The Open University in Space

Andrew Ball, 29 March 2008

Space in the OU Science Faculty• Planetary and Space Sciences

Research Institute– 75 people

• Earth & Environmental Sciences– 5 people (planetary

geomorphology, meteorites)• Physics & Astronomy

– 5 + astronomers (impacts, atmospheric physics, exoplanets)

• Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research

Space-Related OU Courses• S194 Introducing Astronomy• S196 Planets: An Introduction• S197 How the Universe Works• S199 Modelling the Climate• S250 Science In Context

– incl. NEOs• S282 Astronomy• S283 Planetary Science and the

Search for Life• SXR208 Observing the Universe• S357 Space, Time and Cosmology• See http://www.open.ac.uk/courses

CEPSAR’s Space Research• The formation of our Solar System • Minor bodies of the Solar System• Planetary surfaces (geology, geophysics,

geomorphology)• Planetary impacts• Planetary geochemistry• Origins and limits of life• Atmospheric science & climate• Exoplanets

Research pursued through…

• World-class geochemical laboratories

• Hardware contributions to space missions

• Planetary simulation laboratories (hypervelocity impact, planetary environment)

• Ground-based observations

Open University – flight heritage• Dust & debris detectors – ~30 years heritage• Giotto DIDSY• EuReCa, LDEF, HST solar arrays, Mars 96…• Ptolemy instrument on Rosetta Philae comet lander• Huygens Surface Science Package and entry

accelerometer• Beagle 2 – lander assembled at OU

–GAP and environmental sensors built at OU• Stardust, Genesis• ExoMars• D-CIXS and C1XS Co-Investigators• MIXS Principal Investigator

Cassini / Huygens

Prof. John Zarnecki

CDA

SSP ESA

What do mass spectrometers tell us?

• Elemental composition (H, N, O, S, Si, Al, Mg…..)

• Chemical information (H2O, organics?, …)

• Isotopic information (2H/1H, 15N/14N, 18O/17O/16O)

Philae

MPG / DLR

The MODULUS Mass Spectrometry concept: taking the PSSRI laboratory to the sample

Beagle 2 – Gas Analysis Package

Rosetta - Ptolemy

down to shoe box size…

The challenge: shrink a room full of equipment:

Methods

Of

Determining and

Understanding

Light elements from

Unequivocal

Stable isotope compositions

All isotopic results from MODULUS instruments (lab, comet, Mars, Moon…) are internally consistent and inter-comparable due to on-board reference materials

Isotope ratio mass spectrometer(where does water come from?)

Isotope ratios:2H/1H18O/17O/16O13C/12C15N/14N

Prof. Colin Pillinger

Summary of mass spectrometers available through OU

3 mm

GAP Ptolemy EVITA Micro MSBeagle 2 Rosetta lander Prototype PrototypeIsotope ratio MS GC-MS GC/MS,

direct entry, laser, etc.

Direct entry

C, N, O, H, Xe, Ar, Ne isotopes

Organics, volatiles,

Elemental/ molecular

Elemental/ molecular

6.5 kg <4.5 kg <1 kg 100 g?

70mm

ESA

ExoMars, 2013

• Advanced Environmental Package

• UV / Visible Spectrometer• Entry, Descent and

Landing Science

MoonLITE

SSTL

• Payload contributions:– Impact accelerometry

/ tilt–Volatiles detection /

geochemistry–Heat flow

Microbial Survival in Space• A study of interplanetary transfer of rock inhabiting life by means

of meteorites

• Three parts:• STONE – the effect of capturing and landing on another planet• BIOPAN VI – the effect of space travel on survival• EXPOSE – long term survival of organisms in space

• We are investigating the survival of photosynthetic bacteria (cyanobacteria) in a rock environment

• Samples were from the cliffs of Beer, Devon, UKKaren Olsson

• STONE• Re-entry experiment

• BIOPAN (VI)- 12 days in low orbit

Biopan lunched by a Russian Foton M3

• EXPOSE• Two years on the International Space Station,

part of EuTEF

Foton M3Biopan

EXPOSE

EuTEF

Karen Olsson

Other Missions• Sample Returns

–Stardust: cometary coma dust–Genesis: solar wind–Asteroids (Hayabusa, Marco Polo,…)–Mars Sample Return

• Outer planets flagship–TANDEM / TSSM–LaPlace / EJSM

Space on Your Bookshelf?

OU Ph.D. Opportunities!• See http://cepsar.open.ac.uk/

• Contacts:–PSSRI: Simon Green,

S.F.Green@open.ac.uk–Physics & Astronomy: Glenn White,

G.J.White@open.ac.uk–Earth & Env. Sciences: Janet Dryden,

J.L.Dryden@open.ac.uk