RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

ASTROBIOLOGY

Biomarker search and survival across the Solar System

The main activity of the Arcetri Astrobiology is the study of presence and survival of organic biomarker across the Solar System. Since several years the laboratory and its members are working in the investigation of the role of minerals in the degradation or protection of several classes of prebiotic and biotic molecules in simulated space environment again UV and ion irradaition.

The main aim of the lab is to support all the space missions targeting interesting astrobiological bodies in the Solar System, as well as assemble and share with the community a complete and large database of organic-mineral samples characterized in Arcetri multianalytical laboratory.

Development of lab-on-chip technology

Our laboratory is deeply involved in the development of lab-on-chip technology for in situ detection of organics across the Solar System to be used in future cubesat and payload.

ABCS (AstroBiology CubeSat), a first technology demonstrator, has flown in Earth orbit delivered by the first lauch of Vega-C on 13 July 2022 from the european spaceport in Kourou, French Guyana

Visit the dedicated website for more information.

Current project are:

TASTE mission developed in the framework of ASI Alcor program consisting in a 12U cubesat orbiter and a 4U cubesat lander, aiming to explore the Martian moon Deimos and investigate its origin.
ASI TASTE website

Additionally the lab is leading the development of VENOM (Venture the ExtractioN of Organic Molecules) in collaboratorion with CISAS (Center of Studies and Activities for Space) of the University of Padua, and the support and funding of ASI (Italian Space Agency).

Arcetri Astrobiology laboratory is also involved in SpaceItUp! consortium to integrate the microfluidic lab-on-chip technlogy with several analytical techniques.

Biology experiment with bacteria and lichens

Our laboratory is deeply involved in the development of lab-on-chip technology for in situ detection of organics across the Solar System.

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PLANETOLOGY

NASA - Mars2020 "Perseverance"

Mars2020 Perseverance is the last rover deployed by NASA on the surface of the Red Planet in the beginning of 2021. The rover mission aimed to seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.

Our laboratory is involved in the preparation of analog samples of the red planet surface to improve our interpretation on data collected by rover's intruments.

ESA - ExoMars 2028 mission

Arcetri Astrobiology Laboratory activities on Mars primarily support the scientific investigations and technology development of the Mars Organics Molecule Analyser (MOMA) instrument on board ESA ExoMars 2028 space mission, devoted to detection of a wide range of organic molecules, operating in two modes, i.e. laser desorption ionization- and gas chromatography- mass spectrometry.

The mission is actually in assembly phase and it will be launch in 2028

ESA Bepicolombo mission

Our laboratory team members are planning a series of measurements to support the Bepicolombo mission and infrared remote sensing observations. The lab is collaborating with Science Team member of Bebicolombo mission for preparatory analysis of Mercury surface.

The spacecraft is currently traveling to Mercury.

SMALL BODIES

MMX mission

Martian Moon eXploration is a JAXA sample return mission aimed to explore Phobos and Deimos the two moon of Mars and return a surface sample from the surface of the moons.

Members of our team were involved in the development of the MIRS instrument on board the spacecraft. Moreover the lab is working on Phobos analog laboratory support and and in the definition of a database that will be fundamental for the interpretation of the data acquired by MIRS.

Website: JAXA Martian Moon eXploration

Planetary defence

DART-LICIACube / Hera / RAMSES

Our laboratory was part of the team of the DART-LICIACube mission, the first to test the kinetic impact ad a strategy for deviate asteroids. Team members are involved in the Hera space mission that will follow-up DART impact and RAMSES mission that will explore the asteroid Apophis during his close flyby of Earth.

Laboratory activities support remote sensing and ground observation of the mission target asteroid binary system Dydimos with laboratory activities. We are part of the science team of both the missions with the aim of investigating the nature of the asteorid.

OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 sample analysis

OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 were two asteroid sample-return mission from NASA and JAXA that brought back material from the asteroids Ryugu and Bennu in 2020 and 2023 respectively.

Laboratory members were ipart of the OSIRIS-REx mission team during the asteroid phase and now Arcetri laboratory will lead the analysis of returned material allocated by NASA and JAXA curation facilities. The project will analyse aggregate samples to study mineralogy and organics involving a larger consortium of several scientific institutes and scientist all over the world.

ICY MOONS

LABORATORY ACTIVITIES and MODELLING

Simulating icy worlds like Enceladus and Europa is part of the new frontiers of planetary exploration. Our instrument facility could simulate, trough cryogenic experiment, the environment of various icy moons. Infrared spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy can support ocean world exploration both from remote sensing and in-situ observation. Study of survival of biomolecules in icy surfaces with heavy bombardment by UV and cosmic ray will help future missions in the search for organic compound and possibly biomarker of extraterrestrial life.

MOON SCIENCE

Support to Moon exploration missions

The growing interest of space angencies and private actors to the moon started a new period of exploration for our satellites. The lab is involved in the support to future missions in particular for lunar meteorites characterization and the study of interaction between volatiles and lunar soil.

One of the project lab members are involved is the Package for Resource Observation and in-Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Commercial exploitation and Transportation (PROSPECT) payload developed by ESA for application at the lunar surface as part of international lunar exploration missions.

More info: ESA Moon Exploration

PLANETARY PROTECTION

Laboratory activities and protocols development

Planetary protection is the name of all the activities and protocols operated in a space mission in order to prevent forward contamination of astrobiology relevant target (Mars, Europa, Enceladus…) and backward contamination of Earth with possible extraterrestrial life during sample return mission. Main procedures and topics are:

Sterilization and cleaning of instruments on-board mission to sensible target
Design of sample return curation facility for analysis and management of extraterrestrial material
Development of protocols, procedures and methods

The team performed cleaning procedures for two instrument on-board both ExoMars missions:

DREAMS (ExoMars 2016) Dust Characterisation, Risk Assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface

MicroMED (ExoMars 2020) Atmospheric dust sensor part of the payload Dust

Partecipation in international consortium

Team members were involved in EURO-CARES, a three years multinational and multidisciplinary project focused on development and design an European sample curation facility in Horizon2020 research program, and PPOSS, a platform and forum where European actors involved in planetary protection can discuss and produce policy recommendations on the matter of planetary protection.

More info on projects websites:
www.euro-cares.eu
http://pposs.org/

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