Validating UV/VIS spectrometer for exobiology

Exobiology is the study of life in space. Bacteria, seeds, lichens, algae and even water bears have been exposed to space to investigate whether life can survive spaceflight.

ESA looked to bring a next generation Exobiology Facility to an external platform outside the European Columbus module of the Space Station. The proposed Exobiology Facility, meant to host up to seven different experiments, would retain the unique features of the ISS, such as long-term exposure and sample return capability.

Ultraviolet-visible (UV/VIS) spectroscopy is a key non-invasive technique for analyzing samples directly in space. To support this, a UV/VIS spectrometer was selected as one of the core instruments for ESA’s future Exobiology Facility. A precursor technology demonstration was conducted in orbit to test the spectrometer’s critical functions and its fibre-optic switch. This helped refine the instrument for real-time, in-situ analysis of biological and non-biological samples exposed to space conditions. The successful demonstration paved the way for ESA’s planned Exobiology Facility, which will build on these capabilities to study the effects of solar and cosmic radiation directly in orbit.

SPECTRODemo was developed on behalf of ESA by OHB System AG, in cooperation with the US company Ocean Optics. The mission operations tested for 75 days in autonomous mode and data was made directly available to the operational centre located at OHB’s Human Spaceflight department in Bremen.

As such, a facility like ICE Cubes internal to the International Space Station can allow for precursor in-orbit demonstration and validation of an instrument intended for external exobiology research.

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