Physics
Scientific paper
Sep 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008epsc.conf..893w&link_type=abstract
European Planetary Science Congress 2008, Proceedings of the conference held 21-25 September, 2008 in Münster, Germany. Online a
Physics
Scientific paper
STONE 6 is a space experiment to test the potential for survival of sedimentary meteors from Mars surviving entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Two sediments and a basalt (as the control) were embedded close to the ablation point of the heat shield of a FOTON M3 capsule for atmospheric entry from lower Earth orbit in September 2007. The sediments included (1) an ~3.5 billion year (Ga) old volcanic sand containing carbonaceous microfossils and (2) an ~370 million year (Ma) old lacustrine rock containing chemical biomarkers. The backs of the samples were smeared with a living endolithic microorganism, Chroococcidiopsis. The sediments survived reentry, as did some of the chemical biomarkers in the lacustrine sediment and the carbonaceous microfossils in the 3.5 Ga-old sediment survived (away from the fusion crust). An increase in the crystallinity of the carbon in both sediments was noted. The Chroococcidiopsis did not survive but their carbonised remains did. Thus sedimentary meteorites from Mars could reach the surface of the Earth and, if they contain traces of fossil life, these traces could be preserved. However, living organisms may need more than 2cm of rock protection.
Brack André
Brandstetter F.
Cockell Charles S.
Demets René
Edwards Howell G. M.
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