scholarly journals Organic chemistry in space and the search for life in our Solar System

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Ehrenfreund
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Organic Material ◽  
Space Missions ◽  
Planetary Science ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Solar Ultraviolet Radiation ◽  
Life Detection ◽  
Hayabusa 2 ◽  
Human Exploration

<p>One of the most fascinating questions in planetary science is how life originated on Earth and whether life exists beyond Earth. Carbonaceous compounds in the gas and solid state, refractory and icy are identified by astronomical observations in our Solar System, and distant galaxies. Among them are a large number of molecules that are essential in prebiotic chemistry and used in contemporary biochemistry on Earth. Life on Earth originated approximately 3.5 billion years ago and has adapted to nearly every explored environment. What was chemical raw materials available for life to develop? Small Solar System bodies hold clues to processes that formed our Solar System and probably contributed carbonaceous molecules and volatiles during the heavy bombardment phase to the young planets. This process may have contributed to life’s origin on Earth. Space missions that investigate the composition of comets and asteroids and in particular their organic content provide major opportunities to determine the prebiotic reservoirs available to the early Earth and Mars. Recently, the Comet rendezvous mission Rosetta has monitored the evolution of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during its approach to the Sun and observed numerous volatiles and complex organic compound on the cometary surface and in the coma. Several asteroid sample return missions are currently operational such as JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 which was launched in 2014 and will return samples to Earth in 2020. Hayabusa-2 also carried the German-French landing module MASCOT (mobile asteroid surface scout) that provided during the 17 hours of intensive scientific exploration new insights into the structure and composition of the asteroid Ryugu.</p><p>A fleet of robotic space missions currently targets planets and moons in order to assess their habitability and to seek biosignatures of simple extraterrestrial life beyond Earth. Prime targets in the outer Solar System include moons that may harbor internal oceans such as Europa, Enceladus, and Titan. Life may have emerged during habitable periods on Mars and remains may still be preserved in the subsurface, evaporite deposits, caves or polar regions. On Mars, a combination of solar ultraviolet radiation and oxidation processes are destructive to organic material and life on and close to the surface. However, the progress and the revolutionary quality and quantity of data on “extreme life” on Earth have transformed our view of habitability. In 2020, ESA’s ExoMars program will launch the Rosalind Franklin Rover and landing platform, and drill for the first time 2m deep into the Martian subsurface. Mars is still the central object of interest for habitability studies and life detection beyond Earth, paving the way for returned samples and human exploration.</p><p>Knowledge on the evolution of organic material in space environment such as their photochemistry and preservation potential are crucial to advance life detection strategies and instrument development. This Cassini lecture will review the evolution of organic matter in space including recent observations, space missions and laboratory research and discuss the science and technology preparation necessary for robotic and human exploration efforts investigating habitability and biosignatures in our Solar System.</p>

scholarly journals Organic chemistry in space and the search for life in our Solar System 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Ehrenfreund
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Space Missions ◽  
Planetary Science ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Extraterrestrial Life ◽  
Solar Ultraviolet Radiation ◽  
Hayabusa 2 ◽  
Human Exploration

<p>One of the most fascinating questions in planetary science is how life originated on Earth and whether life exists beyond Earth. Life on Earth originated approximately 3.5 billion years ago and has adapted to nearly every explored environment including the deep ocean, dry deserts and ice continents. What were the chemical raw materials available for life to develop? Many carbonaceous compounds are identified by astronomical observations in our Solar System and beyond. Small Solar System bodies hold clues to both processes that formed our Solar System and the processes that probably contributed carbonaceous molecules and volatiles during the heavy bombardment phase to the young planets in our Solar System. The latter process may have contributed to life’s origin on Earth. Space missions that investigate the composition of comets and asteroids and in particular their organic content provide major opportunities to determine the prebiotic reservoirs that were available to early Earth and Mars. Recently, the Comet rendezvous mission Rosetta has monitored the evolution of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during its approach to the Sun. Rosetta observed numerous volatiles and complex organic compounds on the cometary surface and in the coma. JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 mission has returned samples from near-Earth asteroid Ryugu in December 2020 and we may have some interesting scientific results soon. Hayabusa-2 also carried the German-French landing module MASCOT (mobile asteroid surface scout) that provided new insights into the structure and composition of the asteroid Ryugu during its 17-hour scientific exploration.</p><p>Presently, a fleet of robotic space missions target planets and moons in order to assess their habitability and to seek biosignatures of simple extraterrestrial life beyond Earth. Prime future targets in the outer Solar System include moons that may harbor internal oceans such as Europa, Enceladus, and Titan. Life may have emerged during habitable periods on Mars and evidence of life may still be preserved in the subsurface, evaporite deposits, caves, or polar regions. On Mars, a combination of solar ultraviolet radiation and oxidation processes are destructive to organic material and life on and close to the surface. However, the progress and the revolutionary quality and quantity of data on “extreme life” on Earth has transformed our view of habitability. In 2021, we will hopefully have three robotic missions arriving at Mars from China, the United Arab Emirates and NASA (Tianwen-1, Hope, and Mars2020 respectively). In 2022, ESA’s ExoMars program will launch the Rosalind Franklin Rover and landing platform, and drill two meters deep into the Martian subsurface for the first time. Mars is still the central object of interest for habitability studies and life detection beyond Earth, paving the way for returned samples and human exploration.</p><p>Measurements from laboratory, field, and space simulations are vital in the preparation phase for future planetary exploration missions. This Cassini lecture will review the evolution and distribution of organic matter in space, including results from space missions, field and laboratory research, and discuss the science and technology preparation necessary for robotic and human exploration efforts investigating habitability and biosignatures in our Solar System.</p>

Solar Wind: Interaction With Planets

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Arridge
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Plasma Physics ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Space Missions ◽  
Planetary Science ◽  
Space Program ◽  
Solar Wind Interaction ◽  
Radiation Physics

The interaction between the solar wind and planetary bodies in our solar system has been investigated since well before the space age. The study of the aurora borealis and australis was a feature of the Enlightenment and many of the biggest names in science during that period had studied the aurora. Many of the early scientific discoveries that emerged from the burgeoning space program in the 1950s and 1960s were related to the solar wind and its interaction with planets, starting with the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts in 1958. With the advent of deep space missions, such as Venera 4, Pioneer 10, and the twin Voyager spacecraft, the interaction of the solar wind other planets was investigated and has evolved into a sub-field closely allied to planetary science. The variety in solar system objects, from rocky planets with thick atmospheres, to airless bodies, to comets, to giant planets, is reflected in the richness in the physics found in planetary magnetospheres and the solar wind interaction. Studies of the solar wind-planet interaction has become a consistent feature of more recent space missions such as Cassini-Huygens (Saturn), Juno (Jupiter), New Horizons (Pluto) and Rosetta (67/P Churyumov–Gerasimenko), as well more dedicated missions in near-Earth space, such as Cluster and Magnetosphere Multiscale. The field is now known by various terms, including space (plasma) physics and solar-terrestrial physics, but it is an interdisciplinary science involving plasma physics, electromagnetism, radiation physics, and fluid mechanics and has important links with other fields of space science, including solar physics, planetary aeronomy, and planetary geophysics. Increasingly, the field is relying on high-performance computing and methods from data science to answer important questions and to develop predictive capabilities. The article explores the origins of the field, examines discoveries made during the heyday of the space program to the late 1970s and 1980s, and other hot topics in the field.

Afterword to the 2017 edition

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Chambers ◽  
Jacqueline Mitton
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Planetary Systems ◽  
Space Missions ◽  
Planetary Science ◽  
The Way

Science is a voyage of discovery, a lasting quest to find the truth, with many twists and turns along the way. Planetary science—the study of how planetary systems form and evolve—is no exception. In fact, a great deal has happened in the few short years since we first wrote this book. Many new discoveries have been made by space missions, by astronomers using telescopes, and by researchers in laboratories using computers. These discoveries have naturally influenced the way we think about our solar system and how it formed. Some discoveries have confirmed previous predictions while others have forced researchers to modify their theories. Occasionally, a discovery has thrown open a new window, greatly increasing the range of possible scenarios. This afterword is a brief tour of some recent discoveries and what they might mean....

scholarly journals Self-healing materials for space applications: overview of present development and major limitations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Pernigoni ◽  
Ugo Lafont ◽  
Antonio Mattia Grande
Keyword(s):  
Orbital Debris ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Technological Evolution ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Space Systems ◽  
Space Applications ◽  
Structural Fatigue ◽  
Operational Life ◽  
Technological Limitations ◽  
Human Exploration

AbstractIn the last decade, self-healing materials have become extremely appealing for the field of space applications, due to their technological evolution and the consequent possibility of designing space systems and structures able to repair autonomously after damage arising from impacts with micrometeoroids and orbital debris, from accidental contact with sharp objects, from structural fatigue or simply due to material aging. The integration of these novel materials in the design of spacecraft structures would result in increased reliability and safety leading to longer operational life and missions. Such concepts will bring a decisive boost enabling new mission scenario for the establishment of new orbital stations, settlement on the Moon and human exploration of Mars.The proposed review aims at presenting the newest and most promising self-healing materials and associated technologies for space application, along with the issues related to their current technological limitations in combination with the effect of the space environment. An introductory part about the outlooks and challenges of space exploration and the self-healing concept is followed by a brief description of the space environment and its possible effects on the performance of materials. Self-healing materials are then analysed in detail, moving from the general intrinsic and extrinsic categories down to the specific mechanisms.

scholarly journals The interiors of Uranus and Neptune: current understanding and open questions

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2187) ◽  
pp. 20190474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravit Helled ◽  
Jonathan J. Fortney
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Internal Structure ◽  
Planetary Systems ◽  
Space Missions ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Interior Structure ◽  
Distinct Class ◽  
Open Questions

Uranus and Neptune form a distinct class of planets in our Solar System. Given this fact, and ubiquity of similar-mass planets in other planetary systems, it is essential to understand their interior structure and composition. However, there are more open questions regarding these planets than answers. In this review, we concentrate on the things we do not know about the interiors of Uranus and Neptune with a focus on why the planets may be different, rather than the same. We next summarize the knowledge about the planets’ internal structure and evolution. Finally, we identify the topics that should be investigated further on the theoretical front as well as required observations from space missions. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Future exploration of ice giant systems’.

PLANETARY SCIENCE: How Neptune Pushed the Boundaries of Our Solar System

Science ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 306 (5700) ◽  
pp. 1302-1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Morbidelli
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Planetary Science

scholarly journals Astrometry of the solar system: the ground-based observations

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S248) ◽  
pp. 66-73
Author(s):  
J.-E. Arlot
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Space Missions ◽  
Physical Characteristics ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Dynamical Models ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Solar System Objects ◽  
Different Characteristics

AbstractThe main goal of the astrometry of solar system objects is to build dynamical models of their motions to understand their evolution, to determine physical parameters and to build accurate ephemerides for the preparation and the exploitation of space missions. For many objects, the ground-based observations are still very important because radar or observations from space probes are not available. More, the need of observations on a long period of time makes the ground-based observations necessary. The solar system objects have very different characteristics and the increase of the astrometric accuracy will depend on the objects and on their physical characteristics. The purpose of this communication is to show how to get the best astrometric accuracy.

Assembling aliens to explore the Solar System

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catarina Leote ◽  
Sérgio Pereira ◽  
João Retrê ◽  
Pedro Machado ◽  
Gabriella Gilli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Planetary Science ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Board Game ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Informal Educators ◽  
Low Exposure ◽  
Challenging Situation

<p><strong>Assembling aliens to explore the Solar System</strong></p> <p>After analysing the school curricula until 7th grade (13 years old), we concluded that, at least in Portugal, there is a limited coverage of astronomy subjects. This situation is also often accompanied by limited training of primary and medium school teachers and limited availability of resources in their mother tongues, as language can also be a barrier for the use of existing resources. In addition, some astronomy concepts require a level of abstract thinking that might be discouraging for some children. The end result is that some children will have a low interest in astronomy, not only because of their personal preferences but as a consequence of low exposure to the subject or a negative perception towards it. To address this situation, the Science Communication Group of Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) developed a board game about the Solar System, aimed at children from 6 to 12 years old, and adapted to both formal and informal educational contexts. This project, “Help your Alien – A Solar System Game”, was funded in 2019 by the Europlanet Society through its Public Engagement Funding Scheme.</p> <p><strong>Why a board game?</strong></p> <p>By opting for a board game instead of a digital platform, we made the conscious decision of valuing the power of storytelling and social interaction as engaging and focus-promoting learning strategies, unlike the information and stimuli overload sometimes present in digital environments. Another choice made to make the game as appealing and relatable to our target public as possible was to start with a more familiar perspective, biology, as children of this age group will certainly be familiar with “animals” and their characteristics. We made a leap forward towards astrobiology, and created imaginary aliens somehow adapted to their planets and moons. While trying to assemble these imaginary creatures, in a 3-piece puzzle, the game players have to gather information about different objects of the Solar System and discover the home planet of their assembled aliens.  Another reason for creating a board game was the possibility of reaching different publics, in particular those perhaps not immediately interested in astronomy. With “ET – A Solar System Adventure”, we hope to engage children but also their families (parents, grandparents, siblings…), just for the sake of playing, while exposing them to knowledge about the Solar System.</p> <p><strong>Development of the game</strong></p> <p>The game was developed in a collaborative creative process by members of the Science Communication Group and researchers in Planetary Sciences of the IA, combining knowledge in science communication and different publics with scientific knowledge. Even though the game mechanics was inspired in already existing and well-tested games, the whole process of creating this game involved many challenges, from defining the level of complexity while keeping the game engaging, to the adventure of “creating” aliens somehow physiologically adapted to different planets and moons of the Solar System. Mistakes were made and the team had to adapt to the unexpected challenging situation of a pandemic. This resulted in many lessons learned that we hope to share with the community. The game is now at its final stages of production, with the prototype being converted into a polished version with professional illustration and design. A “Print and Play” version in Portuguese and English will soon be made available online on our website. Physical copies will also be produced depending on funding.</p> <p>In our presentation, we will present our game, as well as the premises and goals behind it, its development process, the challenges found along the way, the lessons learned and some strategies to cope with the “new normality” imposed by Covid-19, while advancing the project. We hope the presentation of “ET – A Solar System Adventure” in the EPSC2021 will help to promote this tool for planetary science education among formal and informal educators and to find international collaborations for the translation and local promotion of the game, as well as additional funding for the production of physical copies in different languages.</p>

Gaia spectroscopic view of the asteroid main belt and beyond

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Delbo ◽  
Laurent Galluccio ◽  
Francesca De Angeli ◽  
Paolo Tanga ◽  
Alberto Cellino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Planetary Science ◽  
Reflectance Spectra ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Main Belt ◽  
Compositional Gradient ◽  
Solar System Object ◽  
Science Community

<div class="">Asteroids reflectance spectra in the visible light will be one of the novel products of the Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3). These spectra are produced from Gaia observations obtained by means of the blue and red photometers — the so-called BP and RP, respectively. We will review the strategy adopted to produce asteroid reflectance spectra from BP-RP data, focusing on the choice of spectro-photometric calibrations computed taking into account solar system object astrometry and suitable lists of solar-analog stars.</div> <div class=""> </div> <div class="">Our preliminary investigation shows that we will be able to obtain reflectance spectra for asteroids as small as some km in the main belt, by exploiting the fact that each object has been observed multiple times by Gaia. We will show the capability of Gaia to probe the detailed compositional gradient of the main belt down to small sizes and to study correlations between spectral classes and other asteroid physical parameters, such as albedo and size.</div> <div class=""> </div> <div class="">Concerning the brightest asteroids, we expect to have substantial signal at wavelengths shorter than 450 nm, allowing Gaia to examine this region of the spectrum that has been poorly investigated by ground-based asteroid spectroscopic surveys. This region is characterised by the presence of a reflectance downturn that is diagnostic for the composition of classes of primitive asteroids, for instance those including the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites. These asteroids may have played an important role for the delivery of prebiotic compounds to Earth during the early phases of solar system' s history and, as such, are at the center of attention of the planetary science community. </div>

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