Divergence and phylogeny of firmicutes from the cuatro ciénegas basin, Mexico: a window to an ancient ocean

Abstract The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) has been identified as a center of endemism for many life-forms. Nearly half the bacterial species found in the spring systems have their closest relatives in the ocean. This raises the question of whether the high diversity observed today is the product of an adaptive radiation similar to that of the Galapagos Islands or whether the bacterial groups are "survivors" of an ancient sea, which would be of interest for astrobiology. To help answer this question, we focused on Firmicutes from Cuatro Ciénegas (mainly Bacillus and Exiguobacterium). We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of Firmicutes with 28 housekeeping genes and dated the resulting tree using geological events as calibration points. Our results show that marine Bacillus diverged from other Bacillus strains 838?Ma, while Bacillus from Cuatro Ciénegas have divergence dates that range from 770 to 202?Ma. The members of Exiguobacterium from the CCB conform to a much younger group that diverged from the Andes strain 60?Ma and from the one in Yellowstone 183?Ma. Therefore, the diversity of Firmicutes in Cuatro Ciénegas is not the product of a recent radiation but the product of the isolation of lineages from an ancient ocean. Hence, Cuatro Ciénegas is not a Galapagos Archipelago for bacteria but is more like an astrobiological "time machine" in which bacterial lineages survived in an oligotrophic environment that may be very similar to that of the Precambrian. Key Words: Firmicutes-Cuatro Ciénegas-Precambrian-Molecular dating-Western Interior Seaway. Astrobiology 12, 674-684.     

Survival of rock-colonizing organisms after 1.5 years in outer space

Cryptoendolithic microbial communities and epilithic lichens have been considered as appropriate candidates for the scenario of lithopanspermia, which proposes a natural interplanetary exchange of organisms by means of rocks that have been impact ejected from their planet of origin. So far, the hardiness of these terrestrial organisms in the severe and hostile conditions of space has not been tested over extended periods of time. A first long-term (1.5 years) exposure experiment in space was performed with a variety of rock-colonizing eukaryotic organisms at the International Space Station on board the European EXPOSE-E facility. Organisms were selected that are especially adapted to cope with the environmental extremes of their natural habitats. It was found that some-but not all-of those most robust microbial communities from extremely hostile regions on Earth are also partially resistant to the even more hostile environment of outer space, including high vacuum, temperature fluctuation, the full spectrum of extraterrestrial solar electromagnetic radiation, and cosmic ionizing radiation. Although the reported experimental period of 1.5 years in space is not comparable with the time spans of thousands or millions of years believed to be required for lithopanspermia, our data provide first evidence of the differential hardiness of cryptoendolithic communities in space.     

Comparison of Diurnal,Seasonal and Solar Cycle Variations of High-latitude,Mid-latitude and Low-latitude Ionosphere

Comparison of regular (diurnal, seasonal and solar cycle) variations of high-latitude,mid-latitude and low-latitude ionospheric characteristics has been provided on basis of local empirical models of the peak electron density and the peak height. The local empirical models were derived from the hand-scaled ionogram data recorded by DPS-4 digisondes located at Norilsk (69°N, 88°E), Irkutsk (52°N, 104°E) and Hainan (19°N, 109°E) for a 6-year period from December, 2002 to December, 2008. The technique used to build the local empirical model is described. The primary focus is diurnal-seasonal behavior under low solar activity and its change with increasing solar activity. Both common and specific features of the high-latitude (Norilsk), mid-latitude (Irkutsk) and low-latitude (Hainan) regular variations were revealed using their local empirical models.      

Training astronauts using three-dimensional visualisations of the International Space Station

Recent advances in personal computer technology have led to the development of relatively low-cost software to generate high-resolution three-dimensional images. The capability both to rotate and zoom in on these images superposed on appropriate background images enables high-quality movies to be created. These developments have been used to produce realistic simulations of the International Space Station on CD-ROM. This product is described and its potentialities demonstrated. With successive launches, the ISS is gradually built up, and visualised over a rotating Earth against the star background. It is anticipated that this product's capability will be useful when training astronauts to carry out EVAs around the ISS. Simulations inside the ISS are also very realistic. These should prove invaluable when familiarising the ISS crew with their future workplace and home. Operating procedures can be taught and perfected. "What if" scenario models can be explored and this facility should be useful when training the crew to deal with emergency situations which might arise. This CD-ROM product will also be used to make the general public more aware of, and hence enthusiastic about, the International Space Station programme.     

DAME: planetary-prototype drilling automation

We describe results from the Drilling Automation for Mars Exploration (DAME) project, including those of the summer 2006 tests from an Arctic analog site. The drill hardware is a hardened, evolved version of the Advanced Deep Drill by Honeybee Robotics. DAME has developed diagnostic and executive software for hands-off surface operations of the evolved version of this drill. The DAME drill automation tested from 2004 through 2006 included adaptively controlled drilling operations and the downhole diagnosis of drilling faults. It also included dynamic recovery capabilities when unexpected failures or drilling conditions were discovered. DAME has developed and tested drill automation software and hardware under stressful operating conditions during its Arctic field testing campaigns at a Mars analog site.     

Control of Lunar and Martian dust--experimental insights from artificial and natural cyanobacterial and algal crusts in the desert of Inner Mongolia, China

Studies on the colonization of environmentally extreme ground surfaces were conducted in a Mars-like desert area of Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, with microalgae and cyanobacteria. We collected and mass-cultured cyanobacterial strains from these regions and investigated their ability to form desert crusts artificially. These crusts had the capacity to resist sand wind erosion after just 15 days of growth. Similar to the surface of some Chinese deserts, the surface of Mars is characterized by a layer of fine dust, which will challenge future human exploration activities, particularly in confined spaces that will include greenhouses and habitats. We discuss the use of such crusts for the local control of desert sands in enclosed spaces on Mars. These experiments suggest innovative new directions in the applied use of microbe-mineral interactions to advance the human exploration and settlement of space.     

通过事后分析提高GPS的外测精度

通过事后分析可以提高GPS的外测精度。为了试验和鉴定目的,欲测量被试验体的时间空间位置信息(TSPI),现在已有不少方法。如果使用GPS,可考虑两种方案。一是在被试验体上装载GPS接收机,在运功体上测定TSPI,再通过遥测将数据送到地面。二是在运动体上装载一个GPS变频转发器,传送宽带GPS信息到地面。在地面站完成TSPI测量。本文指出,与装载接收机相比,装载GPS转发器的方案可以获得更高的测量精度。精度的提高来自两点:装载GPS接收机时仅处理来自4颗卫星的距离,得到运动体的位置。在某一位置上,所选用的4颗GPS卫星的GDOP值,可能是,也可能不是最佳。在转发方案中,运动体视场内所有信息都转送到地面进行处理。来自所有卫星的宽带数据都加以记录,以便作事后处理。作节后分析时,可按最佳GDOP选择最有利的卫星,或处理视场内所有卫星的数据,得到最高精度。记录宽带数据的能力还带来另外一些重要的事后处理好处。在飞行试验之前,只能估计试验体的飞行动态。飞行体上接收机跟踪滤波器参数依此作调整。如果飞行体运动异常(试验飞行中完全有可能这样),接收机就有可能对卫星失锁,所有的TSPI数据都会丢失。如果用GPS转发器,在地面站记录所有卫星的数据,在事后分析中重放该数据,可根据实际飞行动态,将滤波器最佳化,不会丢失TSPJ数据。此外,还可由数据处理来填补丢失的数据。     

一种廉价的天基数据中继方法

美国国防部低轨卫星试验任务越来越需要不间断通信,使我们对地球同步数据中继业务更为关注。与额外再建造空军卫星控制网远方地面站相比,这可能是一种更经济的办法,而且可避免某一试验任务独占很多控制网资源。一种能近期试验天基数据中继系统的低费用解决办法是利用现有的两颗国防通信卫星Ⅲ号卫星,两个现有的超高频(SHF)地面终端站,以及被试卫星上的一个天线能自主指向的标准化小型终端。本文就来介绍这一系统。     

EUVE卫星的GPS测轨

1992年夏,随着极紫外探测卫星(EUVE)一起发射了一台单频GPS接收机。EUVE卫星轨道低,并在星体上直接安装了二个天线,可用来研究误差源,以及未来卫星可达到的定轨精度。利用GDPSY—OASLSⅡ软件处理了几段GPS教据。从EUVE来的数据和从全球GPS接机网来的数据相结合,消除了SA的影响。研究了几种消除单频数据中电离层延时误差以及利用简化动力学法求解轨道的方法。通过内符合检验并与哥达德航天中心产生的GTDS轨道解作比对,鉴定了GPS测轨精度。利用GPS的测轨精密度和准确度在一米量级。