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NASA NTRS2001

Beagle 2: The Next Exobiology Mission to Mars

Beagle 2 is a 60 kg probe (with a 30 kg lander) developed in the United Kingdom for inclusion on the European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express. Beagle 2 will deliver to the Martian surface a payload which consists of a high percentage of science instruments to landed spacecraft mass. Beagle 2 will be launched in June, 2003 with Mars Express on a Soyuz-Fregat rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Beagle 2 will land on Mars on December 26, 2003 in the Isidis Planitia basin (approximately 10 degrees N and 275 degrees W), a large sedimentary basin that overlies the boundary between ancient highlands and northern plains. Isidis Planitia, the third largest basin on Mars, which is possibly filled with sediment deposited at the bottom of long-standing lakes or seas, offers an ideal environment for preserving traces of life. Beagle 2 was developed to search for organic material and other volatiles on and below the surface of Mars in addition to the study of the inorganic chemistry and mineralogy. Beagle 2 will utilize a mechanical mole and grinder to obtain samples from below the surface, under rocks and inside rocks. A pair of stereo cameras will image the landing site along with a microscope for examination of surface and rock samples. Analyses will include both rock and soil samples at various wavelengths, X-ray spectrometer and Mossbauer spectrometer as well as a search for organics and other light element species (e.g. carbonates and water) and measurement of their isotopic compositions. Beagle 2 has as its focus the goal of establishing whether evidence for life existed in the past on Mars at the Isidis Planitia site or at least establishing if the conditions were ever suitable. Carbonates and organic components were first recognized as existing on Mars when they were found in the Martian meteorite Nakhla. Romanek et al showed the carbonates in ALH84001 were formed at low temperatures. McKay et al noted possible evidence of early life on Mars within the ALH84001 meteorite. Thomas-Keprta et al showed the magnetite biomarkers in ALH84001's carbonates are indistinguishable from those formed by magnetotactic bacteria found on Earth. Gibson et al showed there was significant evidence for liquid water and biogenic products present on Mars across a 3.9 billion year period. A mechanical arm (PAW) operates from the lander and is used for science operations along with sample acquisition. Instruments attached to the PAW include: stereo cameras, Mossbauer instrument, X-ray fluorescence instrument, microscope, environmental sensors, rock corer/grinder, a spoon, mirror, brushes, a mole attachment for acquisition of subsurface to depths of 1 to 2 meters and an illumination device. Each camera has 14 filters which have been optimized for mineralogy composition, dust and water vapor detection. The microscope's camera is designed for viewing the size and shape of dust particles, rock surfaces, microfossils, and characteristics of the samples prior to introduction into the gas analysis package (GAP). The camera has a resolution of 4 microns/pixel, features four color capability (red, green, blue and UV (ultraviolet) fluoresence), a depth of focus of 40 micrometers and translation stage of +3 millimeters. The heart of the Beagle 2's life detection package is the gas analysis package (GAP), which consists of a mass spectrometer with collectors at fixed masses for precise isotopic ratio measurements and voltage scanning for spectral analysis. Primary aim of the GAP is to search for the presence of bulk constituents, individual species, and isotopic fractionations for both extinct and extent life along with studying the low-temperature geochemistry of the hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen components on Mars from both the surface and atmosphere. GAP is a magnetic sector mass spectrometer with the range of 1 to 140 amu which can be operated in both the static and dynamic modes. A triple Faraday collector array will be used for C, N and O ratios along with a double Faraday array for H/D. Pulse counting electron multiplier will be utilized for noble gases and selected organics. Anticipated detection limits are at the picomole level for operation in the static mode of operation and high precision isotopic measurements will be made in the dynamic mode. Sample processing and preparation system consists of reaction vessels along with references. Sample ovens capable of being heated are attached to the manifold for sample combustion. Surface, subsurface materials and interior rock specimens will be combusted in pure oxygen gas at various temperature intervals to release organic matter and volatiles. Combustion process will permit detection of all forms and all atoms of carbon present in the samples. A chemical processing system is capable of a variety of conversion reactions. Gases are manipulated either by cryogenic or chemical reactions and passed through the gas handling portion of the vacuum system. There are two modes of operation: quantitative analysis and precise isotopic measurements. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Gibson, Everett K., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Foldable Instrumented Bits for Ultrasonic/Sonic Penetrators

Long tool bits are undergoing development that can be stowed compactly until used as rock- or ground-penetrating probes actuated by ultrasonic/sonic mechanisms. These bits are designed to be folded or rolled into compact form for transport to exploration sites, where they are to be connected to their ultrasonic/ sonic actuation mechanisms and unfolded or unrolled to their full lengths for penetrating ground or rock to relatively large depths. These bits can be designed to acquire rock or soil samples and/or to be equipped with sensors for measuring properties of rock or soil in situ. These bits can also be designed to be withdrawn from the ground, restowed, and transported for reuse at different exploration sites. Apparatuses based on the concept of a probe actuated by an ultrasonic/sonic mechanism have been described in numerous prior NASA Tech Briefs articles, the most recent and relevant being "Ultrasonic/ Sonic Impacting Penetrators" (NPO-41666) NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 32, No. 4 (April 2008), page 58. All of those apparatuses are variations on the basic theme of the earliest ones, denoted ultrasonic/sonic drill corers (USDCs). To recapitulate: An apparatus of this type includes a lightweight, low-power, piezoelectrically driven actuator in which ultrasonic and sonic vibrations are generated and coupled to a tool bit. The combination of ultrasonic and sonic vibrations gives rise to a hammering action (and a resulting chiseling action at the tip of the tool bit) that is more effective for drilling than is the microhammering action of ultrasonic vibrations alone. The hammering and chiseling actions are so effective that the size of the axial force needed to make the tool bit advance into soil, rock, or another material of interest is much smaller than in ordinary twist drilling, ordinary hammering, or ordinary steady pushing. Examples of properties that could be measured by use of an instrumented tool bit include electrical conductivity, permittivity, magnetic field, magnetic permeability, temperature, and any other properties that can be measured by fiber-optic sensors. The problem of instrumenting a probe of this type is simplified, relative to the problem of attaching electrodes in a rotating drill bit, in two ways: (1) Unlike a rotating drill bit, a bit of this type does not have flutes, which would compound the problem of ensuring contact between sensors and the side wall of a hole; and (2) there is no need for slip rings for electrical contact between sensor electronic circuitry and external circuitry because, unlike a rotating drill, a tool bit of this type is not rotated continuously during operation. One design for a tool bit of the present type is a segmented bit with a segmented, hinged support structure (see figure). The bit and its ultrasonic/sonic actuator are supported by a slider/guiding fixture, and its displacement and preload are controlled by a motor. For deployment from the folded configuration, a spring-loaded mechanism rotates the lower segment about the hinges, causing the lower segment to become axially aligned with the upper segment. A latching mechanism then locks the segments of the bit and the corresponding segments of the slider/guiding fixture. Then the entire resulting assembly is maneuvered into position for drilling into the ground. Another design provides for a bit comprising multiple tubular segments with an inner alignment string, similar to a foldable tent pole comprising multiple tubular segments with an inner elastic cable connecting the two ends. At the beginning of deployment, all segments except the first (lowermost) one remain folded, and the ultrasonic/sonic actuator is clamped to the top of the lowermost segment and used to drive this segment into the ground. When the first segment has penetrated to a specified depth, the second segment is connected to the upper end of the first segment to form a longer rigid tubular bit and the actuator is moved to the upper end of the second segnt. The process as described thus far is repeated, adding segments until the desired depth of penetration has been attained. Yet other designs provide for bits in the form of bistable circular- or rectangular- cross-section tubes that can be stowed compactly like rolls of flat tape and become rigidified upon extension to full length, in a manner partly similar to that of a common steel tape measure. Albeit not marketed for use in tool bits, a bistable reeled composite product that transforms itself from a flat coil to a rigid tube of circular cross section when unrolled, is commercially available under the trade name RolaTube(TradeMark) and serves as a model for the further development of tool bits of this subtype.

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph↗