The BIOPAN experiment MARSTOX II of the FOTON M-3 mission

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The experiment MARSTOX II on FOTON M-3 mission (September 14 - 26, 2007) was a further step in the study of the Responses of Organisms to the Martian Environment (ROME) which already started with first ground-based experiments in Mars simulation chambers and with the space experiment MARSTOX I, flown in 2005 in the ESA facility BIOPAN (Fig. 1) on FOTON M-2. The survivability of bacterial spores of B. subtilis, a well-characterized model system for highly resistant microorganisms, was investigated under the extreme environmental conditions as they exist on the surface of Mars. By use of exterrestrial UV radiation and cut-off filters the photoprotection and potential UV-phototoxicity of different minerals of the Martian soil were investigated.In MARSTOX II two further aspects were addressed (i) the influence of different concentrations of dust in the Martian atmosphere, which change the solar irradiance on the surface significantly compared to vacuum exposure under the same conditions (experiment parts 'DUST MARS' and 'DUST SPACE'), and (ii) the survivability of spores under martian atmosphere and pressure exposed to a mars-like spectral irradiance compared to vacuum exposure under the same conditions (experiment parts 'MIXED MARS' and 'MIXED SPACE') (Fig. 2 and 3). After exposure to space during the FOTON M-3 mission the sample analysis was performed at CEA in Grenoble, F, and at DLR in Cologne, D, together with parallel samples from the corresponding ground control experiment performed in the space simulation facilities at DLR. As biological endpoints in these investigations survival and UV-induced DNAphotoproducts were analysed.From the results of MARSTOX II the following conclusions can be drawn: (i) Spores mixed with martian soil analogue are protected only to a low degree against UV radiation. The protective effect of several defined layers of spores mixed with Martian soil analogue were quantified. (ii) The two investigated martian soil analogues, MRS07 (47.7 % Montmorillonite, 9.9 % Kaolinit, 21.3 % Hematite (+ SiO2), 13.0 % Anhydrite, 7.1 % Magnesiumsulfate, 1.0 % Sodiumchloride, 58 wt% of the minerals grainsize < 2 μm, 42 wt% ~ 0.2 mm) and H300 (Fe2O3, CAS Number 1309-37-1 512, grain size 300 nm), do not produce phototoxic effects. (iii) Their effects on spore survival are comparable irrespective of mineralogical composition and grain size. (iv) Martian analogue dust above spores protects to a higher degree against UV radiation under martian atmosphere and pressure than in vacuum. General conclusion: Bacterial spores as a potential terrestrial contamination could survive on Mars, if covered by a thin layer of martian soil.

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