation Sensormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Particle Impact Event (Pie) Sensor Heritage-saltation Sensormentioning

confidence: 99%

Instrument to Study Plume Surface Interactions (PSI) on the Lunar Surface: Science Motivation, Requirements, Instrument Overview, and Test Plans

Bueno,

Krasowski,

Prokop

et al. 2024

Aerospace

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Water vapor pressure at the triple point of water (~600 Pa) is below the present day atmospheric pressure at the lowest regions of Mars, such as the Phoenix, Curiosity, and Perseverance landing sites (~700–950 Pa), but the low surface temperature (~180–285 K), in combination with the extremely low water vapor partial pressure (not larger than ~1 Pa), inhibits the formation of pure liquid water [ 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 ] because it is thermodynamically unstable. However, liquid saline water (brine) can be present in the shallow subsurface where ground ice exists in contact with the saline regolith or in ice cracks and crevasses because even binary solutions of salts found on Mars depress the freezing point within the range of present-day temperatures of these regions [ 11 , 19 , 26 , 27 , 30 , 33 , 67 , 72 , 73 , 74 ].…”

Section: Freeze–thaw Cycles and The Formation Of Complex Brinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complex Brines and Their Implications for Habitability

Rennó

Fischer

Martínez

et al. 2021

Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is evidence that life on Earth originated in cold saline waters around scorching hydrothermal vents, and that similar conditions might exist or have existed on Mars, Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, and other worlds. Could potentially habitable complex brines with extremely low freezing temperatures exist in the shallow subsurface of these frigid worlds? Earth, Mars, and carbonaceous chondrites have similar bulk elemental abundances, but while the Earth is depleted in the most volatile elements, the Icy Worlds of the outer solar system are expected to be rich in them. The cooling of ionic solutions containing substances that likely exist in the Icy Worlds could form complex brines with the lowest eutectic temperature possible for the compounds available in them. Indeed, here, we show observational and theoretical evidence that even elements present in trace amounts in nature are concentrated by freeze–thaw cycles, and therefore contribute significantly to the formation of brine reservoirs that remain liquid throughout the year in some of the coldest places on Earth. This is interesting because the eutectic temperature of water–ammonia solutions can be as low as ~160 K, and significant fractions of the mass of the Icy Worlds are estimated to be water substance and ammonia. Thus, briny solutions with eutectic temperature of at least ~160 K could have formed where, historically, temperature have oscillated above and below ~160 K. We conclude that complex brines must exist in the shallow subsurface of Mars and the Icy Worlds, and that liquid saline water should be present where ice has existed, the temperature is above ~160 K, and evaporation and sublimation have been inhibited.

show abstract

A Simple Instrument Suite for Characterizing Habitability and Weathering: The Modern Aqueous Habitat Reconnaissance Suite (MAHRS)

Cited by 2 publications

References 81 publications

Instrument to Study Plume Surface Interactions (PSI) on the Lunar Surface: Science Motivation, Requirements, Instrument Overview, and Test Plans

Instrument to Study Plume Surface Interactions (PSI) on the Lunar Surface: Science Motivation, Requirements, Instrument Overview, and Test Plans

Complex Brines and Their Implications for Habitability

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About