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equipment the size of microchips. The technological advances
being made are greatly improving the field of robotic exploration and experimentation in ways never thought possible in the
past. In the Journal Astrobiology a paper was published by McKay,
Stoker and other leading scientists on April 5, 2013. The first lines
of the abstract stated, “The search for evidence of life on Mars is the
primary motivation for the exploration of that planet. The results
from previous missions and the Phoenix mission in particular,
indicate that the ice-cemented ground in the north polar plains
is likely to be the most recently habitable place that is currently
known on Mars.” The Icebreaker Life mission will search for biomarkers in the same region near the north pole of Mars where the
Phoenix Lander executed its mission in 2008. A biomarker is any
molecule that indicates the presence of life, such as an enzyme.
These biological molecules carry organic biochemical information.
The Icebreaker drill is capable of drilling one meter into the subsurface of the Red Planet in order to search for biomarkers. The
ice shavings retrieved from the drill would be analyzed for molecules that are too complex to be present from a non-biological
source. It is important to drill below the surface in order to retrieve
samples that have not been exposed to the radiation and perchlorates (salts) that exist on the surface of Mars. The radiation and perchlorates could potentially destroy any biomarkers or biological
material present, hence the importance of a subsurface mission.
[Images: NASA, ExoMars, Astriobio.net]
ICY SCIENCE | WINTER 2013- 2014