Vertical Entry Robot for Navigating Europa (VERNE) Mission and System Design

Bryson, F. E.; Nassif, Mohamed; Szot, Phillip A.; Chivers, Chase; Daniel, Nathan; Wiley, B.; Plattner, Taylor; Hanna, Ashley; Tomar, Yashvardhan; Rapoport, Samuel; Spiers, Elizabeth M.; Pierson, Sara; Hodges, Amorée; Lawrence, Justin; Mullen, Andrew; Dichek, Daniel; Hughson, K.; Meister, M. R.; Lightsey, E. Glenn; Schmidt, B. E.

doi:10.2514/6.2020-4061

Cited by 12 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Salts may also confound detection of organics on ocean worlds. Europa is the target of the Europa Clipper (Howell & Pappalardo, 2020) and Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Witasse & JUICE Teams., 2020) as well as possible surface missions that would characterize the composition of the surface materials and search for organics (Hand et al., 2017, 2021) and subsurface mission concepts that seek to access and explore the global liquid water ocean beneath Europa's thick ice shell (Bryson et al., 2020; Kivelson et al., 2000; B. Schmidt et al., 2021; Stone et al., 2018; Zacny et al., 2018). Predictions for the salt content and composition in Europa's ice shell and ocean are varied but include NaCl and MgSO 4 salts (Carlson et al., 2009; McCord, 2000; Trumbo et al., 2019) at brackish to saturated concentration (Buffo et al., 2020; Chivers et al., 2021; Hand & Chyba, 2007; Kivelson et al., 2000; B. E. Schmidt, 2020; Zolotov & Kargel, 2009; Zolotov & Shock, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to the ocean, there is potential for pockets of brine within the ice shell that could vary strongly in salinity depending upon their detailed evolution and age (Chivers et al., 2021; Collins & Nimmo, 2009; B. E. Schmidt et al., 2011). Potential preservation of organic molecules within these brines makes them a target of high interest for life detection (Bryson et al., 2020; Fisher et al., 2021; Lawrence et al., 2021; Merlino et al., 2018), however their salt content presents challenges to instruments for detecting organics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…E. Schmidt et al, 2011). Potential preservation of organic molecules within these brines makes them a target of high interest for life detection (Bryson et al, 2020;Fisher et al, 2021;Lawrence et al, 2021;Merlino et al, 2018), however their salt content presents challenges to instruments for detecting organics.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Development of the Miniature Robotic Electrodialysis (MR ED) System for Small‐Scale Desalting of Liquid Samples With Recovery of Organics

Bryson

Ingall

Hanna

et al. 2023

Earth and Space Science

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While liquid environments with high salt content are of broad interest to the Earth and Planetary Science communities, instruments face challenges in detecting organics in hypersaline samples due to the effects of salts. Therefore, technology to desalt samples before analysis by these instruments would be enabling for liquid sampling on missions to Mars or ocean worlds. Electrodialysis (ED) removes salt from aqueous solutions by applying an electric potential across a series of ion‐selective membranes, and is demonstrated to retain a significant percentage of dissolved organic molecules (DOM) in marine samples. However, current electrodialysis systems used for DOM recovery are too large for deployment on missions or for use in terrestrial fieldwork. Here, we present the design and evaluation of the Miniature Robotic Electrodialysis (MR ED) system, which is approximately 1/20th the size of heritage instruments and processes as little as 50 mL of sample at a time. We present tests of the instrument efficiency and DOM recovery using lab‐created solutions as well as natural samples taken from an estuary of the Skidaway River (Savannah, GA) (Verity, 2002) and from South Bay Saltworks (San Diego, CA) (Roseman & Watry, 2008; Survey, 2011). Our results show that the MR ED system removed 97%–99% of the salts in most samples, with an average DOC recovery range from 53% to 77%, achieving similar capability to tabletop instruments. This work both demonstrates MR ED as a possible field instrument and increases the technology readiness level of miniaturized electrodialysis systems for future missions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development of the Miniature Robotic Electrodialysis (MR ED) System for Small‐Scale Desalting of Liquid Samples With Recovery of Organics

Bryson

Ingall

Hanna

et al. 2023

Earth and Space Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Salts may also confound detection of organics on ocean worlds. Europa is the target of the Europa Clipper (Howell & Pappalardo, 2020) and Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Witasse & JUICE Teams, 2020) as well as possible surface missions that would characterize the composition of the surface materials and search for organics (Hand et al, 2021(Hand et al, , 2017 and subsurface mission concepts that seek to access and explore the global liquid water ocean beneath Europa's thick ice shell (Kivelson et al, 2000;Bryson et al, 2020;Stone et al, 2018;Zacny et al, 2018). Predictions for the salt content and composition in Europa's ice shell and ocean are varied but include NaCl and MgSO4 salts (Carlson et al, 2009;McCord, 2000;Trumbo et al, 2019) at brackish to saturated concentration (Buffo et al, 2020;Chivers et al, 2021;Hand & Chyba, 2007;Kivelson et al, 2000;B.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of the Miniature Robotic Electrodialysis (MR ED) System for Small-Scale Desalting of Liquid Samples with Recovery of Organics

Bryson

Ingall

Hanna

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While liquid environments with high salt content are of broad interest to the Earth and Planetary Science communities, instruments face challenges in detecting organics in hypersaline samples due to the effects of salts. Therefore, technology to desalt samples before analysis by these instruments would be enabling for liquid sampling on missions to Mars or ocean worlds. Electrodialysis (ED) removes salt from aqueous solutions by applying an electric potential across a series of ionselective membranes, and is demonstrated to retain a significant percentage of dissolved organic molecules (DOM) in marine samples. However, current electrodialysis systems used for DOM recovery are too large for deployment on missions or for use in terrestrial fieldwork. Here we present the design and evaluation of the Minature Robotic Electrodialysis (MR ED) system, which is approximately 1/20th the size of heritage instruments and processes as little as 50 mL of sample at a time. We present tests of the instrument efficiency and DOM recovery using lab-created solutions as well as natural samples taken from an estuary of the Skidaway River (Savannah, GA) and from South Bay Saltworks (San Diego, CA). Our results show that the MR ED system removed 97-99% of the salts in most samples, with an average DOC recovery range from 53 to 77%, achieving similar capability to tabletop instruments. This work both demonstrates MR ED as a possible field instrument and increases the technology readiness level of miniaturized electrodialysis systems for future missions.

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“…The transport of ocean-derived reductants and surface-derived oxidants across ice shells (via fractures, plumes, subduction/subsumption, or solid-state convection) has been suggested as a mechanism that could facilitate disequilibrated ocean chemistries and support redox driven metabolism [Allu Peddinti and McNamara, 2015;. Our current and near future understanding of icy world interiors is fundamentally dependent on remote sensing measurements and our ability to relate these observations to internal dynamics and properties (e.g., inferring ocean composition/habitability, determining instrument detection limits, quantifying putative biosignature expression) [Bryson et al, 2020;Gleeson et al, 2012;Kalousova et al, 2017;Schmidt, 2020;Schmidt and Buffo, 2017;Schroeder et al, 2016].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geometry of Freezing Impacts Ice Composition: Implications for Icy Satellites

Buffo

Meyer

Chivers

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Non-ice impurities within the ice shells of ocean worlds (e.g., Europa, Enceladus, Titan) are believed to play a fundamental role in their geophysics and habitability and may become a surface expression of subsurface ocean properties. Heterogeneous entrainment and distribution of impurities within planetary ice shells have been proposed as mechanisms that can drive ice shell overturn, generate diverse geological features, and facilitate ocean-surface material transport critical for maintaining a habitable subsurface ocean. However, current models of ice shell composition suggest that impurity rejection at the ice-ocean interface of thick contemporary ice shells will be exceptionally efficient, resulting in relatively pure, homogeneous ice. As such, additional mechanisms capable of facilitating enhanced and heterogeneous impurity entrainment are needed to reconcile the observed physicochemical diversity of planetary ice shells. Here we investigate the potential for hydrologic features within planetary ice shells (sills and basal fractures), and the unique freezing geometries they promote, to provide such a mechanism. By simulating the two-dimensional thermal and physicochemical evolution of these hydrological features as they solidify, we demonstrate that bottom-up solidification at sill floors and horizontal solidification at fracture walls generate distinct ice compositions and provide mechanisms for both enhanced and heterogeneous impurity entrainment. We compare our results with magmatic and metallurgic analogs that exhibit similar micro-and macroscale chemical zonation patterns during solidification. Our results suggest variations in ice-ocean/brine interface geometry could play a fundamental role in introducing compositional heterogeneities into planetary ice shells and cryoconcentrating impurities in (re)frozen hydrologic features.

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Vertical Entry Robot for Navigating Europa (VERNE) Mission and System Design

Cited by 12 publications

References 29 publications

Development of the Miniature Robotic Electrodialysis (MR ED) System for Small‐Scale Desalting of Liquid Samples With Recovery of Organics

Development of the Miniature Robotic Electrodialysis (MR ED) System for Small‐Scale Desalting of Liquid Samples With Recovery of Organics

Development of the Miniature Robotic Electrodialysis (MR ED) System for Small-Scale Desalting of Liquid Samples with Recovery of Organics

Geometry of Freezing Impacts Ice Composition: Implications for Icy Satellites

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