• Technologies need to be developed for astrobiology research on the following targets of astrobiology interest: Mars, Europa, Titan, comets, Space Station, Earth

• Earth Astrobiology -- Investigations of Earth provide high quality science return in their own right as well as analog environments for understanding life on other worlds and testbeds for technologies and mission concepts. Related links: Earth (Arizona)

• Thousands of sensors ranging from fingernail size to matchbook size exist that can support a wide range of measurements including pH, chemical composition and concentration, temperature, pressure, partial pressure, gravity, acceleration, elemental abundances, spectral characteristics, etc. Most have been developed for other applications, so they need to be tailored and adapted for Astrobiology. We must start now to enable utilization of these technologies in 2-3 year time frame. Also need to consider sensor arrays and groups, to obtain data from multiple parameters simultaneously. A critical problem is in getting the sample to the sensor, and all handling/management issues therein.

Some examples include: Leading Technologies: Smaller Spacecraft and Miniaturized Environmental Sensors

Chemical laboratories that enable multiple analyses -- even sequential analyses -- of a single sample can fit on a compact disk. There are also other techniques and methods of doing the same that are at generally the same level of readiness (pre-commercial product).
Microfluidics and Comparison of Micromachining Techniques

Mass spectrometers, ion mobility spectrometers, gas chromatographs, imaging systems in wavelengths spanning gamma ray through infrared are available within a soda can to shoebox volume. These can be miniaturized further. Examples: Ion Mobility Spectra of Unresolved Gas Chromatographic Peaks

Instrument suites can be developed to fit within the envelope of a soda can, but require further development to effectively realize this potential.

Cell and microbial culture and preservation facilities suitable for early Space Station were identified that could fit within the volume of a hockey puck.

Even spacecraft can be miniaturized. DS2 is an outstanding example of this philosophy. Mars Microprobe Project

• Development of sample management systems is urgently needed. A critical finding is that the state of the art of sample management -- sample acquisition, preparation, distribution, and preservation -- is seriously deficient and precludes the use of the vast array of capabilities available in miniaturized analytical instrumentation. This is a common problem -- in DARPA and in the biotech community as well as in NASA. It is recommended that the next technology NRA specifically address this problem.

• Autonomous or remotely operated biolabs in situ (AROBIS) are recommended for research in hydrothermal vents, subterranean systems, deep drilling, planetary bodies. These should combine intelligent mechanism, robotics, and measurement technologies to provide a powerful multidisciplinary attack on characterizing sites for habitability, chemical evolution, and life. Related Links: Intelligent Mechanisms Group and Antarctic to Become Laboratory for Future Mars Missions

• Hyperspectral imaging and analysis systems for remote (midrange) and in situ studies of planetary bodies is recommended for development. Applications of these technologies would preserve spatial features with the chemical and environmental data to enable selections among in situ examination strategies based on real time analysis. Specific instrument and algorithm development is needed to coordinate imaging and environmental data; build in the capacity to analyze information per pixel; apply adaptive analytical techniques; and harden for planetary exploration. DARPA/industry partnership opportunities are excellent. Relate link: OPTO-KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS, Inc

• Technologies that enable evolutionary biology studies and organism/environment interface characterization are recommended for Space Station. These technologies would enable the first definitive qualitative and quantitative molecular biology examinations of a wide range of terrestrial species, characterization of terrestrial evolution beyond Earth, and examination of co-evolution of life and the environment issues.

• Direct microscopic imaging capability is recommended. Remote or autonomous operation of imaging systems in wide range of spectra, resolution, and amplification would provide a powerful new tool for in situ examination of planetary bodies. Related systems would have broad applications to Space Station. These systems should include intelligent analysis for autonomous operation that meet low bandwidth constraints.

• Gas/Grain Simulation capability is recommended for Space Station -- to investigate the role of gravity in prebiotic chemistry, comet chemistry, aerosol chemistry, low gravity chemistry (Mars, Europa), and chemistry of interstellar medium.

• Technologies that enable evolutionary biology studies and organism/environment interface characterization are recommended for Space Station. These technologies would enable the first definitive qualitative and quantitative molecular biology examinations of a wide range of terrestrial species, characterization of terrestrial evolution beyond Earth, and examination of co-evolution of life and the environment issues. (See Astrobiology Life Sciences Hardware Database.)

APPROACHES: KEY FINDINGS

• Produce an inventory of flight ready payload components for astrobiology. Certain devices are important in Astrobiology and would be instruments of choice for many different missions (e.g. comets, Mars, Europa). A selected few of these should be identified, prioritized, developed to a flight ready status, and duplicated for multiple use so that development funds can be spent on new products.

• Provide instrument suites for exploring the Astrobiology of planetary bodies. Examining an environment like Mars, Europa, or comets for life or life's precursors requires a suite of instruments. Specific chemical species of interest (e.g., chirality, long chain carbon molecules (N>7 carbons), polyanions, polycations, changes in gas species, nitrogenous compounds) are only meaningful when characterized against the background environment of elemental abundances, temperature, pH, changes in climate history as seen in core samples, etc. Identifying the highest priority instruments and suites of interest and developing them to flight readiness is strongly urged.

· Establish Astroforensics as a component of astrobiology mission planning. Adherence to standard forensic chain of evidence procedures is critical to all studies addressing the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. Forensic procedures have been developed to search for unknown clues and reconstruct a history from them under high stakes conditions. Forensics involves the analysis of small irreplaceable samples and intense even adversarial peer review and media scrutiny of the results. Astroforensics then, can be defined as a field within astrobiology concerned with evidence management and ensures that the evidence collected during astrobiology missions is not contaminated or otherwise compromised by the methods of detection, collection, transportation, analysis, storage, or subsequent re-testing. It also ensures that all methods of evidence identification, collection and analysis are validated (i.e. approved by the scientific community) and that results are repeatable.

• Establish technology standards for peer review and selection of flight instruments. It is evident that today's technology enables significantly higher science return from missions. However, competition based peer review process usually does not select on the basis of optimization of total science results, either in payload synergy or in instrument optimization. The result is a lower science value per mission than could be achieved. It is suggested that certain miniaturized technologies and products should made flight ready and established as benchmarks. Proposers should plan to use these technologies, or demonstrate that their proposed research requires different technologies. Again, even new instruments should be miniaturized in order to amplify the science return from the more frequent, but still rare, missions to other worlds.

• Interdisciplinary science, technology, and mission teams are recommended for all subsequent astrobiology workshops. Astrobiology workshop splinter group discussions require a mix of participants that bring various areas of expertise to the table. Scientists, engineers, and mission planners are all valuable and provide synergistic insights in all areas of astrobiology. Lessons learned from this and the other astrobiology pre-workshops is that new products and new directions are achieved when the "gene pool" of talent is broadened. In addition, some solutions are arrived at very rapidly because a problem in one field has been solved in another field.

CONCLUSION:

The current and projected state of the art can provide an impressive arsenal of tools for Astrobiology research on the remarkable set mission opportunities planned over the next decade. Executed correctly, these tools and techniques can help characterize the organic history and composition of other worlds, find sources of liquid water, and enable sophisticated searches for extant and extinct life in extreme environments throughout the solar system. Joint development and collaborations with industry, NSF, NIH, NOAA, DOE, DARPA and others can provide cost effective solutions to common problems, reduce the development cost and provide fresh practical perspectives on interdisciplinary problems.