The PROCESS Experiment: An Astrochemistry Laboratory for Solid and Gaseous Organic Samples in Low-Earth Orbit

Cottin, Hervé; Guan, Yuan Yong; Noblet, Audrey; Poch, Olivier; Saiagh, Kafila; Cloix, M.; Macari, Frederique; Jerôme, M.; Coll, Patrice; Raulin, F.; Stalport, Fabien; Szopa, Cyril; Bertrand, Marylène; Chabin, Annie; Westall, Francès; Chaput, Didier; Demets, R.; Brack, Andrè

doi:10.1089/ast.2011.0773

Cited by 30 publications

(24 citation statements)

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“…1), which was attached to the outside balcony of ESA's Columbus module of the ISS for 1.5 years . A detailed description of the whole PROCESS experiment and its accommodation in the EXPOSE-E facility is given by Cottin et al (2012).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2) were used as described in Cottin et al (2012). In brief, each cell was composed of two aluminum cylinders, which were placed in sample carriers that were situated one above the other.…”

Section: Flight Experiments Hardwarementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The films were a few hundred nanometers thick as measured by interferometry (Cottin et al, 2012). For …”

Section: Loading Of the Exposure Cellsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The PROCESS Experiment: Amino and Carboxylic Acids Under Mars-Like Surface UV Radiation Conditions in Low-Earth Orbit

et al. 2012

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The search for organic molecules at the surface of Mars is a top priority of the next Mars exploration space missions: Mars Science Laboratory (NASA) and ExoMars (ESA). The detection of organic matter could provide information about the presence of a prebiotic chemistry or even biological activity on this planet. Therefore, a key step in interpretation of future data collected by these missions is to understand the preservation of organic matter in the martian environment. Several laboratory experiments have been devoted to quantifying and qualifying the evolution of organic molecules under simulated environmental conditions of Mars. However, these laboratory simulations are limited, and one major constraint is the reproduction of the UV spectrum that reaches the surface of Mars. As part of the PROCESS experiment of the European EXPOSE-E mission on board the International Space Station, a study was performed on the photodegradation of organics under filtered extraterrestrial solar electromagnetic radiation that mimics Mars-like surface UV radiation conditions. Glycine, serine, phthalic acid, phthalic acid in the presence of a mineral phase, and mellitic acid were exposed to these conditions for 1.5 years, and their evolution was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy after their retrieval. The results were compared with data from laboratory experiments. A 1.5-year exposure to Marslike surface UV radiation conditions in space resulted in complete degradation of the organic compounds. Halflives between 50 and 150 h for martian surface conditions were calculated from both laboratory and low-Earth orbit experiments. The results highlight that none of those organics are stable under low-Earth orbit solar UV radiation conditions.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2) were used as described in Cottin et al (2012). In brief, each cell was composed of two aluminum cylinders, which were placed in sample carriers that were situated one above the other.…”

Section: Flight Experiments Hardwarementioning

confidence: 99%

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The PROCESS Experiment: Amino and Carboxylic Acids Under Mars-Like Surface UV Radiation Conditions in Low-Earth Orbit

et al. 2012

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“…The amino acids exposed in the free form were degraded by more than 40 %, while more than 80 % of the compounds associated with meteorite powder were preserved (Cottin et al 2012). The protective effect of the meteorite powder was confirmed with the 24 month exposure in the EXPOSE-R facility, onboard the Russian module of the International Space Station (Bertrand et al 2015).…”

Section: Definitionmentioning

confidence: 77%

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2015

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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DefinitionThe Earth is the planet on which we live. It is the third planet from the Sun and one of the telluric (small and rocky) planets of our ▶ Solar System. It has a mean radius of 6,371 km and a mean density of 5.515 g cm À3 . It is distinguished from other planets by the presence of ▶ continental crust, oceans, and ▶ life. Its unusually large core and satellite (the Moon) are believed to result from the collision of a Mars-sized body (protoplanet ▶ Theia) about 4.45 Ga ago.

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“…The residue of Titan 2 experiment shows the same signatures at 2850 and 2920 cm − 1 but is noisier, and the bands at 1600 and 3070 cm − 1 are less pronounced. As C 2 H 6 was the most abundant photochemical product detected in the previous PROCESS experiment (Cottin et al 2012), its spectrum is stacked on the top of Fig. 3.…”

Section: Methane Photolysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The AMINO experiment: methane photolysis under Solar VUV irradiation on the EXPOSE-R facility of the International Space Station

Carrasco

Cottin

Cloix

et al. 2014

International Journal of Astrobiology

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Abstract:The scientific aim of the present campaign is to study the whole chain of methane photo-degradation, as initiated by Solar vacuum-ultraviolet irradiation in Titan's atmosphere. For this purpose, the AMINO experiment on the EXPOSE-R mission has loaded closed cells for gas-phase photochemistry in space conditions. Two different gas mixtures have been exposed, named Titan 1 and Titan 2, involving both N 2 -CH 4 gas mixtures, without and with CO 2 , respectively. CO 2 is added as a source of reactive oxygen in the cells. The cell contents were analysed thanks to infrared absorption spectroscopy, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Methane consumption leads to the formation of saturated hydrocarbons, with no detectable influence of CO 2 . This successful campaign provides a first benchmark for characterizing the whole methane photochemical system in space conditions. A thin film of tholin-like compounds appears to form on the cell walls of the exposed cells.

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The PROCESS Experiment: An Astrochemistry Laboratory for Solid and Gaseous Organic Samples in Low-Earth Orbit

Cited by 30 publications

References 31 publications

The PROCESS Experiment: Amino and Carboxylic Acids Under Mars-Like Surface UV Radiation Conditions in Low-Earth Orbit

The PROCESS Experiment: Amino and Carboxylic Acids Under Mars-Like Surface UV Radiation Conditions in Low-Earth Orbit

E

The AMINO experiment: methane photolysis under Solar VUV irradiation on the EXPOSE-R facility of the International Space Station

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