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M E THE SSBAPIGLAESLG P FENER Y4COEIMAL SKENIDESW’ — C P MIDDTLIEO!NU ILNL -TOUT PLANETARY H E REPORT JUNE 2011 SOLSTICE VOLUME 31, NUMBER 3 www.planetary.org SHUTTLE LIFE OUR TINY PASSENGERS HAVE RETURNED TO EARTH PLANETARY CAVE DWELLING C 10,000+ SCIENTISTS IN VIENNA C FISCAL YEAR 2010 ANNUAL REPORT SNAPSHOTS FROM SPACE EMILY STEWART LAKDAWALLA blogs at planetary.org/blog. ASCRAEUS MONS Viking Redux New data from old images PAVONIS MONS RECENT ORBITERS TO MARS have revolution- ized our view of the Red Planet, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s little of value in the collection of images snapped by the twin Viking orbiters from 1976 to 1980. But you’d be wrong. The two Vikings covered the entire NOCTIS LABYRINTHUS planet through two color filters, red and violet, and these color data still form the basis for most global color views of Mars generated by both professionals and amateurs today. Not SYRIA PLANUM many people are keen on working with the Vi- king data to craft aesthetically beautiful images of Mars, because the data have lots of blem- ishes, including missing lines and a speckling effect from noise in data transmission, but the CLARITAS FOSSAE effort is worth it. The view here was generated by Daniel Macháček, who brought out subtle color varia- tions across Mars’ southern hemisphere by synthesizing a green image from the red- and violet-filter data. At the northern end is As- craeus Mons, one of the three great Tharsis vol- Im a g canoes near Mars’ equator. In the south is the e: N A cloudy, icy Martian pole, which was just sink- S A ing into the twilight of polar winter. In between, / J P L the image mosaic crosses Noctis Labyrinthus, a / D a maze of collapsed pits and fissures that forms n ie the western reach of Valles Marineris, and also l M a c Claritas Fossae, an area fractured by the stress há ˇc e imposed on Mars’ crust by the lava deposits of k the Tharsis volcanoes. — Emily Stewart Lakdawalla LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS IMAGE PLANETARY.ORG/SNAPSHOTS DISCOVER MORE ABOUT AMATEUR IMAGE PROCESSING PLANETARY.ORG/PROGRAMS/PROJECTS/AMATEUR SEE MORE EVERY DAY! PLANETARY.ORG/BLOG CONTACT US Planetary Society 85 South Grand Avenue Pasadena, CA 91105-1602 General Calls: 626-793-5100 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: planetary.org 2 THE PLANETARY REPORT C JUNE SOLSTICE 2011 SNAPSHOTS FROM SPACE CONTENTS JUNE SOLSTICE 2011 8 COVER STORY Shuttle LIFE Organisms Return The science has just begun after a successful trip to space for our microorganism friends. The lessons learned from this experiment will aid in the preparation for Phobos LIFE. By Bruce Betts 10 Planetary Cave Dwelling Using the existing shielding provided by caves is one viable option for habitation on Mars. Lava tubes provide ready-made caves just below Mars’ surface. By Jacques Blamont 16 A Symphony of Voices in Vienna What to do with 10,725 scientists in Vienna? Show how the Planetary Society is supporting the quest to find new planets! By James D. Burke and Andrea Carroll 20 Annual Report to Our Members Looking back at the year in numbers and milestones passed. By Dan Geraci MIDDLE OF THE MAGAZINE Planetary Society Kids Too hot or too cold in space? Demonstrate at home how spacecraft maintain temperature! DEPARTMENTS 2 Snapshots from Space Viking redux. 4 Your Place in Space Change is in the air! Bill Nye speaks about the exciting new opportunities and challenges that the Society faces. 6 What’s Up? Don’t miss the Perseid meteor shower. 7 Volunteer Spotlight Pasadena volunteers. 7 Q&A Does dark matter affect the speed of light? 17 Factinos Voyager finds bubbles; the Milky Way’s twin? 18 Advocating Space Charlene Anderson says U.S. space policy needs a course correction. 22 Society News Celebrating Louis Friedman. 24 MySky A new Members-only benefit. ON THE COVER: They’re back! This scanning electron microscope image, enlarged 450 times, shows the abdomen and legs of a tardigrade, or water bear. As precursors to the Planetary Society’s Phobos LIFE (Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment) mission, a bunch of these seemingly indestructible little animals, along with a specialized group of microbial cohorts, flew into space as part of Shuttle LIFE. Launched on space shuttle Endeavour’s final voyage, Shuttle LIFE (along with Phobos LIFE), will test the idea that living organisms can survive in space, potentially “seeding” one world with life from another. More than 1,000 species of water bears can be found in all regions of our planet. Photo: Martin Kage, Peter Arnold Images CONTACT US The Planetary Report (ISSN 0736-3680) is published quarterly at the editorial offices Editor CHARLENE M. ANDERSON Planetary Society of the Planetary Society, 85 South Grand Avenue, Pasadena CA 91105-1602, 626- Managing Editor JENNIFER VAUGHN 85 South Grand Avenue 793-5100. It is available to members of the Planetary Society. Annual dues in the Associate Editor DONNA ESCANDON STEVENS Pasadena, CA 91105-1602 United States are $37 (U.S. dollars); in Canada, $40 (Canadian dollars). Dues in other Art Director LOREN A. ROBERTS for HEARKEN CREATIVE General Calls: 626-793-5100 countries are $57 (U.S. dollars). Printed in USA. Third-class postage at Pasadena, Copy Editor A. J. SOBCZAK E-mail: [email protected] California, and at an additional mailing office. Canada Post Agreement Number Proofreader LOIS SMITH Internet: planetary.org 87424. Technical Editor JAMES D. BURKE Science Editor BRUCE BETTS Viewpoints expressed in columns and editorials are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent positions of the Planetary Society, its officers, or its advisers. © 2011 by the Planetary Society. YOUR PLACE IN SPACE COFOUNDER BILL NYE is executive director CARL SAGAN 1934–1996 of the Planetary Society. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman of the Board DAN GERACI CEO, Iron Age Consulting Corp. President JAMES BELL Contracting to Expand Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University Vice President HEIDI HAMMEL Senior Research Scientist and Co-Director, Looking forward to the Society’s future Research, Space Science Institute Executive Director BILL NYE science educator AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, THE EARTH’S TILT flects the times; we’re changing along with ANN DRUYAN tips the Planetary Society headquarters in so much of our world, where information is Chief Executive Officer, Cosmos Studios California toward the summer Sun. Along accessible almost instantaneously and via so LOUIS D. FRIEDMAN Cofounder with the change in seasons this year come many channels. G. SCOTT HUBBARD professor, Stanford University changes at your Planetary Society. You’re WESLEY T. HUNTRESS JR. holding our first Solstice Issue of The Plan- WE MADE SOME MOVES Director Emeritus, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington etary Report. Our plan now is to become a The last couple of years have been tough on LON LEVIN SkySevenVentures quarterly publication that will go out to you many of our colleagues, friends, and family ALEXIS LIVANOS on the solstices and equinoxes of each year. members. The economy may be recovering, Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Northrop Grumman For our Northern Hemisphere members, I but many people have had to make some JOHN LOGSDON hope this is the start of a great summer. To hard choices about their charitable contribu- Professor Emeritus, Space Policy Institute, The George Washington University our many members south of the Earth’s tions. Overall, the Society is in steady financial Advisory Council Chair CHRISTOPHER P. McKAY equator, I hope this issue brightens the shape, thanks to you, our Members, and to planetary scientist shorter days. the savvy sale last year of the house that held BRUCE MURRAY Cofounder our headquarters. But we must be vigilant. ELON MUSK Chairman and CEO, SpaceX FROM SIX TO FOUR ISSUES We moved to smaller offices, and we’ve JOSEPH RYAN At the Planetary Society, we’re busier than cut back in what I feel are appropriate places. Ryan Investments, LLP ever. As I write, we’re making arrangements As you can imagine, the costs of printing our BIJAL “BEE” THAKORE Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific, for our Shuttle LIFE spacefaring organisms magazine and sending it to you through the Space Generation Advisory Council NEIL deGRASSE TYSON to be analyzed, now that they’re back here mail are significant. While we’re finding astrophysicist and Director, Hayden Planetarium, on Earth after their trip on Endeavour. We’re more efficient ways to keep you up to date, American Museum of Natural History aggressively testing the software and torqu- please make sure that you have given us your INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ROGER-MAURICE BONNET ing the last few screws on our LightSail-1 e-mail address. You can e-mail our office at Executive Director, International Space Science Institute spacecraft, even while looking for a ride to [email protected], call our friendly staff at YASUNORI MATOGAWA Associate Executive Director, space. Of course, we also continue in the 626-793-5100, or go to our website and sign Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency fight for a measured and productive space up for e-mails at planetary.org/emailupdates. MAMORU MOHRI Director, National Museum policy that will push forward our shared I expect you have noticed the new look of Emerging Science and Innovation dreams of exploration. of your Planetary Report, prompted by our RISTO PELLINEN Director of Science in Space Research, We’re also devoting our energies to get- new designer, Loren Roberts. Our original Finnish Meteorological Institute ADVISORY COUNCIL ting more information to you faster. The new designer, Barbara Smith, was part of our BUZZ ALDRIN RICHARD BERENDZEN communication channels open to you and team for 31 years, but now she has chosen JACQUES BLAMONT RAY BRADBURY me hold the promise of bringing us closer to- to retire. As a tribute to the iconic style she ROBERT. D. BRAUN DAVID BRIN gether and making us a more effective force developed, and in keeping with what all of JAMES CANTRELL FRANKLIN CHANG-DIAZ for space exploration. us seem to love about The Planetary Report, FRANK DRAKE OWEN GARRIOTT Fundamentally, because so much infor- our cover will remain one beautiful, unclut- GARRY E. HUNT BRUCE JAKOSKY mation is available on the Web these days, tered image of some place in outer space or THOMAS D. JONES SERGEI KAPITSA we have made the change from six issues our own gorgeous planet Earth. CHARLES E. KOHLHASE JR. LAURIE LESHIN per year to four. We’ve found ourselves put- We will continue to feature in-depth ar- JON LOMBERG ROSALY LOPES ting the news of discoveries in space and ticles, written by the world’s experts in their HANS MARK JOHN MINOGUE space policies on our website, reserving the fields. As you know, this is information that ROBERT PICARDO JOHN RHYS-DAVIES printed Planetary Report for in-depth stories, would be difficult to find anywhere else. KIM STANLEY ROBINSON DONNA L. SHIRLEY interviews, and insights. This change re- We’ll work to present the information you KEVIN STUBE 4 THE PLANETARY REPORT C JUNE SOLSTICE 2011 YOUR PLACE IN SPACE like effectively, in a readable and engaging layout, so that despite fewer issues per year, the magazine will still be rich with accessible and valuable information. Space exploration is a human endeavor of the highest aspiration. Science is a process by which we learn about nature and how we fit into the universe. In The Planetary Report, we have room and the inclination to capture the viewpoint of each author. We find out not only what authors are working on but also how they feel about their discoveries. As Carl Sagan often said, when you’re in love, you want to tell the world. So it is with our authors. We’ll give them room to share with you their love of space and science. Along with DOING IT FOR THE KIDS kids in elementary and I hope you also noticed the new kids’ pages, high school, we want to engage college stu- ABOVE We are proud to unveil which will be included right in the middle dents. We’ve established new college chap- the new look of The Planetary Report. We are working on of the magazine. You can easily remove this ters at Georgia Tech and Arizona State Uni- ways to communicate even section to share with your own children, versity, both in the United States. We also more effectively with you— grandchildren, or someone else’s kids, or to are working with the international Students our Members—online. experiment a bit yourself. for the Development and Exploration of With a few important exceptions, every- Space (SEDS). We hope soon to have a simi- one I’ve met who is excited about space to- lar relationship with student chapters of the day became interested when he or she was American Institute for Aeronautics and As- THIS IS YOUR young—before leaving elementary school. tronautics (AIAA). ORGANIZATION, To inspire the next generation of space ex- I also hope to develop closer ties to the AND I WANT TO plorers, we’re working to provide material International Space University (ISU), head- HEAR FROM YOU. for them in each issue. We hope these pages quartered in France, which holds programs E-mail me at will engage entire families in sharing and around the world. I look forward to seeing [email protected] learning about space together. old friends and making new ones at the In- or send a letter to As you may know, I have some small expe- ternational Astronautical Congress (IAC) and Bill Nye at rience in this area. I’m in love with science, at the young professionals’ Space Genera- The Planetary Society so I want to tell the world, especially the tion Congress. The two events will be held 85 South Grand Ave. young world, as much as I can. We will have back-to-back in Cape Town, South Africa Pasadena, CA 91105 some wonderful facts in each kids’ section, later this year. and we will have at least one demonstration We want to help young people make Find more informa- or experiment that readers of any age can contacts in the aerospace industry, and tion at planetary.org/ do at home, providing a chance to do some we especially want their ideas and their yourplace hands-on scientific work. continued on next page… THE PLANETARY REPORT C JUNE SOLSTICE 2011 5 What’s Up? By Bruce Betts IN THE SKY Yellowish Saturn goes from high to low in the west as summer progresses. It is near Virgo’s bright star Spica, and, on August 3, look for it next to the crescent Moon. In the predawn sky, very bright Jupiter is high in the east and dimmer, reddish Mars is far below it. Both get high- er over the weeks. The Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 12 and 13, but increased activity can be seen from several days P Pbbeeesfrost erseihd otsow t yeseprsvic eoarfla ltyl h daear yyees o aanr,fe twe oirt.f h Tt ahhnee lanetary R oaffruvuoletlm rMtah ogaeoe dd noai mnfr kem6 a0seri trtme hm,e ebe tpueteeoto artrkshs wi.pse ilyrl e whaaors uhar adio image: The P lanetary S ociety. S huttle im RANDOM SPACE FACT When age: N A the Space Shuttle Endeavour SA completed its final flight on ABOVE Our May 28, 2011 Planetary Radio Live show was a great success. Here we see guest Mike June 1, 2011, this youngest space Brown, left, speaking with Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan and Society Executive Director Bill Nye. shuttle orbiter had flown 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times, and inherently fresh perspectives to help extend munities. Along with our podcasts, we are traveled 122,883,151 miles, all our species’ reach into the solar system and expanding and updating our presence on the since its first flight in 1992. The Planetary Society’s Shuttle LIFE beyond—a goal you and I share through our Web, Facebook, and Twitter. As new social experiment flew on its final membership in the Planetary Society. media emerge and augment or even supplant mission. Follow me on Twitter: these current ones, we’ll be there—sending @RandomSpaceFact ON THE AIR information around the world at the speed of TRIVIA CONTEST Our Novem- ber/December contest winner is During the last year, Planetary Radio became light. It’s vital to any modern organization. In João Matos of Setubal, Portugal. better and better, thanks in large part to the addition, face it (pun intended)—it’s just fun. Congratulations! vision and professionalism of its producer The Question was: In light-years, and host, our own Mat Kaplan. We did a live FINDING YOUR PLACE IN SPACE how far away is Proxima Cen- tauri, the closest star to Earth show in May with a studio audience, who Finally, as you hold this first Solstice Issue, besides the Sun? The Answer: had a great time. Given that success, we hope I hope you feel, as I do, that the Planetary 4.22 light-years away. to expand our live shows this year and take Society has taken the next step in our evo- Try to win a free year’s Planetary Planetary Radio to new heights … or new ho- lution. Our goal is to keep our important Society membership and a Plan- rizons. Please keep an ear out for “Plan Rad,” work going. We aim to foster a scientifically etary Radio T-shirt by answering this question: as Mat likes to call it. If you miss the show on literate populace, one in which every citizen Mars’ atmosphere is 95% your local radio station, catch it by podcast knows and appreciates other worlds as well carbon dioxide. What is the from planetary.org/radio. There, you can as this one. We will strive to include people second most common gas in also peruse our archives, which go back to in every country on Earth, seeking and un- the Martian atmosphere? our first show, in November 2002. Give us 30 derstanding other worlds and other forms of E-mail your answer to planetaryreport@ planetary.org or mail your answer to The Plane- minutes; we’ll give you the universe! life for the betterment of all humankind. tary Report, 85 South Grand Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105. Make sure you include the answer Thanks for your support. Together, we and your name, mailing address, and e-mail address (if you have one). Submissions must be THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA can change the world. received by September 1, 2011. The winner will We humans love to be part of communi- be chosen by a random drawing from among all the correct entries received. ties. Because we now can interact with one For a weekly dose of “What’s Up?” complete another from anywhere on Earth, we want with humor, a weekly trivia contest, and a range of significant space and science fiction guests, the Planetary Society to be one of your com- Bill Nye listen to Planetary Radio at planetary.org/radio. 6 THE PLANETARY REPORT C JUNE SOLSTICE 2011 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT Q&A Q We know that dark matter and dark energy exist, although, as I understand it, we do not know much about them. Is it possible that dark matter and/or dark energy could be affecting the speed of light as we view it? Could a varying speed of light in space be affecting our perception of where things are in the universe? Also, could dark matter, dark energy, and forces associ- ated with them be affecting our search for extraterrestrial life? —Judith C. Enos, Auburn, 4% NORMAL MATTER Pasadena Volunteers Step Up California CAN YOU IMAGINE KIDS, PARENTS, AND TEACH- ers getting together on a Friday night on pur- AAs far as we know, no current pose? In Pasadena, California at Longfellow measurements or theories of Elementary School, the annual Stargazing dark matter and dark energy 21% DARK MATTER Night gets bigger every year. This year, the change the SETI picture. The first Planetary Society was invited to participate reason is scale: dark matter might in the festivities, and, thanks to our Pasade- affect the movement of stars around 75% DARK ENERGY na Volunteers, we made quite a splash. the galaxy, but it has no effect in our Geovanni Somoza manned his homemade neighborhood of a few thousand light- telescope on the school playground, and on- years, and only a minor effect across the lookers were treated to views of Jupiter and 100,000 light-years of our galaxy. Dark en- the Orion nebula. He could barely keep up ergy affects only the universe as a whole, at bil- with the long line of excited observers. lions of light-years, and has no effect within the ABOVE In this chart, the slice labeled “normal matter” Meanwhile, Mary Brown and Chuck Dorn nearest million or so galaxies, let alone inside represents everything we see regaled waves of children and families with our own galaxy. and know about in the cosmos their display of light, prisms, and lasers. Dark matter is so named because it doesn’t to this point. The remaining The Planetary Society has been asked to interact with light, electricity, or magnetism. 96 percent of the universe return next year, and we had so much fun, Even though gravitational observations lead comprises elusive dark energy and dark matter. At present, we are looking forward to it! us to believe that most of the mass in our these mysterious forces have Thanks, Pasadena Volunteers, for all you galaxy is dark matter, researchers are hard no known effect on SETI mea- do to keep the local community enthused at work trying to detect even a few particles surements. about space and exploration. Your passion of the stuff. The vast majority passes right makes a difference! through Earth without any effect. ABOVE LEFT Planetary Society volunteer Mary With regard to the speed of light, dark mat- Brown excites kids about light Volunteer Spotlight shares the personal sto- ter and energy do affect the way light travels, at Longfellow Elementary ries and achievements of Planetary Society but only in the way that Einstein’s general School in Pasadena, Cali- volunteers. If you know a Planetary Society theory of relativity predicts that everything fornia. volunteer who is working hard in your com- with mass or energy does. In fact, it’s through munity—or if you are that volunteer—we want these effects that dark matter in other galax- to know about it. Please send a brief update ies can be mapped out: light from a galaxy far and photo to [email protected] away is bent and squeezed a bit by the dark so we can share it here or on our website at matter in a galaxy in between. PLANETARY.ORG/SPOTLIGHT. —Jason Gallicchio, Harvard University THE PLANETARY REPORT C JUNE SOLSTICE 2011 7 DEVELOPMENTS IN SPACE SCIENCE BRUCE BETTS is director of projects for the Planetary Society. Shuttle LIFE Organisms Return A Successful Test Run for Phobos IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT periment) module that will We took the first step of May 31, 2011, millions of launch this fall to Mars’ toward answering these passengers returned safely to moon Phobos and back. questions with Shuttle LIFE Earth as part of the great con- Both Shuttle LIFE and by testing the survivability clusion to space shuttle En- Phobos LIFE will help us of five kinds of hearty organ- deavour’s final flight, STS-134. determine if life could isms in Earth orbit for 15 days. The opportunity to fly on En- deavour came up quickly, and thanks to you—our Members— we were able to jump at the chance to test our organisms on a short spaceflight before sending them off on a three- year journey. We sealed the Shuttle LIFE organisms inside Delrin plastic tubes within argon (a gas that won’t interact with the organisms). This is the same procedure we used to pack the organisms for Phobos LIFE. The Shuttle LIFE tubes then were loaded into a commercial experiment block from Nanoracks, LLC U called CREST-1 (Commercial Im pper im RSceiuesnacbel e& TEexcphenroimloegnyt)s. for age: NASA age: the P AaIEEnnxBntpdeOde rVetdnhaEiaevt tTiodioohuonnirc s2 akw i7elm a dScsap rs etgapawecak e ocem efSn etts ahbmhteyuib otetnrle Tepgethraroersj y em cwSate.ojorceri ietptyya o’rsft tShohofu sttethl epe aLPssIlFeannE-- pltriroflaeacv nkiese cl t eosnjn.ea tctaFutioerndari nl loyginff sbs ooteamntnweec e pefeo,l narmn ifte h otea—f CltooRa IEd fiSiwnnTdeg-1n ,t oo auftn ord tFh oIlew o wnrit adusPab lepafsonle rea itsntahertdoey lanetary Society; lower im Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz rapTihda nrkess ptoon oseu,r wMee mwbeerres’ asa ys,e cMonadrs——saanyd, Emaratkhe—s ciotu tldo uSoncteieetry C Aoroizrodninaa Rtoerg Vioenraoln Vicoal- age: NA TMA-20 following its undock- SA ing on May 23, 2011. able to fly five kinds of crea- the life survive the journey? Ann Zabala-Aliberto as part tures from all three domains With our LIFE projects, we of the team that was loading of life. The organisms were will go where no one ever has, the tubes. The fully loaded part of our Shuttle LIFE to help determine the plausi- CREST-1 then was loaded project, an outgrowth of bility of the transport of life into the shuttle within two our Phobos LIFE (Living between planets, which is days of launch. Interplanetary Flight Ex- called transpermia. After Endeavour and 8 THE PLANETARY REPORT C JUNE SOLSTICE 2011 Meet the Microbes… Water bears made the trip aboard Shuttle LIFE with four other microorganisms: Conan the Bacterium, Joe Bacteria, Old Salty, and the Fire Eaters. The organisms were packed into sample tubes, which were contained in wells inside a shuttle experiment payload. TARDIGRADES (water bears) CONAN THE BACTERIUM JOE BACTERIA OLD SALTY FIRE EATER Members of the animal king- This strain of bacterium is Bacillus subtilis is a “model Haloarcula marismortui—a Pyrococcus furiosus was dom, water bears are “huge” so hardy it has the nickname organism,” a standard bacte- type of single-celled organism discovered in 1986 in volcani- microorganisms compared Conan the Bacterium. Where- rium used over and over again called archaeons—lives in cally heated ocean sediments with the other LIFE travelers. as 10 Gy (Grays) of radiation in many different biological extremely salty environments. off the coast of Italy, and Their bodies are composed would kill an average human, experiments. Bacillus subtilis If ancient Mars had water on it thrives in temperatures of four segments, each with Deinococcus radiodurans can is also quite radiation resis- its surface at some point in between 70 and more than two legs ending in claws. survive a whopping 5,000 Gy. tant and has a long history the past, it was in all likeli- 100 degrees Celsius (158 and Water bears are extremo- More than one third of the of space biology missions, hood very briny. Any life that 212 degrees Fahrenheit). But philes, which means they can cells will even survive a dose going back to the days of existed there probably would interplanetary space isn’t hot; adapt to some pretty hostile of 15,000 Gy! That’s an ideal Apollo. That will allow a good have lived in those salty seas. nor is the surface of Mars environments—from about trait for long journeys through comparison point between It’s important to learn if such or Phobos. So why send a 150 degrees Celsius (about the dangerous radiation of Shuttle LIFE and some of a salt-loving organism can heat-seeking extremophile on 302 degrees Fahrenheit, or outer space. the other spaceflights of this survive a long journey through the journey? There is always hot enough to bake biscotti) bacterium. space. the small risk that somewhere to just a few degrees above in processing the payload, absolute zero. Plus, they’re some mistake would cause it radiation resistant. to overheat. If we found that only Pyrococcus furiosus survived the trip, this would indicate that overheating rather than conditions in space caused the loss of the other organisms. BELOW From left, Amy Smith, our LIFE tubes returned aerobic archaea species, the results showed there ATCC; Bruce Betts; and Tim from space, the Nanoracks Pyrococcus furiosus; and a were many survivors of all Lilburn, ATCC, pose with team and their colleagues salt-loving archaea species, three species. Of course, the the sealed tubes destined for removed the tiny tubes Haloarcula marismortui—are work has only just begun; flight on Endeavour. from the tiny wells and undergoing the first steps more detailed analyses are shipped the tubes back to in the process of analysis at in process on both sides of where most of them origi- ATCC. the Atlantic. We’ll continue nated: our partner, ATCC in At ATCC, the freeze-dried to update you on the results Virginia, the leading reposi- samples were placed into as we receive them in The tory for microorganisms in “broths”—environments Planetary Report and on the the United States. specific to each organism Web at planetary.org/life. We shipped two sets of (for example, Pyrococcus Shuttle LIFE was a great U unopened tubes back to furiosus got a sulfur-rich success! It gave us an oppor- pper im our partners in Europe: Ba- liquid at nearly the tempera- tunity for a “dress rehearsal” age: the P ctoil luPs etsruab tiRliest tbMeWrg0, 1 Mwareknot ttuimree ,o ef abcohi loinrgga wniastmer )w. iOll vbeer tfohre cPhhaonbcoes tLoI FruEn. Wther ohuagdh lanetary Society; lower im Wwatagiaretdshnsi cgmDyrLa;a Rnd,,e t tshh,ae eon Grd ee wvrmaecotrae-lpnlreo absppgeuuaalceraessr, “cigtoraomtSiwhninnogg r om twluyote r”ee ki anasf nttaehanrild sy s wmeoasop yine,n tnf hatihncs.iegl- coareenutddru u rrrPneehsfis.o ntbhSeoah stou pwttLeelIer’Fa llEt Liu oIsFnceEaa wp l sahpulerslonoe- age: NA wate ntK rtios tiaInngsetamda r UJönnivsesorsni- ethaec ht usbaems,p lwee, mtoioxke ds oitm wei tohf aplrloovwidinegd us rteoa ll earnsc imenocree, S A ty in Sweden for analysis. liquid, and put it through about the reaction of organ- ABOVE Astronauts Greg The other organisms—a ra- a machine I like to call the isms to spaceflight and pro- Chamitoff (left) and Mark diation-resistant bacteria “Machine of the Living Dead” viding points of comparison Kelly in the mid-deck of En- deavour during the STS-134 species, Deinococcus radio- because it counts living and for the deep-space, long- mission. The Shuttle LIFE durans; a heat-resistant an- dead cells. Our first look at term Phobos LIFE. experiment is in the oblong T h a n k s !Planetary Society Members made the Shuttle LIFE project possible with their generous donations. ethxep emriimddelnet o bfl tohcek pfliocatutirneg. in THE PLANETARY REPORT C JUNE SOLSTICE 2011 9 P a in tin g (o p p o site p a g e ): M ic h a e l C a rro ll P h o Imagining the interior of a Martian lava tube, Michael to Carroll recalls the long history of explorers on Earth (th who ventured into the unknown underground. is p a g They used caves as sacred spaces and made images e): S to understand mysteries of the cosmos. Their cave te p paintings represent a high point in the history of human he n imagination. Earthly explorers could carry this ancient B u g art form into the future on Mars. n o