Cave biosignature suites: microbes,minerals, and Mars

Earth's subsurface offers one of the best possible sites to search for microbial life and the characteristic lithologies that life leaves behind. The subterrain may be equally valuable for astrobiology. Where surface conditions are particularly hostile, like on Mars, the subsurface may offer the only habitat for extant lifeforms and access to recognizable biosignatures. We have identified numerous unequivocally biogenic macroscopic, microscopic, and chemical/geochemical cave biosignatures. However, to be especially useful for astrobiology, we are looking for suites of characteristics. Ideally, "biosignature suites" should be both macroscopically and microscopically detectable, independently verifiable by nonmorphological means, and as independent as possible of specific details of life chemistries--demanding (and sometimes conflicting) criteria. Working in fragile, legally protected environments, we developed noninvasive and minimal impact techniques for life and biosignature detection/characterization analogous to Planetary Protection Protocols. Our difficult field conditions have shared limitations common to extraterrestrial robotic and human missions. Thus, the cave/subsurface astrobiology model addresses the most important goals from both scientific and operational points of view. We present details of cave biosignature suites involving manganese and iron oxides, calcite, and sulfur minerals. Suites include morphological fossils, mineral-coated filaments, living microbial mats and preserved biofabrics, 13C and 34S values consistent with microbial metabolism, genetic data, unusual elemental abundances and ratios, and crystallographic mineral forms.     

ESA及NASA测控通信网最新发展简介

本文简要介绍欧洲空间局(ESA)、美国国家航空航天局(NASA)测控通信网近期的变革及未来的发展。     

2020年美国太空军事力量发展综述

1 出台系列战略政策 强化顶层统筹 美国出台太空领域系列战略政策文件,强化顶层战略统筹. 一是发布《国家航天政策》.2020年12月9日,美国白宫发布《国家航天政策》,阐述美国太空行动基本原则,再次阐明其"对美国及盟国太空系统任何蓄意干扰或攻击"都将予以反应的决心,明确美国民用、商业和国家安全航天的目标,以及在基础工作...     

欧空局OPSNET通信网新进展

为了支持我国航天测控通信网的IP(互联网协议)化以及未来发展,对欧空局的航天任务操作通信网OPSNET(操作支持通信网)的新进展进行了研究。首先回顾了OPSNET网络发展历程中的里程碑事件(完成网络IP化,调整网络拓扑结构,通过载荷分担模式超越网络链路的带宽极限),之后介绍了该网络面临的高数据速率挑战及多个备选解决方案,详细介绍了最终选用的基于MPLS(多协议标签交换)技术的网络设计。OPSNET网络向MPLS迁移的方案经实验室环境验证后分步实施,经多个层面的验证及实际运行证明,采用MPLS技术后,以较低的成本实现了很好的网络性能。未来OPSNET将以此为基础部署更多的MPLS链路,并可能增加加密业务。OPSNET通信网的新进展值得我们关注和借鉴。     

NASA月球激光通信演示验证试验

为满足日益增长的大数据量、高数据速率传输要求,NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration,美国国家航空航天局)正开启采用激光技术进行空间通信的新时代,并于近年相继开展了多项自由空间激光通信技术研究项目。针对该情况,重点介绍LLCD(Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration,月球激光通信演示验证)项目的系统组成和工作状况:该项目由NASA实施,首次采用激光作为载波在绕月飞行器和地面接收机之间进行双向激光通信,通过飞行演示验证了下行速率为622 Mbit/s和上行速率为20 Mbit/s的月地双向空间激光通信,以及端到端DTN(Delay Tolerant Networking,容延迟网络)数据传输,并验证了作为激光通信链路副产品的高精度测距技术,试验成果超出预期。最后展望LLCD后续发展,供我国相关研究工作参考借鉴。     

低成本卫星地面控制设施的设计

该设计方法的核心是:卫星操作中的公共部分,即遥控、跟踪、子系统分析(包括遥测处理)、系统规划和调度、轨道确定和保持、数据传送和控制。特殊卫星任务的应用和操作另行考虑,以保证本设计方法可应用于许多种卫星系统。关于特殊卫星任务的讨论将限制在了解支持航天任务的地面控制设施总规模和业务范围。分离出“通用”卫星操作功能,可研究出一种低成本通用设计方法,该方法允许对系统作阶段性改进,而对在轨设施和测控性能影响极小。该方法的目标是提高卫星系统的可扩展性、可维护性和可操作性。     

Comparative Metagenomics of Two Microbial Mats at Cuatro Ciénegas Basin II: Community Structure and Composition in Oligotrophic Environments

Abstract Microbial mats are self-sustained, functionally complex ecosystems that make good models for the understanding of past and present microbial ecosystems as well as putative extraterrestrial ecosystems. Ecological theory suggests that the composition of these communities might be affected by nutrient availability and disturbance frequency. We characterized two microbial mats from two contrasting environments in the oligotrophic Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: a permanent green pool and a red desiccation pond. We analyzed their taxonomic structure and composition by means of 16S rRNA clone libraries and metagenomics and inferred their metabolic role by the analysis of functional traits in the most abundant organisms. Both mats showed a high diversity with metabolically diverse members and strongly differed in structure and composition. The green mat had a higher species richness and evenness than the red mat, which was dominated by a lineage of Pseudomonas. Autotrophs were abundant in the green mat, and heterotrophs were abundant in the red mat. When comparing with other mats and stromatolites, we found that taxonomic composition was not shared at species level but at order level, which suggests environmental filtering for phylogenetically conserved functional traits with random selection of particular organisms. The highest diversity and composition similarity was observed among systems from stable environments, which suggests that disturbance regimes might affect diversity more strongly than nutrient availability, since oligotrophy does not appear to prevent the establishment of complex and diverse microbial mat communities. These results are discussed in light of the search for extraterrestrial life. Key Words: Cuatro Ciénegas-Metagenomics-Microbial mats-Oligotrophic-Phosphorus limitation-Stromatolites. Astrobiology 12, 659-673.     

介绍国外两种分包遥控编码器

由于国际合作的需要，各国响应ＣＣＳＤＳ分包遥控建议，采取了一系列举措，其中包括开发分包遥控设备。文章分别介绍欧空局和美国的一种分包遥控编码器，供我国遥控界参考。