European Technology Exposure Facility - Exposure Experiment - Protect (EuTEF-Expose-Protect)
Research Area: Astrobiology
Expedition(s): 16- 20
Principal Investigator(s): ● Gerda Horneck, 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-Protect investigation is
designed to assess the survivability of spacecraft contaminants on a landed mission to Mars.
During the mission, bacterial endospores, attached to spacecraft qualified aluminum coupons,
are subjected either to a simulated Earth-to-
Mars trajectory or to simulated Martian
surface conditions.
RESULTS
This study confirmed the high resistance of
spores of 2 Bacillus species to the most
adverse conditions encountered during a
planetary mission, such as space vacuum,
cosmic radiation, temperature fluctuations,
long storage, and Martian atmospheric
pressure and composition. The high
sterilizing efficiency of solar UV radiation
experienced on an Earth to Mars trip as
well as on the surface of Mars was also
confirmed. Spores could only escape the
deadly radiation attack by hiding in cracks
or pits of the spacecraft surface, protecting
the inner layers in spore clumps, or shielding via the spacecraft itself. Because a landing probe
would most likely be encased in an entry shield or bioshield, possible spore hitchhikers
attached to a lander may well escape this irradiation during an Earth to Mars mission.
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.
Horneck G, Moeller R, Cadet J, et al. Resistance of bacterial endospores to outer space for
planetary protection purposes-Experiment PROTECT of the EXPOSE-E Mission. Astrobiology.
2012;12(5):445-456. doi: 10.1089/ast.2011.0737.
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.