Astrobiological Signatures with Penetrators on Europa Rob Gowen

Astrobiological Signatures with Penetrators on Europa Rob Gowen (MSSL/UCL, UK) on behalf of Penetrator Consortium Alan Smith 1, Richard Ambrosi 6, Olga Prieto Ballesteros 16, Simeon Barber 2, Dave Barnes 11, Chris Braithwaite 9, John Bridges 6, Patrick Brown 5, Phillip Church 10, Glyn Collinson 1, Andrew Coates 1, Gareth Collins 5, Ian Crawford 3, Veronique Dehant 21, Michele Dougherty 5, Julian Chela-Flores 17, Dominic Fortes 7, George Fraser 6, Yang Gao 4, Manuel Grande 11, Andrew Griffiths 1, Peter Grindrod 7, Leonid Gurvits 19, Axel Hagermann 2, Tim van Hoolst 21, Hauke Hussmann 13, Ralf Jaumann 13, Adrian Jones 7, Geraint Jones 1, Katherine Joy 3, Ozgur Karatekin 21, Günter Kargl 20, Antonella Macagnano 14, Katarina Miljkovic 7, Anisha Mukherjee 5, Peter Muller 1, Ernesto Palomba 12, Tom Pike 5, Bill Proud 9, Derek Pullan 6, Francois Raulin 15, Lutz Richter 18, Keith Ryden 2, Simon Sheridan 2, Mark Sims 6, Frank Sohl 13, Joshua Snape 7, Paul Stevens 10, Jon Sykes 6, Vincent Tong 3, Tim Stevenson 6, Werner Karl 5, Lionel Wilson 8, Ian Wright 2, John Zarnecki 2. 1: Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, 2: Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University, UK. 3: Birkbeck College, University of London, UK. 4: Surrey Space Centre, Guildford, UK. 5: Imperial College, London, UK, 6: University of Leicester, UK. 7: University College London, UK. 8: Lancaster University, UK. 9: Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK. 11: University of Aberystwyth, UK. 12: Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario-INAF, Roma, Italy. 13: DLR, Berlin, Germany. 14: Institute of Microelectronics and Microsystem-CNR, Roma, Italy. 15: Université Paris, France. 16: Centro de Astrobiologia-INTA-CSIC, España. 17: Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy. 18: DLR, Bremen, Germany. 19: Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE), Dwingeloo, The Netherlands. 20: IWF, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria. 21: Royal Observatory, Belgium Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Contents § § § Mission to Europa Penetrators Instruments Astrobiology Conclusions Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Contents § § § Mission to Europa Penetrators Instruments Astrobiology Conclusions Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Mission to Europa § EJSM – joint ESA/NASA mission to Jovian system. § JEO – Jupiter/Europa Orbiter (NASA element) § launch nominally 2020 § arrive Europa 2028 § observe 9 months (heavy radiation) may include penetrators… Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Penetrator delivery Descent Module release from Orbiter Spin-up & Decelerate Spin-Down Reorient Penetrator Separation Penetrator & PDS surface Impact Delivery sequence courtesy SSTL Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 Operate from MSSL/UCL UK below surface

Basic parameters • mass : 0. 7 Moon • surface gravity : 0. 8 Moon • radius : 0. 9 Moon • orbital period : 3. 5 day • surface temp : 40 -120 K • surface radiation : Mrads Astrobiology potential ? • atmosphere – trace Oxygen (10 -12 Earth) • surface material - water ice • strong tidal forces • subsurface ocean ? • rocky ocean floor bottom • habitable ? • life ? Europa • Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

surface features Japanese Lunar-A Continuous launch delays Several paper studies Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

high resolution 10 Km Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Accessing Astrobiological Material § upwelled material available in striations from ocean beneath (may contain astrobiological material) § evidence of sulphates in striations. § young surface: 5 -60 Ma (minimise radiation and meteroid damage) § but surface mostly very rough Image from Proctor (JHU), Patterson (APL) & Senske (JPL) (2009, Europa Lander Workshop, Moscow) Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

MSSL/UCL UK Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 From Proctor (JHU), Patterson (APL) & Senske (JPL) (2009, Europa Lander Workshop, Moscow)

Impact Site Characteristics Feature Type Ridges & troughs Bands Flat / Upwelled Young ? material ? smooth ? yes many ? no no yes no Chaos & Lenticulae yes some areas Impact features yes no Based on Proctor (JHU), Patterson (APL) & Senske (JPL) (2009, Europa Lander Workshop, Moscow) Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Vertical exagguration x 20. Vertical height ~ 1 km. Landing ellipse ~5 km into smooth area, equatorial MSSL/UCL UK Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 From Proctor (JHU), Patterson (APL) & Senske (JPL) (2009, Europa Lander Workshop, Moscow)

Penetrators Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Micropenetrator & Instruments • Low mass [~5 -15 Kg] • Very tough [~100 -500 m/s, impact ~10 -50 kgee] • Perform science from below surface [~0. 5 -few m] ~20 -60 cms Example Payload (~2 kg) Science Capability Micro seismometers (radio beacon, magnetometer) sub-surface ocean, inner body structure tectonics, cryovulcanism Chemistry package (mass spect. ) organics and inorganics Soil/environment package soil mechanical properties, thermal & electrical properties (accel, magnetometer, therm, . . . ) Sample imager/astrobiology camera Mineralogy, UV DNA flouresence Descent camera impact site context & PR Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Post Impact § § Target area of upwelled material (astrobiology) ~0. 5 to few metres below surface (reduced radiation) 2 penetrators - derisk/improve performance Lifetime: few hours (geochemistry/astrobiology, soil properties) to few orbits (seismic measurements) Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Instruments and TRL § Previous Mars 96, DS 2, Lunar-A developments § UK currently developing technology for lunar mission § Most instruments have existing space heritage. § + successful full scale impact trial in UK. Micro-seismometer Imperial College (Exo. Mars) Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 Prototype, ruggedized ion trap mass-spectrometer Open University (Rosetta) MSSL/UCL UK

Impact trial – internal architecture Radiation sensor Batteries Magnetometers Mass spectrometer Accelerometers Power Interconnection Processing Micro-seismometers Accelerometers, Thermometer Batteries, Data logger Drill assembly Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Trial Hardware Inners Stack Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Impact Trial - Configuration § Rocket sled § Penetrator Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Target § § § Dry sand 2 m x 6 m Small front entrance aperture (polythene) Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Real-Time Impact Video Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Firing Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Astrobiology Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Any life on Europa? ? Radiation from Jupiter’s magnetosphere forms oxidants at surface that could be used as food source Comets deliver organics 10 cm radiation danger Habitable zone Photosynthetic plants could take advantage of sunlight Clinging life forms could use food brought by current Floating forms could move up and down with the tides Strong daily tidal currents Adapted from ‘Biogeochemistry of the Europa icy surface’, by Katarina Miljkovic, OU Feb’ 07 Image: University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Warm ocean Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Another model… Adapted from K. Hand et. al. Moscow’ 09, who adapted it from Figueredo et al. 2003 3. astrobiological spectral signatures 2. communication of life forms to surface 1. habital zone on ocean floor adjacent to nutrients Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Astrobiology Signatures ? § § § Presence of habitat Body image and motion Organic chemical inventory and proportions Isotopic ratios (sulphur) (weak spectral component ) Spectral signatures (complex) Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Astrobiology Investigations § Microseismometers/Radio beacon/Magnetometer - Determine existence and characterise potentially habitable subsurface ocean. § Chemical sensing – via sample acquisition or e. g. stand-off laser ablation (mass spectrometer, quartz micro-balance and electronic noses, etc…) – mass spec can determine presence of organic molecules and their relative abundances. – mass spec can determine 32 S/34 S isotopic ratio which is expected to have quite different value whether origin is biological or geological. (very difficult to detectable spectrally) § Spectral sensing – remote (but close) chemical determination. (don’t yet have candidate instrument for spectral signal !) Raman. § Astrobiology imager – view either remote or acquired sample. Image life forms but more likely look for uv fluorescence (RNA/DNA) Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Questions ? § What does discovery of a rejected grant application form mean ? § How many different measurements to prove life ? § What are best measurements to make to prove life ? § 2 penetrators better than 1 ? Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

Conclusions § Earth is only body currently known to contain life. . . § Detection of biosignatures on Europa or exoplanet could inform other field. § Detection of life on Europa or exoplanet could inform other field. § Heavy surface radiation is not necessarily an impediment to life. § Penetrators may also detect biosignatures on other planetary bodies (e. g. Moon, Mars). § Are there any other commonalities/useful connections with in-situ search for astrobiological signals ? § Good luck with hunting astrobiology signals from exoplanets ! Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK

- End rag@mssl. ucl. ac. uk http: //www. mssl. ucl. ac. uk/planetary/missions/Micro_Penetrators. php Biosignatures on Exoplanets Workshop – Mulhouse, France. June 25 2009 MSSL/UCL UK