&lt;title&gt;Instrumentation on Beagle 2: the astrobiology lander on ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission&lt;/title&gt;

Sims, M. R.; Pillinger, C. T.; Wright, I. P.; Morgan, G. H.; Praine, Ian; Fraser, George W.; Pullan, D.; Whitehead, S.; Dowson, J.; Wells, A.; Richter, Lutz; Kochan, H.; Hamacher, H.; Griffiths, Andrew D.; Coates, A. J.; Peskett, S. C.; Brack, Andrè; Clemmet, Jim; Slade, R.; Phillips, Neil; Berry, C. A.; Senior, A.; Zarnecki, J. C.; Towner, Mark E.; Leese, M. R.; Zent, A. P.; Thomas, Nicolas; Josset, Jean-Luc; Klingelhoefer, G.; Duijn, P. van; Sims, Gary R.

doi:10.1117/12.411619

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…These two factors reduce the possibility of life on the surface itself, although radiation-tolerant bacterial species such as Deinococcus radiodurans can survive extreme UV fluxes and organisms protected under soil layers of just a few hundred microns might survive. Beagle2, the only astrobiology-focused mission planned at present, will deploy its robot arm and ground-scuttling mole on the surface and near-surface soil (Sims et al 1999(Sims et al , 2000. The mole will burrow under rocks but not to any significant depth.…”

Section: Scientific Rationalementioning

confidence: 99%

Vanguard – a proposed European astrobiology experiment on Mars

Ellery¹,

Cockell

Edwards

et al. 2002

International Journal of Astrobiology

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We propose a new type of robotic mission for the exploration of Mars. This mission is called Vanguard and represents the fruits of a collaboration that is both international and multi-disciplinary. Vanguard is designed for sub-surface penetration and investigation using remote instruments and unlike previous robotic architectures it offers the opportunity for multiple subsurface site analysis using three moles. The moles increase the probability that a subsurface signature of life can be found and by accomplishing subsurface analysis across a transect, the statistical rigour of Martian scientific exploration would be improved. There is no provision for returning samples to the surface for analysis by a gas-chromatograph/mass-spectrometer (GCMS) -this minimizes the complexity invoked by sophisticated robotic overheads. The primary scientific instruments to be deployed are the Raman spectrometer, infrared spectrometer and laser-induced breakdown spectroscope -the Raman spectrometer in particular is discussed. We concentrate primarily on the scientific rationale for the Vanguard mission proposal. The Vanguard mission proposal represents a logical opportunity for extending European robotic missions to Mars.

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Section: Scientific Rationalementioning

confidence: 99%

Vanguard – a proposed European astrobiology experiment on Mars

Ellery¹,

Cockell

Edwards

et al. 2002

International Journal of Astrobiology

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“…The science objectives of the lander were to [24,25] • characterize the landing site geology, mineralogy and geochemistry; • provide a chemical and physical analysis of the atmosphere; • measure the dynamic environmental processes; • provide astronomical observations of the Sun, bright stars, and Phobos and Deimos.…”

Section: Beagle 2 Landermentioning

confidence: 99%

Planetary Robotic System Design

Allouis

Gao

2016

Contemporary Planetary Robotics

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IntroductionAt the inception of a new mission concept, the system design of a spacecraft (planetary robots included) is a critical phase that should not be overlooked. Galvanized by the prospects of an exciting concept, it is often tempting to delve too quickly into subsystem design, at the peril of the mission and its development team. Identification of key links, interactions, and ramifications of design decisions are crucial to the feasibility of the concept and success of the mission. Only then can the optimized system design be found, which may not be the sum of the optimized subsystems.Building on a comprehensive review of existing and future planetary robotic missions, this chapter uses the system engineering design philosophy and discusses the mission-driven design considerations, the system-level design drivers as well as the subsystem design trade-offs for a robotic system, whether the mission is set to explore the lunar craters, the Martian landscape, or beyond. It demonstrates the design thought process starting from the mission concept up to the baseline design at the system and subsystem levels. As a result, the chapter offers a number of system design tools as the foundation or integrator for technologies discussed in subsequent chapters.The chapter is structured systematically as follows:• Section 2.2: This section describes in detail the system design approach and implementation steps applicable to planetary robotic missions and required robotic systems. The process starts from defining the mission scenario, which provides inputs for system-level functional analysis and determination of functional objectives for the robot(s). This then allows the progression to the next phase of the system definition by specifying and reviewing design requirements (e.g., using the S.M.A.R.T. method). Design drivers are subsequently identified and used to evaluate and trade-off different design choices, which results in the baseline design.

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“…Beagle 2 will land in Isidis Planitia a sedimentary basin 10 degrees north of the equator. Fortunately, Beagle 2 is equipped with several key scientific instruments (flown for the first time on any Mars mission) necessary to shed light on the issue of rock varnish, they are: 1) XRD spectrometer 2) Mossbauer spectrometer 3) microscope 4) Gas Analysis Package 5) and rock corer (43).…”

Section: Conclusion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

<title>Rock varnish as a habitat for extant life on Mars</title>

DiGregorio¹

2002

SPIE Proceedings

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Many of the rocks on the surface of Mars that have been imaged by the Viking and Mars Pathfinder Landers display dark shiny surface coatings resembling Mn-rich terrestrial rock varnish. On our planet, these thin (5 um -1 mm) coatings can be the result of a combination of various weathering processes combined with microbial precipitation of mineral oxides over a wide variety of geographical locations but most commonly in those with arid and semi-arid conditions. Terrestrial Mn-rich rock varnish is produced by a wide variety of microorganisms including epilithic and edolithic cyanobacteria, bacteria and microcolonial fungi. As these microorganisms absorb trace amounts of Mn and Fe from atmospheric dust, rain and fog, they slowly precipitate "reddish" iron and "brown to black" manganese oxides as well as magnetite particles. These microbial communities then produce secretions that cement the Mn/Fe mix together with clay particles in a process involving time periods of perhaps thousands of years for a thin 5 um layer. Mn-rich rock varnish has been found to form on the surfaces of undisturbed desert fragments and even sand grains. Both Mn and Fe would serve as a UV shield for any microflora residing beneath and within the layers of varnish thus protecting against high UV irradiation, dissication, and widely varying temperature extremes. Recent research on rock varnish has led to the discovery that some microbial communities that produce dark ferromanganese varnishes also precipitate biogenic magnetite. In view recent independent evidence put forth by D. McKay and E.I. Friedmann et al for indigenous biogenic magnetite-chains in ALH 84001 along with meteorological models showing the possibility for small quantities of liquid water on the surface of Mars in combination with data obtained from the Viking LR experiment 27 years ago, recommendations are made to elucidate on whether or not the shiny dark-coatings covering some Martian rocks have been produced by living or extinct microbial communities.

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<title>Instrumentation on Beagle 2: the astrobiology lander on ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission</title>

Cited by 13 publications

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Vanguard – a proposed European astrobiology experiment on Mars

Vanguard – a proposed European astrobiology experiment on Mars

Planetary Robotic System Design

<title>Rock varnish as a habitat for extant life on Mars</title>

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