Life Investigation For Enceladus

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Life Investigation For Enceladus (LIFE) was a proposed astrobiology mission concept that would capture icy particles from Saturn's moon Enceladus and return them to Earth, where they could be studied in detail for signs of life such as biomolecules. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The LIFE orbiter concept was proposed by a team led by Peter Tsou to NASA's 13th Discovery Mission solicitation, [3] but the mission was not selected by NASA for Phase-A design study. [5]

Mission concept

Artist's impression of possible hydrothermal activity on Enceladus. PIA19656-SaturnMoon-Enceladus-Ocean-ArtConcept-20150915.jpg
Artist's impression of possible hydrothermal activity on Enceladus.

Enceladus is a small icy moon with jets or geysers of water erupting from its surface that might be connected to active hydrothermal vents at its subsurface water ocean floor, [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] where the moon's ocean meets the underlying rock, a prime habitat for life. [11] [12] The geysers could provide easy access for sampling the moon's subsurface ocean, and if there is microbial life in it, ice particles from the sea could contain the evidence astrobiologists need to identify them. [13] [14]

Enceladus's south pole - Geysers spray water from many locations along the 'tiger stripes' feature. Enceladus geysers June 2009.jpg
Enceladus's south pole - Geysers spray water from many locations along the 'tiger stripes' feature.

The 15-year LIFE mission would use a 'Tanpopo' aerogel collector [14] similar to the one NASA used in the Stardust sample return mission to return cometary dust in 2006. The proposed spacecraft would enter into Saturn orbit and enable multiple flybys through Enceladus's icy plumes. After spending about two years in orbit as slow as 2 km/s around Saturn, [2] LIFE would use its propulsion system to escape Saturn and begin the ~4.5 year long voyage back to Earth with the collected particles in a return capsule. [15] [16] The spacecraft may sample Enceladus's plume, the E ring of Saturn, and the Titan upper atmosphere. [2]

In December 2014, NASA announced that it would be selecting finalists in June 2015 to submit proposals for a future Discovery Program mission, and selecting a winning proposal in September 2016. The selected mission must launch by the end of 2021. [17] The mission would have a $425 million development cost cap, and it would reach Saturn after a series of gravity assists past Venus and the Earth. Samples from Enceladus's plume would make it to Earth about 14 years later. [1] In September 2016, NASA announced that five proposals had been selected for further study. [18] [ needs update ]

Science payload

The Stardust dust collector with aerogel blocks Stardust Dust Collector with aerogel.jpg
The Stardust dust collector with aerogel blocks

As currently envisioned, the probe's science payload would consist of: [1]

The samples collected would be returned to Earth for extensive analyses.

See also

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Enceladus Natural satellite (moon) orbiting Saturn

Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn. It is about 500 kilometers (310 mi) in diameter, about a tenth of that of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Enceladus is mostly covered by fresh, clean ice, making it one of the most reflective bodies of the Solar System. Consequently, its surface temperature at noon only reaches −198 °C (−324 °F), far colder than a light-absorbing body would be. Despite its small size, Enceladus has a wide range of surface features, ranging from old, heavily cratered regions to young, tectonically deformed terrains.

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Tiger stripes (Enceladus)

The tiger stripes of Enceladus consist of four sub-parallel, linear depressions in the south polar region of the Saturnian moon. First observed on May 20, 2005 by the Cassini spacecraft's Imaging Science Sub-system (ISS) camera, the features are most notable in lower resolution images by their brightness contrast from the surrounding terrain. Higher resolution observations were obtained by Cassini's various instruments during a close flyby of Enceladus on July 14, 2005. These observations revealed the tiger stripes to be low ridges with a central fracture. Observations from the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) instrument showed the tiger stripes to have elevated surface temperatures, indicative of present-day cryovolcanism on Enceladus centered on the tiger stripes.

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Journey to Enceladus and Titan (JET) is an astrobiology mission concept to assess the habitability potential of Enceladus and Titan, moons of Saturn.

Enceladus Explorer (EnEx) is a planned interplanetary orbiter and lander mission equipped with a subsurface maneuverable ice melting probe suitable to assess the existence of life on Saturn's moon Enceladus.

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THEO is a feasibility study for a New Frontiers class orbiter mission to Enceladus that would directly sample its south pole water plumes in order to study its internal habitability and to search for biosignatures. Specifically, it would take advantage of the direct sampling opportunities of a subsurface ocean.

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Explorer of Enceladus and Titan (E2T) is a space mission concept that would investigate the evolution and habitability of the Saturnian satellites Enceladus and Titan and is proposed by the European Space Agency in collaboration with NASA.

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The Enceladus Icy Jet Analyzer (ENIJA) is a time-of-flight mass spectrometer developed to search for prebiotic molecules like amino acids and biosignatures in the plumes of Saturn's moon Enceladus.

Christopher R. Glein is an American geochemist at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, TX. He studies planetary science, astrobiology, and organic geochemistry. Glein was the first to describe how Saturn's moon Enceladus is the only known body, besides Earth, that has all of the requirements necessary for life. Glein has been involved in multiple spacecraft missions, leading to significant findings about Pluto, Enceladus, and Titan. In 2017, he was recognized for Outstanding Contributions to the ESA Rosetta Mission by the European Space Agency.

Lynnae Quick Planetary geophysicist

Lynnae C. Quick, Ph.D. is an American planetary geophysicist and Ocean Worlds Planetary Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Her research centers on theoretical modeling of cryovolcanic processes on the icy moons and dwarf planets in our solar system as well as modeling volcanic activity on Venus and the Moon. Quick is a member of the Dawn, Europa Clipper, and Dragonfly Mission science teams. She is also a member of the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) Toolbox for Research and Exploration (TREX) team, and serves as co-chair of the Earth and Planetary Systems Sciences section of the National Society of Black Physicists.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wall, Mike (December 6, 2012). "Saturn Moon Enceladus Eyed for Sample-Return Mission". Space.com. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Tsou, Peter; Brownlee, D.E.; McKay, Christopher; Anbar, A.D.; Yano, H. (August 2012). "LIFE: Life Investigation For Enceladus A Sample Return Mission Concept in Search for Evidence of Life". Astrobiology. 12 (8): 730–742. Bibcode:2012AsBio..12..730T. doi:10.1089/ast.2011.0813. PMID   22970863. S2CID   34375065.
  3. 1 2 Tsou, Peter; Anbar, Ariel; Atwegg, Kathrin; Porco, Carolyn; Baross, John; McKay, Christopher (2014). "LIFE - Enceladus Plume Sample Return via Discovery" (PDF). 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  4. ↑ Tsou, Peter (2013). "LIFE: Life Investigation For Enceladus - A Sample Return Mission Concept in Search for Evidence of Life". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 12 (8): 730–42. doi:10.1089/ast.2011.0813. PMID   22970863. Archived from the original (.doc) on 2015-09-01. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  5. ↑ "NASA announces five Discovery proposals selected for further study". The Planetary Society. September 30, 2015. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
  6. ↑ Ocean Within Enceladus May Harbor Hydrothermal Activity. March 11, 2015.
  7. ↑ Platt, Jane; Bell, Brian (April 3, 2014). "NASA Space Assets Detect Ocean inside Saturn Moon". NASA . Retrieved 2014-04-03.
  8. ↑ Iess, L.; Stevenson, D. J.; Parisi, M.; Hemingway, D.; Jacobson, R.A.; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Nimmo, F.; Armstrong, J. W.; Asmar, S. W.; Ducci, M.; Tortora, P. (April 4, 2014). "The Gravity Field and Interior Structure of Enceladus" (PDF). Science . 344 (6179): 78–80. Bibcode:2014Sci...344...78I. doi:10.1126/science.1250551. PMID   24700854. S2CID   28990283.
  9. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (April 3, 2014). "Saturn's Enceladus moon hides 'great lake' of water". BBC News. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
  10. ↑ Kane, Van (3 April 2014). "Discovery Missions for an Icy Moon with Active Plumes". The Planetary Society. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  11. ↑ Witze, Alexandra (March 11, 2015). "Hints of hot springs found on Saturnian moon". Nature News. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Paul Scott (March 13, 2015). "Cassini Finds Evidence for Hydrothermal Activity on Saturn's Moon Enceladus". AmericaSpace. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
  13. ↑ Gronstal, Aaron (July 30, 2014). "Enceladus in 101 Geysers". NASA Astrobiology Institute. Archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  14. 1 2 3 Yano, H.; Strange, Nathan; Dissly, Richard; Kanik, I. (June 18, 2013). Tsou, Peter; Brownlee, D. E.; McKay, C. P.; et al. (eds.). Low Cost Enceladus Sample Return Mission Concept (PDF). Low Cost Planetary Missions Conference #10. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 8, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  15. ↑ Gilster, Paul (May 28, 2014). "Proposed Europa/Io Sample Return Mission". Centauri Dreams. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  16. ↑ LePage, Drew (March 27, 2014). "A Europa-Io Sample Return Mission". Drew ExMachina. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  17. ↑ Kane, Van (December 2, 2014). "Selecting the Next Creative Idea for Exploring the Solar System". Planetary Society. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
  18. ↑ Dreier, Casey; Lakdawalla, Emily (December 2, 2014). "Selecting the Next Creative Idea for Exploring the Solar System". Planetary Society. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
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