European Technology Exposure Facility - Exposure Experiment - Adapt (EuTEF-Expose-Adapt)
Research Area: Astrobiology
Expedition(s): 16- 20
Principal Investigator(s): ● Petra Rettberg, PhD, German Aerospace Centre, Cologne,
Germany
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The European Technology Exposure Facility -
Exposure Experiment exposes several
investigations outside of the International
Space Station (ISS) for 18 months on the
external surface of the European Columbus
Laboratory. The EuTEF-Expose-Adapt
investigation examines the capability of
highly resistant microorganisms to adapt
themselves to being exposed to different
levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It looks at
whether long exposure to UV radiation of
different, harmful levels could result in highly
resistant microbes to extreme environments
in space or on other planets.
RESULTS
From the 5 space factors (UV, vacuum,
ionizing radiation, temperature variations, microgravity), solar extraterrestrial UV radiation, as
well as the Martian UV spectrum, was the most harmful factor applied. In some samples only a
few survivors were recovered from Bacillus subtilis MW01 spores exposed in monolayers.
However, if shielded from solar irradiation, about 8% of MW01 spores survived in low-Earth
orbit conditions, and 100% survived in simulated Martian conditions, compared to the
laboratory controls. The results demonstrated the effect of shielding against the high sterilizing
potential of extraterrestrial solar UV radiation, which limits the chances of survival of even the
highly UV-resistant strain of Bacillus subtilis MW01 in the harsh environments of outer space
and the Martian surface.
PUBLICATION(S)
Berger T, Hajek M, Bilski P, Körner C, Vanhavere F, Reitz G. Cosmic radiation exposure of
biological test systems during the EXPOSE-E Mission. Astrobiology. 2012;12(5):387-392. doi:
10.1089/ast.2011.0777.
Rabbow E, Rettberg P, Barczyk S, et al. EXPOSE-E: An ESA astrobiology mission 1.5 years in
space. Astrobiology. May 2012;12(5):374-386. doi: 10.1089/ast.2011.0760.
Expose allows long exposures to space conditions and
solar UV-radiation on the International Space Station.
Several trays filled with organisms were installed on the
outside of the European Columbus laboratory as one of
the 9 payloads of the European Technology Exposure
Facility (EuTEF). ESA image.