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Spacecraft Sterilization Technology Research to Help NASA Missions to Mars
Aug. 28, 2008
MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho has received a grant to develop spacecraft sterilization technologies for NASA's use during future missions to Mars.
Sterilization techniques currently in use are not effective for killing certain microbial forms that have been observed in spacecraft assembly facilities and on the surfaces of spacecraft, such as the Mars Exploration Rovers and the Mars Phoenix Lander. It is critical that new technologies be developed that can kill highly resistant endospores without damaging spacecraft components.
NASA’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) awarded the University of Idaho a three-year $630,765 grant to develop technology for sterilizing planetary landers. The University of Idaho will match NASA’s grant dollar-for-dollar for a sum of just under $1.3 million.
Ronald Crawford, the director of the university's Environmental Biotechnology Institute and distinguished professor of microbiology, will lead the research. The science team also includes Andrzej Paszczynski, associate professor of microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry, and Chien Wai, professor of chemistry.
“As we continue to explore the solar system, it is imperative that the environments not be contaminated by life accidently carried by spacecraft," said Jean Teasdale, director of the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium and NASA Idaho EPSCoR Program. "Dr. Crawford and his team will make a significant contribution to NASA and to the future of space exploration.”
Kasthuri Venkateswaran of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will collaborate with the University of Idaho research team and will serve as the primary liaison between JPL and the university.
The University of Idaho research team will develop the supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCD) technology that will treat Earth-derived biological contaminants on spacecraft components without damage to their structure or function. The project will focus specifically on forward contamination avoidance during future missions to Mars, where scientific objectives include the possible detection of extant or past life on the planet’s surface.
“This project continues the university’s long-term and highly successful collaboration with the JPL, NASA’s lead center for exploration of the universe for the presence of life," said Crawford. "Our contributions to spacecraft sterilization techniques should make this search easier and less expensive.”
The advantage of SCCD is that it can penetrate bacterial cells and spores, killing them from the inside out while sparing sensitive spacecraft components from exposure to harsh conditions.
“NASA EPSCoR provides the opportunity for researchers to perform cutting-edge research that addresses key elements of NASA’s exploration programs,” Teasdale said. “As questions related to the development of life in extreme environments and the field of astrobiology gain prominence, sterilization of the spacecraft that carry life-detection experiments to the surface of other worlds will become essential technology for NASA to master.”
The Idaho Space Grant Consortium provides and supports numerous unique and exciting opportunities for the general public, K-12 students, educators, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and industry in areas related to NASA’s initiatives. Based at the University of Idaho, it is the only Space Grant that is a collaborative effort between the Colleges of Engineering and Education. Idaho membership is comprised of universities, colleges, science centers, museums, non-profit and other organizations located throughout the state. For more information, visit http://isgc.uidaho.edu, call (208) 885-6438 or e-mail isgc@uidaho.edu.
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About the University of Idaho
Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s flagship higher-education institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year; the University of Idaho is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Foundation ranking for high research activity. The university’s student population includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars. Offering more than 150 degree options in 10 colleges, the university combines the strengths of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.
Contact: Joni Kirk, University Communications, (208) 885-7725, joni@uidaho.edu
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