HOME  ::  10-30-2020 < last update   :-)  BIG DAY!    TODAY, I LOCATED AN ARTICLE BY PEOPLE THINKING LIKE ME:  TITLE " Micro- and nanotechnology for viral detection " 
  (They don't appear to see the detection devices discussed... "mounted" on ASIMO 's arm - yet... However, when I explained - to my sister "Millie" - [that] ASIMO can make appointments
 - and, he is punctual and polite ... (Millie was a Real Estate Agent - for a time.)  Consider too, ASIMO cannot be "paid-OFF" - works all hours - can X,Y,Z laser scan most human habitat areas ... 
   - Thus, his "certification" [that] your business location, work place and employees are "SARS-COV-2 virion FREE" - is precious. ) 
- more - 
 [ https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/nasa-wants-help-training-valkyrie-robot-to-go-to-mars ]  < AND, NASA is working on ROBOTS also. THE ROBOT MUST NOT "SCARE" MY CAT - OR, LET HIM OUT.


    biological AND technological scales <  BIGGER  IMAGE 


>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoscopic_scale ::  nanometers  metric system >
::When size matters:What you gotta know ... : "Novel Device Laboratory"University Cincinnati "contact" Novel Device Laboratory ( Prof Heikenfeld  )  ::  USAF  ::   "life"  DEFINITION ::  properties science  ::  "Life" AND "virion" :: CAN WE KILL ALL VIRIONS?  SHOULD WE?  WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN? ::  "VIRUS" "GENOCIDE" ::  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocides_in_history : THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE  ELIMINATION OF ALL VIRIONS ON EARTH :: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2873004/  :: NATURE ABHORS A VACUUM ::
SOURCE: https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jam.14278 :: Journal of Applied Microbiology

Journal of Applied Microbiology 
:Review Article > : https://hansandcassady.org/Review-Virus-Identification-DEvice.html :: CONTENTS :  Abstract, Introduction, Samplers for airborne viruses, Impactors and cyclones, Liquid impinger, Filters, Electrostatic precipitators, Water‐based condensation, Other devices, Size distribution of airborne infectious viruses, Detection of viruses in collection media, Summary and Conclusions, References :  

ARTICLE:  Title: 
"Collection, particle sizing and detection
of airborne viruses
"
 

AUTHORS: 
 M. Pan ,   https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jam.13051

::   J.A. Lednicky ,  jlednicky@PHHP.UFL.edu

::  https://egh.phhp.ufl.edu/files/2018/07/Lednicky-CV-2018.pdf  :  https://egh.phhp.ufl.edu/tag/dr-john-lednicky/ :: https://briefs.techconnect.org/paper_author/wu-c-y/ :: http://www.microbiology.hku.hk/02_HKU_Staff_Prof_PCY_Woo.html :: 
"C.Y. Wu" Scripp ::  https://www.genomics.sinica.edu.tw/index.php/en/wu-chung-yi ::  C.Y. Wu Author "microbology"  < Google ::

Email: cyiwu@gate.sinica.edu.tw :: ( First published: 11 April 2019 - Eight Months before the  gLOBAL"PANDEMIC" 
:  https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.14278

MEATBALL history 
James Modarelli

NASA dot GOV (HOME-page

 GOOGLE > Australia Environment Rabbits over population 

 - https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/resource-library/?q=&page=1&per_page=25 

 - https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/resource-library/?q=How%20European%20Rabbits%20Took%20over%20Australia&page=1&per_page=25

Alien movie : SARS-COV-2 continuously “budding” new virions

:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_(film)#Plot 

THIS PAGE WILL NOT MAKE ANY SENSE ( TO HUMANS )
- UNLESS - WE TEACH THEM ABOUT SIZE - So, size examples...


SUSAN  ( a human female ) IS 5 FEET AND 6 INCHES TALL; 



[ brackets  ]

indicate HYPERLINKED or added BY SUSAN ] :: 

  https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/sherloc/for-scientists/ 

<ORIGINAL doc@NASA>
 

NASA Science  

MARS 2020 MISSIONPERSEVERANCE ROVER  :::     

 

ASIMO -- HONDA RESEARCH -- bacteriophage
NASA Regulations for Merchandising Requests : Strict laws [unstrict laws]  and regulations govern NASA policy regarding merchandising requests for producing NASA-related merchandise. SUSAN DOES NOT SELL - OR PROMOTE "PRODUCTS".  NASA-related merchandise is any product which features NASA identifiers, emblems, devices or imagery. 
Companies interested in producing NASA-related merchandise must notify NASA's Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in writing by sending e-mail to merchandise@lists.nasa.gov

Requests should describe the intended use of NASA identifiers, emblems, devices, or imagery on the product.  If possible, detailed layouts or sketches of the product should be included. When all legal and policy requirements have been met, NASA will send the merchandiser an approval by e-mail. A general overview of NASA policy follows:
  <  BIGGER  >

viral microbial "budding" "SARS-COV-2" 

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_shedding
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Virus-Budding-001.gif  < VIDEO

Ground Coffee Grain: Coffee Bean : Wheat plant germ Farina

https://www.commercialfiltrationsupply.com/education/a-better-understanding-of-micron-ratings.html

h
Actions speak louder than words!
These entities  are on planet Earth & not Aliens...

<    >
Coffee filters "grain" size, etc.

Can AsimO help us find them? 

[  <  BIGGER  >  TITLE: The [Physical] Size of SARS-CoV-2 Compared to Other Things
 SOURCE: https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Size-of-SARS-CoV-2-Compared-to-Other-Things.aspx  "...  In addition to mechanistic information, researchers have also evaluated the size and content characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 particles [virions]. ... Upon analysis of negative-stained SARS-CoV-2 articles by electron microscopy, ... researchers have determined the diameter of [THE SARS-COV-2 virion ] to range between 60 nanometers (nm) to a maximum diameter of 140 nanometers (nm). ..." 
 ::: 
POLITICAL, biological AND technological scales
 <  BIGGER  IMAGE  >   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoscopic_scale ::  nanometers ::   NIH   ]


          > Beth Skwarecki (study )


NASA Logo  <   [   James Modarelli  brackets indicate HYPERLINKED or added BY SUSAN ] ::    https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/sherloc/for-scientists/  < ORIGINAL NASA

NASA Science  :::  MARS 2020 MISSIONPERSEVERANCE ROVER  :::    

SHERLOC for Scientists [- including UWGB "Environmental Scientists"]
 Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals [ "SHERLOC" ] -  :: US GOV.  Acronym GYM 
(1) http://phl.upr.edu/library/notes/what_is_habitability#:~:text=A%20habitable%20environment%20is%20just,not%20necessarily%20one%20with%20life.&text=Imagine%20a%20rain%20forest%20planet,as%20a%20proxy%20for%20habitability. 


 < And, she still likes "data"

https://atmos.nmsu.edu/data_and_services/atmospheres_data/Mars/Mars.html  < Mars Archive Page


[ "bird-dogging" ::  ( "soil science" UWGB ) :: https://www.uwgb.edu/nas/faculty-staff/emeriti/  ::  LandSAT satellite data ::
  Lesson & RULE: Do NOT bird-DOG a College Work-Study AWARD Student "earner"- when they are writing software
 - to present your data to the USA National Science Foundation. And, (they) are the only human - on campus
  - who knows how to make the DEC-VAX-VMS system print the rereport - for the NSF :-) :: 
Betsy DeVos  :: BlackWater ]


The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) is an arm-mounted, Deep UV ( DUV ) resonance  Raman and fluorescence spectrometer utilizing a 248.6-nm DUV laser and <100 micron spot size.  <  BIGGER  IMAGE  >  nanometers  < 

 < micron Mesh screen   <  BIGGER  >


 How many nanometers ARE in one MICRON? 1,000 :: MOSQUITO SIZE CHART ::   < bigger >


 originalhttps://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/sherloc/for-scientists/ 


Page Header Links ... 

 MEATBALL history James Modarelli ARTIST )

 SHERLOC

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RIMFAX

SHERLOC

SuperCam


 Source Document Original Words  [ hyper-linked and commented version follows ] https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/sherloc/for-scientists/  ]

"... SHERLOC for Scientists

(Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals)

The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) is an arm-mounted, Deep UV (DUV) resonance Raman and fluorescence spectrometer utilizing a 248.6-nm DUV laser and <100 micron spot size. The laser is integrated to an autofocusing/scanning optical system, and co-boresighted to a context imager with a spatial resolution of 30 µm.

SHERLOC enables non-contact, spatially resolved, and highly sensitivity detection and characterization of organics and minerals in the Martian surface and near subsurface. The instrument goals are to assess past aqueous history, detect the presence and preservation of potential biosignatures, and to support selection of return samples. To do this, SHERLOC measures CHNOPS-containing mineralogy, measures the distribution and type of organics preserved at the surface, and correlates them to textural features.

SHERLOC operates over a 7 × 7 mm area through use of an internal scanning mirror. The 500-micron depth of view, in conjunction with the MAHLI heritage autofocus mechanisms, enables arm placements from 48 mm above natural or abraded surfaces without the need for rover arm repositioning/movement. Additionally, borehole interiors, after sample core removal, can be analyzed as a proxy for direct core analysis.

In addition to the combined spectroscopic and macro imaging component, SHERLOC also integrates a “second-eye” with a near-field-to-infinity imaging component called WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering), which is used for engineering science operations and science imaging. WATSON is a build-to-print camera based on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI). Integration is enabled by existing electronics within SHERLOC.

Science

Deep UV-induced native fluorescence is very sensitive to condensed carbon and aromatic organics, enabling detection at or below 10-6 w/w (1 ppm) at <100 µm spatial scales. SHERLOC's deep UV resonance Raman enables detection and classification of aromatic and aliphatic organics with sensitivities of 10-2 to below 10-4 w/w at <100 µm spatial scales. In addition to organics, the deep UV Raman enables detection and classification of minerals relevant to aqueous chemistry with grain sizes below 20 µm grains.

SHERLOC's investigation combines two spectral phenomena, native fluorescence and pre-resonance/resonance Raman scattering. These events occur when a high-radiance, narrow line-width, laser source illuminates a sample. Organics that fluoresce absorb the incident photon and reemit at a higher wavelength. The difference between the excitation wavelength and the emission wavelength indicates the number of electronic transitions, which increases with increasing aromatic structures (i.e. number of rings). This phenomenon is highly efficient, with a typical cross section 105x greater than Raman scattering, and enables a powerful means to find trace organics.

The native fluorescence emission of organics extends from ~270 nm into the visible. This is especially useful, because it "creates" a fluorescence-free region (from 250 – 270 nm) where Raman scattering can occur. With SHERLOCs narrow-linewidth 248.6 nm DUV laser, additional characterization by Raman scattering from aromatics and aliphatic organics and minerals can be observed. Furthermore, excitation with a DUV wavelength enables resonance and pre-resonance signal enhancements (>100 to 10,000×) of organic/mineral vibrational bonds by coupling of the incident photon energy to the vibrational energy. This results in high-sensitivity measurements, with low backgrounds, without the need of high-intensity of lasers, and avoids damage or modification of organics by inducing reactions with species such as perchlorates.

SHERLOC Ops: An Example Measurement on Fig Tree

Using the SHERLOC testbed, an analysis of a piece of the astrobiologically interesting chert obtained from the Fig Tree Group is shown. A context image of the sample is acquired. Using the internal scanning mirror, a 50-micron laser spot is systematically rastered over the surface. On the same CCD, spectra in the range 250-360 nm are obtained. Analysis of the fluorescence region (>270 nm) identifies regions where organic material is present. Analysis of the fluorescence spectra identifies number of aromatic rings present, and identifies regions of high organic content. In order to achieve higher specificity, a longer integration can be used to collect deep UV Raman spectra. The Raman spectra shown on the right are from the two circles shown in the context image.

By studying the fluorescence and Raman data we can conclude that our analysis indicates that:

Potential for biosignature preservation in the matrix is low due to thermal history of the sample, with high preservation in the thermally unaltered vein material.  ..."


 Page Footer ... 

About The Mission

Spacecraft

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Other Mars Missions

PRIVACY FAQ 
SITEMAP 
FEEDBACK 
IMAGE POLICY

   https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.html  ::  https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/Images/science/EM_spectrum_full.jpg 
 

  https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2162707/afrl-scientists-investigate-can-microwaves-reduce-viability-of-airborne-coronav/  [ WPAFB article ]


 Perseverance [ a Rover ] by NASA ...   - The creation of Perseverance by NASA [ wikipedia ] A, B,


  SOURCE: https://mars.nasa.gov/  "... MISSION STATEMENT  "Mars Exploration Program"
The goal of the Mars Exploration Program is to explore Mars and to provide a continuous flow of scientific information and discovery through a carefully selected series of robotic orbiters, landers and mobile laboratories interconnected by a high-bandwidth Mars/Earth communications network. ..."

 https://blog.ed.gov/2020/07/nasa-launches-rocket-mars-rover-perseverance-helicopter-ingenuity-board-explore/  < OVERVIEW


helicopter "ingenuity" ::   helicopter "ingenuity" NASA :  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Helicopter_Ingenuity  ::  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroVironment  ::  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwdfdE6ruMw < VIDEO 


for today:  GENERAL MEETING INFORMATION  [ held June 2012 - Houston, TEXAS ]  " REFORMULATION "

 [  https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/marsconcepts2012/  ] :: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/

Introduction ::The NASA Administrator - [2009 - 2017]- 2011 [SLS] [ Charlie Bolden] - 2012 [ Charlie Bolden] -2013 - 2014 -2015 -2016 - [ Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. ] Janurary 2017::  -2018 )  has directed the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate (AA/SMD) [ Thomas Zurbuchen ] to lead a reformulation of the Mars Exploration Program, [ https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nac_minutes_march_28-29_2018_signed_tagged.pdf  ] working with the Associate Administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Directorate (AA/HEOMD ) :: [ Related "why We Need a SPACE FORCE ] , the Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT), and the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS). ::: 

 SOURCE:  https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press_kits/mars_2020/launch/management/ ::: "...  Mars 2020 ... Perseverance Mission George Tahu is the program executive and Mitch Schulte is the program scientist for the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission at NASA Headquarters. ... NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California [ Caltech-JPL ], built and will manage operations for the Perseverance rover for the Science Mission Directorate. [ Entire TEAM ] At JPL, John McNamee is the Mars 2020 Perseverance project manager and Matt Wallace is the deputy project manager. Ken Farley of Caltech is the project scientist. Katie Stack Morgan and Ken Williford of JPL are the deputy project scientists. ...

NASA facilities at Caltech: [  https://www.caltech.edu/research/jpl  ]  --- 


 [  https://www.caltech.edu/campus-life-events/campus-announcements/lawsuit-challenging-new-h1-b-visa-rules  " Caltech-COMPLAINT.pdf " ]

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Home  /  Campus Life & Events  /  Campus Announcements  /  Lawsuit Challenging New H1-B Visa Rules

Lawsuit Challenging New H-1B Visa Rules

October 19, 2020

To: The Caltech Community
From: Thomas F. Rosenbaum, President and David A. Tirrell, Provost 
Date: October 19, 2020
Re: Lawsuit Challenging New H-1B Visa Rules

Earlier today, Caltech and five other research institutions and universities, along with the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and business, manufacturing, trade, and labor organizations filed suit to block the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) from implementing and enforcing final rules that would overhaul the H-1B visa program. The lawsuit argues that the rules will "substantially restrict, if not outright eliminate" the H-1B visa category, and call into question the status of many of our community members who actively contribute to Caltech's research and educational endeavors.

Our work to advance discovery in science and engineering and to respond to society's most critical challenges depends on the contributions of all members of our community, importantly including our international colleagues. Universities and industries across the United States benefit immensely from their insights and discoveries. America will be the poorer if these new rules go into effect, increasing financial and compliance costs to a level that effectively eliminate employment security.

We write today to reinforce our support for the international members of our community.  We act to advance scientific discovery and technological innovation in service of society. The full complaint is available [ on Susan's website - as a 58 page PDF] ; a story about Caltech's action is also published online: www.caltech.edu/about/news/caltech-joins-lawsuit-block-new-visa-rules .


The Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) [  https://www.ipac.caltech.edu/  ]

The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI)

The Spitzer Space Telescope      [  http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/  ] 

The NASA Herschel Space Observatory

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR)



NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

For Mars 2020 Perseverance launch services, Omar Baez is the launch director and John Calvert is the mission manager. ... For more detail on team members, visit the Mars 2020 mission team page.  [ https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/team/ ]  [ https://mars.nasa.gov/people/   < page of NASA Martian PHOTOS ] ..."

 SOURCE: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7698 "...  No matter what day Perseverance lifts off during its July 30, 2020 to Aug. 15, 2020 launch period, it will land in Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. [ wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrtis_Major_quadrangle :  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Syrtis_Major_quadrangle :  https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/mc13_mola.pdf ]

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/07/16/20160823-pia23518-mars-landing-sites_custom-faaab6f6204e0288a0ed7cbe953063cab1e67e19-s800-c85.jpg ]

Targeting landing for one specific date and time helps mission planners better understand lighting and temperature at the landing site, as well as the location of Mars-orbiting satellites tasked with recording and relaying spacecraft data during its descent and landing.

More About the Mission

Managed by JPL, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover's astrobiology mission will search for signs of ancient microbial life. It will also characterize the planet's climate and geology, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first planetary mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).


China and the USA will be on Mars at the same time. < Google
  "Jezero Crater" in "Syrtis Major" Quadranggle - on Mars

 
  https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/07/16/20160823-pia23518-mars-landing-sites_custom-faaab6f6204e0288a0ed7cbe953063cab1e67e19-s800-c85.jpg

   https://www.npr.org/2020/07/16/890368269/its-a-good-time-to-head-to-mars

     "Where" is China going to "land" on Mars ? "Tianwen-1"
  SOURCE: https://www.space.com/china-tianwen-1-mars-mission-launch.html
"... If all goes according to plan, Tianwen-1 will arrive at the Red Planet in February 2021. The lander/rover pair will touch down on the Martian surface two to three months later somewhere within Utopia Planitia, a large plain in the planet's Northern Hemisphere that also welcomed NASA's Viking 2 lander in 1976. ..."  https://sites.google.com/site/exosnews/spacex/mars/utopia

 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/science/china-mars-mission.html  Tianwen-1

    
https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/opo0322e/ < Hubble Space Telescope: Mars  "Syrtis Major"   < America is going here


 https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/opo0322e/ < Hubble Space Telescope  "Syrtis Major"

 A- https://www.businessinsider.com/why-nasa-us-china-uae-mars-missions-timeframe-2020-7
 B - https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-and-china-to-launch-mars-missions-vying-for-space-supremacy-11595325822 
 C - SOURCE: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/china-uae-us-missions-mars-summer/story?id=71942158
 "...  TITLE "What to know about China, UAE and US missions to Mars this summer"
 ...Three nations are taking aim at the Red Planet this month. Catherine Thorbecke ByCatherine Thorbecke
July 26, 2020, 11:44 AM
... 
China launches 1st Mars mission
Three spacecraft from NASA, China and the UAE are heading to Mars this month.

Like something out of a science fiction film, three nations on Earth are heading to Mars this month -- commencing a new, deep space race to explore the Red Planet.

Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates launched its first-ever deep space mission, sending an orbiter to Mars from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center. China followed earlier this week with its ambitious Mars mission launching from Hainan Island in an attempt to be the first country other than the U.S. to successfully land on Mars.

Next up, the United States is set to launch its Perseverance rover to our neighboring planet July 30 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

PHOTO: A handout photo made available by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) shows an H2-A rocket carrying 'Hope', a spacecraft developed by the United Arab Emirates, taking off from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES HANDOUT/EPA via Shutterstock
MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES HANDOUT/EPA via Shutterstock

A handout photo made available by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) shows an H2-A rocket carrying 'Hope', a spacecraft developed by the United Arab Emirates, taking off from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, July 20, 2020.
While the triple missions are all unique, "the fundamental question that everybody would like an answer to is, was there ever life on Mars?" John Logsdon, a professor emeritus at George Washington University's Space Policy Institute, told ABC News.

"Is there any possibility that there is still some sort of microbial life, not little green men, but has life ever existed and might it still exist?" he added. "Then the next level of generality is, what will it take for humans to live on Mars?"

MORE: Dragon soars in successful NASA-SpaceX launch

America's six-legged Perseverance rover is the size of a small car and has the goal of storing rock and soil samples that can be returned to Earth in future missions. It will also test out new technology to pave the way for future robot or human exploration of our neighboring planet, according to NASA.

PHOTO: Engineers observe the first driving test for NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover in a clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, on Dec. 17, 2019.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Engineers observe the first driving test for NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover in a clean room...Read More
Engineers observe the first driving test for NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover in a clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, on Dec. 17, 2019.

"There are a bunch of other neat things. There is an attached little helicopter that is going to fly like a drone over the Martian surface and give us images," Logsdon said of the U.S. mission. "There is an experiment called 'MOXIE' that will see whether it is possible to manufacture oxygen out of the methane in the Mars atmosphere, which would be important for eventual human missions."


PHOTO: NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is seen here.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is seen here.
The reason all the launches to Mars are happening now is because it is the peak orbit points for when it takes the least amount of energy to get to Mars, which happens every 26 months, according to Logsdon.

The UAE mission is sending an orbiter, which won't land, Logsdon added, saying, "It's done in collaboration with the University of Colorado; the UAE. is overseeing the mission, but there is a lot of U.S. contribution." It is history-making in the sense, however, that it is the first time an Arab nation has launched into deep space.

PHOTO: A picture taken on July 19, 2020, shows a screen broadcasting the launch of the "Hope" Mars probe at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai.
Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images
Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images
A picture taken on July 19, 2020, shows a screen broadcasting the launch of the "Hope" Mars pro...Read More

A picture taken on July 19, 2020, shows a screen broadcasting the launch of the "Hope" Mars probe at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai.
"This mission is an important milestone for the U.A.E. and the region and it has already inspired millions of youth regionally to dream big and work hard to achieve what seems impossible," H.E. Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, deputy chairman and director general of Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, said in a news conference following the launch.


Meanwhile, the Chinese mission is "an extremely ambitious mission that has an orbiter, a lander and a rover," Logsdon said. "And it is reflective of how ambitious China is to do significant space activity."

China's inaugural Mars mission is named Tianwen-1, which means "Questions to Heaven" and comes from an ancient Chinese poem, according to the nation's state-run news agency Xinhua.

"We hope the mission will be innovative and help push forward scientific and technological development," Geng Yan, an official at the China National Space Administration, told Xinhua. They have a multipart goal that includes landing a rover on the surface of Mars that will conduct research.

MORE: NASA's Curiosity rover found a weirdly salty 'ancient oasis' on Mars
Liu Tongije, a spokesperson for the China Mars mission, said the launch was a "key step of China marching towards farther deep space," and that the nation's aim wasn't to compete with other countries but to peacefully explore the universe, according to The Associated Press.

Despite elevated political tensions between the U.S. and China, "I don't think these missions have anything to do with dominance [of space]," Logsdon said.

PHOTO: A Mars probe is launched on a Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, July 23, 2020.
CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/REX via Shutterstock
CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/REX via Shutterstock
A Mars probe is launched on a Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site i...Read More
A Mars probe is launched on a Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, July 23, 2020. Xinhua Photos of the Day - 23 Jul 2020

"They are competitive because scientists are competitive and everyone wants to do the best kind of science and discovery on Mars possible, but in the broader scheme of the things the world profits by multiple missions," he added.

"We want to learn about Mars, and the more missions that are aimed at learning about Mars, the better off we are," he said. "The one mission can't keep the other one from working."

MORE: Listen to the sounds on Mars, courtesy of NASA's InSight mission
Still, Logsdon noted that U.S. legislation prohibits NASA from working with China.

"That prohibition is politically based, so collaboration between what in the coming years are probably the two major space powers is currently forbidden by U.S. law," he said.

He noted that by and large the scientific community has been able to keep the politics and research separate.

PHOTO: A Mars probe is launched on a Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, July 23, 2020.

CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/REX via Shutterstock
CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/REX via Shutterstock
A Mars probe is launched on a Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site i...Read More
A Mars probe is launched on a Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, July 23, 2020. Xinhua Photos of the Day - 23 Jul 2020
As for how soon we can expect to see humans on the Red Planet, Logsdon said that "depends on whether you believe Elon Musk or not."

"Mr. Musk says he's going to be sending a number of people to Mars in the not-very-distant future," he said. "I'm highly skeptical. There's a lot of difference between the first explorers going to Mars and tourism."

Still, he said he thinks there is a "reasonable chance" that there will be human footsteps on Mars by 2040.
 ..."




Subsequent missions, currently under consideration by NASA in cooperation with the European Space Agency, would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. ... The Mars 2020 mission is part of a larger program that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Charged with returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, NASA will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028 through NASA's Artemis lunar exploration plans. ... For more information about the mission, go to: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/  ..."

  https://robotics.nasa.gov/category/rovers/perseverance/

  https://robotics.nasa.gov/mars-helicopter-attached-to-mars-2020-rover/  ::: 

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Littoral_zone   

  https://spacepolicyonline.com/topics/militarynational-security-space-activities/  



In support of this reformulation, NASA will assess near-term mission concepts and longer-term foundations of program-level architectures for future robotic exploration of Mars in sufficient detail for Science Mission Directorate (SMD) to develop and select high pay-off mission(s) beginning with the 2018 launch opportunity.

The resulting missions and architecture will be responsive to the scientific goals articulated by the National Research Council Planetary Decadal Survey (Visions and Voyages, 2012, NRC Press) and to the President’s challenge of sending humans to orbit Mars in the decade of the 2030s. [  President Barack Obama - NASA  ]


Purpose and Scope

In addition to being responsive to the scientific goals of the Decadal Survey, the reformulation effort will address the primary objectives of the Strategic Knowledge Gaps in the Human Exploration of Mars as well as the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) Goals. It will set the stage for a strategic collaboration between the Science Mission Directorate, the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and the Office of the Chief Technologist, for the next several decades of exploring Mars. One of the key elements in developing this collaboration and the related mission and architecture options is to seek community ideas, concepts and capabilities to address critical challenge areas, focusing on a near-term timeframe spanning 2018 through 2024, and a mid- to longer-term timeframe spanning 2024 to the mid-2030s. To that end, NASA is sponsoring a three-day workshop to actively engage the technical and scientific communities in the early stages of a longer-term process of collaboration that bridges the objectives of the sponsoring NASA organizations. This workshop will be held June 12–14, 2012, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, which is located in the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) building, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston TX 77058.

NASA will consider inputs from a variety of sources and will synthesize and integrate these inputs into the various options taking into consideration budgetary, programmatic, scientific, and technical constraints. The workshop is open to scientists, engineers, graduate students and academia, NASA Centers, Federal Laboratories, industry, and international partner organizations. The intent of the workshop is to provide an open forum for presentation, discussion, and consideration of various concepts, options, capabilities, and innovations to advance Mars exploration.

Key challenge areas are identified below for which innovative and cost-effective ideas are sought consistent with the near- and mid- to longer-term timeframes. Several examples are provided within each of the challenge areas, with an open invitation for the communities to offer other areas and/or ideas in each or both timeframes.

Based on the abstracts received, associated working groups will be organized to consider the ideas and concepts in depth during the workshop. These working groups will be present at the workshop, and will assess ideas and presentations to identify the most compelling approaches in the challenge areas. Near-term ideas will be taken into consideration for early mission planning in the timeframe, while mid- to longer-term ideas will be used to inform program level architecture planning.

This announcement is not a solicitation to fund studies on the basis of the abstracts submitted or selected for participation at the workshop.

Challenge Areas

Challenge Area 1:  Instrumentation and Investigation Approaches —

Near-term examples include, but are not limited to:

  1. Interrogating the shallow subsurface of Mars, both from orbit (remote sensing, active, or passive) and from the surface (e.g., sounding, drilling, excavating, penetrators, or other approaches).
  2. Lightweight and low-cost in situ instrumentation to identify and triage high-priority materials for analysis.
  3. Orbital measurements of surface characteristics such as composition and morphology.

Mid- to longer-term examples include, but are not limited to:

  1. Concepts for detection of trace-level organic matter in rock and dust without extensive in situ sample processing (e.g., multispectral approaches or lab-on-a-chip technologies).
  2. In situ sample analysis for purposes of human health risk reduction to support crewed missions to Mars orbit (e.g., ionizing radiation, materials toxicity, etc). Recommended timing of such measurements is also of interest, as is a potential interaction/encounter with Phobos/Deimos.
  3. Concepts for measurements of lower atmosphere winds and densities, either globally or at specific sites to support future landing systems.

Challenge Area 2:  Safe and Accurate Landing Capabilities, Mars Ascent, and Innovative Exploration Approaches —

Near-term examples include, but are not limited to:

  1. Concepts to navigate and control entry and landing systems to improve landing accuracy from the current state of the art (~10-km semi-major axis or “miss distance”) to ≤1 km or lower (<100 m).
  2. Concepts for low-cost demonstration of aeroassist (aerocapture and EDL) technologies scalable to future human mission applications (e.g., large rigid aeroshells, inflatable aeroshells, supersonic retro-propulsion).
  3. Analyses of interplanetary trajectories from the vicinity of Earth to the Mars system and return that provide significant efficiencies in transportation systems, including delta-V, transit time, cost, etc. This includes a variety of Mars orbits and possible rendezvous with or landing on Phobos/Deimos, and a particular interest in analyses of trajectories of Earth-Moon L2 to the Mars system, and return.
  4. Concepts for public-private partnerships to provide infrastructure, services, instruments, or investigation platforms that can lower the cost and/or risk of future Mars exploration.
  5. Lightweight, low-cost, probes or platforms (single or multiple), suitable to be carried by larger orbital or landed vehicles (“mother-ships”).
  6. Systems that enable low cost access to the surface of Mars at or below the current Discovery mission cost cap.

Mid- to longer-term examples include, but are not limited to:

  1. Game-changing technologies for ascent systems (e.g., new propulsion systems or propellants) from the surface of Mars to radically reduce mass or volume and/or improve ability to withstand long-term storage on the planet’s surface.
  2. Lightweight, low-cost concepts for vehicle-to-vehicle detection and orbit determination of objects in Mars orbit (in support of rendezvous and docking/capture).
  3. High-reliability sample return capsules suitable for Earth entry, with special attention on assured containment of returned samples, and preservation of sample integrity.

Challenge Area 3:  Mars Surface System Capabilities —

Near-term examples include, but are not limited to:

  1. Low-cost or improved performance in Mars surface mobility, e.g., long-range/fast-rate mobility for lighter rover systems to increase range/radius of mobility for smaller systems, access at or beyond the angle of repose (near vertical or cliff- or crater-wall access, low ground-pressure systems on unconsolidated material), long-range navigation of rovers on the surface of Mars, localization, autonomous, and relative (to/from hub) surface navigation.
  2. Advanced spacecraft subsystems (e.g., power systems, avionics, thermal control) that reduce cost and/or risk, reduce mass, or enable new and unique investigations.

Mid- to longer-term examples include, but are not limited to:

  1. Concepts for systems to manipulate rock and regolith for acquisition, transfer/handling, and storage/preservation of surface, near-surface, or subsurface material. System capabilities could range in scale from samples for in situ analysis and caching (from ~half-dozen to ~a couple dozen preserved samples) to quantities required for resource extraction.  (Note that concepts regarding core sample collection, handling, caching, and contamination control will likely be subject to competitive procurement opportunities by NASA in the near future).
  2. Concepts for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) to enable robotic ascent of samples for return to Earth or other science purposes that also serve as demonstration for future ISRU support for human surface exploration purposes. May include concepts for the extraction and long-term storage of oxygen and/or hydrogen from in situ martian resources in (a) the martian atmosphere; (b) hydrated minerals and regolith at the martian surface; or (c) access to and extraction from surface, near-surface, or subsurface ice(s).

Following the opening plenary session, the workshop will consist of brief (10 minutes, including clarifying discussion) oral presentation of concepts and ideas to be given at the appropriate working group sessions for the specific areas. All the concepts and ideas presented will be considered and evaluated in the respective working group. Working groups associated with the challenge areas will meet on the first two days of the workshop. Summary reports from the working groups will be presented by the working group chairs in the plenary session on the last day of the meeting. A summary report will be delivered to NASA immediately following the workshop.



 < bigger >  electromagnetic spectrum  Two different kinds of "spectrometers" : Ultraviolet (SHERLOC)  : X-ray (PIXL)


Why is a banana yellow?  > The color that humans see is reflected wavelengths.
 https://www.livescience.com/32559-why-do-we-see-in-color.html 
 https://www.livescience.com/32559-why-do-we-see-in-color.html 
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_vision


  https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8678/the-detective-aboard-nasas-perseverance-rover/  <SOURCE

"...   
The Power of Raman

SHERLOC's full name is a mouthful: Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals. "Raman" refers to Raman spectroscopy, a scientific technique named after the Indian physicist C.V. Raman, who discovered the light-scattering effect in the 1920s.

"While traveling by ship [on Earth], he was trying to discover why the color of the sea was blue," said Luther Beegle of JPL, SHERLOC's principal investigator. "He realized, if you shine a light beam on a surface, it can change the wavelength of scattered light depending on the materials in that surface. " ... This effect is called Raman scattering. Scientists can identify different molecules based on the distinctive spectral "fingerprint" visible in their emitted light.
... An ultraviolet laser that is part of SHERLOC will allow the team to classify organics and minerals present in a rock and understand the environment in which the rock formed. Salty water, for example, can result in the formation of different minerals than fresh water. The team will also be looking for astrobiology clues in the form of organic molecules, which among other things, serve as potential biosignatures, demonstrating the presence life in Mars' ancient past.

"Life is clumpy," Beegle said. "If we see organics clumping together on one part of a rock, it might be a sign that microbes thrived there in the past."

Nonbiological processes can also form organics, so detecting the compounds isn't a sure sign that life formed on Mars. But organics are crucial to understanding whether the ancient environment could have supported life.  ..."


PIXL Perserance X-ray Spectrometer :: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/pixl/ :: detailed science description PIXL


The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) is

an arm-mounted, Deep UV (DUV) resonance Raman and fluorescence spectrometer utilizing a 248.6-nm DUV laser and <100 micron spot size. The laser is integrated to an autofocusing/scanning optical system, and co-boresighted to a context imager with a spatial resolution of 30 µm.

[ [ Raman Spectroscopy ]  "...  a spectroscopic technique typically used to determine [ vibrational modes ] of molecules, although rotational and other low-frequency modes of systems may also be observed.[1] Raman spectroscopy is commonly used in chemistry to provide a structural fingerprint by which molecules can be identified. ..." ] 

SHERLOC enables non-contact, spatially resolved, and highly sensitivity detection and characterization of organics and minerals in the Martian surface and near subsurface. The instrument goals are to assess past aqueous history, detect the presence and preservation of potential biosignatures, and to support selection of return samples. To do this, SHERLOC measures CHNOPS-containing mineralogy, measures the distribution and type of organics preserved at the surface, and correlates them to textural features.

SHERLOC operates over a 7 × 7 mm area through use of an internal scanning mirror. The 500-micron depth of view, in conjunction with the MAHLI heritage autofocus mechanisms, enables arm placements from 48 mm above natural or abraded surfaces without the need for rover arm repositioning/movement. Additionally, borehole interiors, after sample core removal, can be analyzed as a proxy for direct core analysis.

In addition to the combined spectroscopic and macro imaging component, SHERLOC also integrates a “second-eye” with a near-field-to-infinity imaging component called WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering), which is used for engineering science operations and science imaging. WATSON is a build-to-print camera based on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI). Integration is enabled by existing electronics within SHERLOC. 


other: 



red cracker blue butterfly

[ The "Blue Butterfly" is NOT a tavern! photo ] SOURCE:  https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/ra/c3ra41096j#!divAbstract
"...  Abstract ... Nature's color has three main sources:

1) pigments, [ "pigments" "SARS-COV-2" ] https://chemrxiv.org/articles/preprint/In_Silico_Analysis_of_Sea_Urchin_Pigments_as_Potential_Therapeutic_Agents_Against_SARS-CoV-2_Main_Protease_Mpro_as_a_Target_/12598487/1

2) structural colors and [ "structural color' "SARS-COV-2" ] https://www.the-scientist.com/tag/structural-color 

3) bioluminescence.  [  "bioluminescence" "SARS-COV-2" ]  https://www.promega.com/applications/virus-detection-assay-coronavirus-detection-covid-19-sars-cov-2/sars-cov-2-viral-research-vaccine-therapeutic-development/

Structural color is a special one, which is the color produced by micro- or nano-structures, and is bright and dazzling.  Isaac Newton ( and Peacock feather )


[ human "hand held" ASIC type ::  "spaser" versus "laser" ] :  Abstract: By alloying GaN with AlN the emission of AlGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can be tuned to cover almost the entire ultraviolet spectral range (210–400 nm), making ultraviolet light-emitting diodes perfectly suited to applications across a wide number of fields, whether biological, environmental, industrial or medical. However, technical developments notwithstanding, deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes still exhibit relatively low external quantum efficiencies because of properties intrinsic to aluminium-rich group III nitride materials. Here, we review recent progress in the development of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting devices. We also describe the key obstacles to enhancing their efficiency and how to improve their performance in terms of defect density, carrier-injection efficiency, light extraction efficiency and heat dissipation. SOURCE: DUV :: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010854512002640 ]


 TABLE SOURCE:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet 

The electromagnetic spectrum of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), defined most broadly as 10–400 nanometers, can be subdivided into a number of ranges recommended by the ISO standard ISO-21348

Name  Abbreviation  Wavelength
(nm)
Photon energy
(eV, aJ)
Notes/alternative names
Ultraviolet C UVC 100–280 4.43–12.4,
0.710–1.987
Short-wave, germicidal, completely absorbed by the ozone layer and atmosphere: hard UV.
Ultraviolet B UVB 280–315 3.94–4.43,
0.631–0.710
Medium-wave, mostly absorbed by the ozone layer: intermediate UV; Dorno [de] radiation.
Ultraviolet A UVA 315–400 3.10–3.94,
0.497–0.631
Long-wave, black light, not absorbed by the ozone layer: soft UV.
Hydrogen
Lyman-alpha
H Lyman-α 121–122 10.16–10.25,
1.628–1.642
Spectral line at 121.6 nm, 10.20 eV. Ionizing radiation at shorter wavelengths.
Far ultraviolet FUV 122–200 6.20–10.16,
0.993–1.628
 https://physicsworld.com/a/the-potential-of-far-ultraviolet-light-for-the-next-pandemic/  ...
Middle ultraviolet MUV 200–300 4.13–6.20,
0.662–0.993
 http://solar-center.stanford.edu/about/uvlight.html
Near ultraviolet NUV 300–400 3.10–4.13,
0.497–0.662
Visible to birds, insects and fish.
Extreme ultraviolet EUV 10–121 10.25–124,
1.642–19.867
Entirely ionizing radiation by some definitions; completely absorbed by the atmosphere.
Vacuum ultraviolet VUV 10–200 6.20–124,
0.993–19.867
Strongly absorbed by atmospheric oxygen, though 150–200 nm wavelengths can propagate through nitrogen.

[  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258731137_Updates_to_ISO_21348_determining_solar_irradiances  :: see also > https://www.iso.org/standard/39911.html

"...  Abstract :The ISO 21348 ( Determining Solar Irradiances ) International Standard is going through a document update. A consensus solar spectrum, solar indices/proxies descriptions, solar model descriptions, and solar measurement descriptions are among the Annexes that are proposed to the standard. These topics will be reviewed and described. The International Standards Organization (ISO) published IS 21348 in 2007 after 7 years of development by the international scientific community. In ISO, documents are reviewed on a regular basis and reaffirmed, updated, or deleted according to the votes of national delegations represented in ISO. IS 21348 provides guidelines for specifying the process of determining solar irradiances. Solar irradiances are reported through products such as measurement sets, reference spectra, empirical models, theoretical models and solar irradiance proxies or indices. These products are used in scientific and engineering applications to characterize within the natural space environment solar irradiances that are relevant to space systems and materials. Examples of applications using input solar irradiance energy include the determination of atmospheric densities for spacecraft orbit determination, attitude control and re-entry calculations, as well as for debris mitigation and collision avoidance activity. Direct and indirect pressure from solar irradiance upon spacecraft surfaces also affects attitude control separately from atmospheric density effects. Solar irradiances are used to provide inputs for a) calculations of ionospheric parameters, b) photon-induced radiation effects, and c) radiative transfer modeling of planetary atmospheres. Input solar irradiance energy is used to characterize material properties related to spacecraft thermal control, including surface temperatures, reflectivity, absorption and degradation. Solar energy applications requiring a standard process for determining solar irradiance energy include i) solar cell power simulation, ii) material degradation, and iii) the development of lamps and filters for terrestrial solar simulators. A solar irradiance product certifies compliance with this process-based standard by following compliance criteria that are described in this International Standard.  ..." ]


[ SUSAN is Hans' wife - of 38+ years & a "Yoga Pose Performer" - nearly every day.  ] 


The laser is integrated to an autofocusing/scanning optical system [IEEE] , and co-boresighted to a context imager with a spatial resolution of 30 µm.

 
[ size "SARS-COV-2" :Zhu, Zhang, Wang, Yang] ... [ human depth perception  ::  MRO related :: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contextual_image_classification  ] ::

" SHERLOC enables non-contact, spatially resolved, and highly sensitivity detection and characterization of organics and minerals in the Martian surface and near subsurface. "

  The instrument goals [ Instruments have "goals?*] are to: [ * Just kidding - Anthropomorphism of objects & devices... ] 
1) assess past aqueous history,
2)detect the presence ...
3) preservation of potential biosignatures, [ Why not bring everything - of interest - back?  ::  Should NASA bring anything back? - Alien sense of "time" & planning **
and 4) to support selection of return samples. [ And, who will be the "voters" in the selection process? ] 
 Consider, an entity/object - totally inert - on Mars - might go "hog wild" - on Earth -
Javelina pigs

To do this, SHERLOC A, B, C

A) measures CHNOPS-containing mineralogy,   [ CHNOPS, which stands for carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, represents the six most important chemical elements whose covalent combinations make up most biological molecules on Earth. SOURCE: Wikipedia ]
B) measures the distribution and type of organics preserved at the surface,
and C) correlates them to textural features.
HHHHH   < https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK65885/figure/CDR0000419665__186/ 


SHERLOC operates over a 7 × 7 mm area [ALSO see mosquito size information - FOR OBJECT SIZE COMPARISON]  through use of an internal scanning mirror.
  [ example :: rifle cartridge explanation :
Which, Susan was taken "deer-hunting" one time - and, mosquitos dared to disturb her. This was before she had a Varityper 4300 imagesetter]
The 500-micron depth of view, in conjunction with the MAHLI heritage autofocus mechanisms,
enables arm placements from 48 mm above natural or abraded surfaces without the need for rover arm repositioning/movement.

[ Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) is one of seventeen cameras on the Curiosity rover on the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Humans On Mars - Real Estate SALES ] -- 

[ Who "owns" Earth's Moon? ]  NASA - If you land on something - it belongs to YOU. Wikipedia  : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_real_estate

 [ Why did the Queen of Spain believe "America" belonged to her? ]


Additionally, borehole interiors, after sample core removal, can be analyzed as a proxy for "direct core analysis". [Earth business]

In addition to the combined spectroscopic and macro imaging component, SHERLOC also integrates a “second-eye” with a near-field-to-infinity imaging component called "WATSON" (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering), which is used for engineering science operations and science imaging.

WATSON is a build-to-print camera based on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI).

    Integration is enabled by existing electronics within SHERLOC.


Science

Deep UV-induced native fluorescence is very sensitive to condensed carbon and aromatic organics, enabling detection at or below 10-6 w/w (1 ppm) at <100 µm spatial scales. SHERLOC's deep UV resonance Raman enables detection and classification of aromatic and aliphatic organics with sensitivities of 10-2 to below 10-4 w/w at <100 µm spatial scales. In addition to organics, the deep UV Raman enables detection and classification of minerals relevant to aqueous chemistry with grain sizes below 20 µm grains.

SHERLOC's investigation combines two spectral phenomena, native fluorescence and pre-resonance/resonance Raman scattering. These events occur when a high-radiance, narrow line-width, laser source illuminates a sample. Organics that fluoresce absorb the incident photon and reemit at a higher wavelength. The difference between the excitation wavelength and the emission wavelength indicates the number of electronic transitions, which increases with increasing aromatic structures (i.e. number of rings). This phenomenon is highly efficient, with a typical cross section 105x greater than Raman scattering, and enables a powerful means to find trace organics.

The native fluorescence emission of organics extends from ~270 nm into the visible. This is especially useful, because it "creates" a fluorescence-free region (from 250 – 270 nm) where Raman scattering can occur. With SHERLOCs narrow-linewidth 248.6 nm DUV laser, additional characterization by Raman scattering from aromatics and aliphatic organics and minerals can be observed. Furthermore, excitation with a DUV wavelength enables resonance and pre-resonance signal enhancements (>100 to 10,000×) of organic/mineral vibrational bonds by coupling of the incident photon energy to the vibrational energy. This results in high-sensitivity measurements, with low backgrounds, without the need of high-intensity of lasers, and avoids damage or modification of organics by inducing reactions with species such as perchlorates.


SHERLOC Ops: An Example Measurement on Fig Tree

Using the SHERLOC testbed, an analysis of a piece of the astrobiologically interesting chert obtained from the Fig Tree Group is shown. A context image of the sample is acquired. Using the internal scanning mirror, a 50-micron laser spot is systematically rastered over the surface. On the same CCD, spectra in the range 250-360 nm are obtained. Analysis of the fluorescence region (>270 nm) identifies regions where organic material is present. Analysis of the fluorescence spectra identifies number of aromatic rings present, and identifies regions of high organic content. In order to achieve higher specificity, a longer integration can be used to collect deep UV Raman spectra. The Raman spectra shown on the right are from the two circles shown in the context image.


By studying the fluorescence and Raman data we can conclude that our analysis indicates that:


Potential for biosignature preservation in the matrix is low due to thermal history of the sample, with high preservation in the thermally unaltered vein material.
(  ASTROBIOLOGY  )


 



END 


10-20-2020

 Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) is one of seventeen cameras on the Curiosity rover on the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

CHNOPS, which stands for carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, represents the six most important chemical elements whose covalent combinations make up most biological molecules on Earth.

 https://study.com/academy/lesson/types-of-nucleic-acids.html  


10-19-2020        NEW > IN PROGRESS - BY "RETIRED" oHIo BUCKYEYE > [THAT] graduated from UWGB - and ... 


 "SARS-COV-2" virion human "brain" "damage" ::  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41422-020-0390-x  
 "... Together, these findings suggest that the human brain might be an extra-pulmonary target of SARS-CoV-2 infection.   ..."  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.00845/full  

  https://amedeo.com/CovidReference04.pdf  < BEST 
 "... https://amedeo.com/CovidReference04.pdf ..."

 "SARS-COV-2" virion ability to breach blood brain barrier neurology "reasoning" "ability"
   https://www.sacnas.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2020SACNAS_ResearchAbstractBook.pdf 

 "SARS-COV-2" virion ability to breach blood brain barrier neurology "personality" "change"
   https://scholars.duke.edu/display/meshD008875

 SARS-COV-2 virion  ability to breech  blood brain barrier  neurology "personality"


 SARS-COV-2 virion  ability to breech  blood brain barrier  neurology "sanity" < Google
  -  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7346808/ TITLE: "Update on neurological manifestations of COVID-19"

SOURCE:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5095522/?tool=pmcentrez

 "... Two commercially available handheld and one palm-sized Raman spectrometer were used in this study, specifically an 

Inspector Raman by Delta Nu, ::  https://www.labwrench.com/equipment/14460/deltanu-inspector-raman
a FirstGuard by Rigaku  ::  https://www.selectscience.net/products/firstguard-advanced-handheld-raman-spectrometer/?prodID=116379
and a FirstDefender RM by Thermo Scientific. ..." ::  https://www.anton-paar.com/us-en/products/details/handheld-raman-spectrometer-cora-100/?ref=adwords&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=US_BM.RT&utm_content=C-00030937&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8rT8BRCbARIsALWiOvSLRayMgU7kST47JR4wm-x4t9KkTKe5g1fricE6eCHlrZrP6PA5MWwaAkEvEALw_wcB  


 10-18-2020

 Stereochemistry :: Stereochemistry  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereochemistry

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Blausen_0323_DNA_Purines.png

 Adenine & Guanine 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Blausen_0324_DNA_Pyrimidines.png 

Cytosine, Thymine & Uracil

 
SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleobase  


Adenine Stereochemistry :: https://www.indigoinstruments.com/chemical-structure-molecule-model-database/adenine-structure-nucleotide-molecule-model.php

Guanine Stereochemistry :: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Guanosine-3D-balls.png : 
                                         https://www.indigoinstruments.com/images/products-resp/sm/Guanine-Cytosine-DNA-base-pairs-62122-GC.jpg 

Cytosine Stereochemistry ::  Cytosine-StereoChemistry.JPG :: https://study.com/academy/lesson/cytosine-structure-definition-quiz.html  
                                                 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Cytosine-3D-balls.png 

Thymine Stereochemistry ::  https://www.indigoinstruments.com/chemical-structure-molecule-model-database/thymine-molymod-hybrid-dome.php 

Uracil Stereochemistry ::  https://www.indigoinstruments.com/chemical-structure-molecule-model-database/uracil-molymod-hybrid-dome.php  
                                        https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Uracil-3D-balls.png

 "peptide" :: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peptide

 "Nucleotide" ::  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleotide  

Sars-COV-2 virion  "Nucleotide"  order genome ::  
 SOURCE:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7293463/ :: 

  STRAINS: "... Here, we discuss the roles and sequence comparison of each drug target among four strains of coronaviruses, i.e., 
 1) BAT-CoV HKU3, [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=333387&lvl=3&lin=f&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock ]
 2) SARS-CoV,  [ https://www.who.int/ith/diseases/sars/en/ ]
 3) MERS-CoV,  [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_respiratory_syndrome%E2%80%93related_coronavirus ]
  and 4) SARS-CoV-2 strains. ..."

 coronavirus strains ::  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803105246.htm ::  

source: https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus-strains#1 
"...  Human Coronavirus Types
Scientists have divided coronaviruses into four sub-groupings, called alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Seven of these viruses can infect people:

229E (alpha) ::  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_coronavirus_229E
NL63 (alpha) ::  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_coronavirus_NL63
OC43 (beta) ::  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_coronavirus_OC43
HKU1 (beta ::  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_coronavirus_HKU1
MERS-CoV, a beta virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_respiratory_syndrome%E2%80%93related_coronavirus
SARS-CoV, a beta virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_acute_respiratory_syndrome
SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19  ..."  :  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_acute_respiratory_syndrome_coronavirus_2 

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092544392030226X?via%3Dihub  

"Insights into SARS-CoV-2 genome, structure, evolution, pathogenesis and therapies: Structural genomics approach" < Title 
"...  3. Genome structure :: The genome of SARS-CoV-2 is comprised of a single-stranded positive-sense RNA [27]. 
 The newly sequenced genome of the SARS-CoV-2 was submitted in the NCBI genome database (NC_045512.2) ~29.9 Kb in size [11]. 
The genetic makeup of SARS-CoV-2 is composed of 13–15 (12 functional) open reading frames (ORFs) containing ~30,000 nucleotides. 
The genome contains 38% of the GC content and 11 protein-coding genes, with 12 expressed proteins. 
The genetic arrangement of ORFs highly resembles the SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV [28,29]. 
The ORFs are arranged as replicase and protease (1a–1b) and major S, E, M, and N proteins, which follows a typical 5′-3′ order of appearance, and are considered as major drug/vaccine targets. 
 These gene products play important roles in viral entry, fusion, and survival in host cells [23].

The genomic organization of the SARS-CoV-2 is sharing about 89% sequence identity with other CoVs (Fig. 2A). 
The translated sequences of SARS-CoV-2 proteins were retrieved from the GenBank (Accession ID: NC_045512.2)]. 
The whole genome of SARS-CoV-2 encodes about 7096 residues long polyprotein which consists of many structural and non-structural proteins (NSPs). 
The nucleotide content of the viral genome is held mainly by two non-structural proteins ORF1a and ORF1ab followed by structural proteins. 
Polyproteins pp1a and pp1ab are encoded by ORFs 1a and 1b, where polyprotein pp1ab is encoded by the ribosomal frameshift mechanism of the gene 1b. 
These polyproteins are further processed by virally encoded proteinases and produce 16 proteins, which are well conserved in all CoVs belonging to the same family (Fig. 2B).  ..."


 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7293463/#   < search on "nucleotide" - occurs six times.


 Zubay 1993 https://www.ebay.com/i/254517080934?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=254517080934&targetid=935694488066&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9015824&poi=&campaignid=10828927432&mkgroupid=110336956527&rlsatarget=pla-935694488066&abcId=9300396&merchantid=6296724&gclid=CjwKCAjwz6_8BRBkEiwA3p02Vf76m5OD1pNZHF3CWRovme7mkIcHbFx865AFzEJKeTT44Sg9-FAtihoCK6sQAvD_BwE 


GGGGGGG

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG 

https://www.nasa.gov/ames/aerobiology

 https://www.nasa.gov/ames/research/space-biosciences/david-j-smith-laboratory 

David J. Smith
Receiving Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) with OSTP Director Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier. 
Receiving Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) with OSTP Director Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier.
Credits: OSTP
Working in the NASA GeneLab Sample Processing Laboratory in July 2017
Working in the NASA GeneLab Sample Processing Laboratory in July 2017
Credits: NASA/Dominic Hart
David Smith - At the NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, prior to the first E-MIST test flight in August 2014
Title: Branch Chief ::  Phone: (650) 604-4819
 ::  Email: David.J.Smith-3@nasa.gov :: Affiliation: Space Biosciences Research Branch

SOURCE: https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(18)30219-8.pdf 

"...  Title: Contamination Conundrum 

 by: David Smith - NASA [ https://www.nasa.gov/ames/ocs/summerseries/2018/david-smith ] 


Title: Contamination Conundrum 

 by: David Smith - NASA [ https://www.nasa.gov/ames/ocs/summerseries/2018/david-smith ] :: arc-ocs@mail.nasa.gov

Is life on Mars? 

 Indisputably, the answer is yes; unfortunately, we delivered it there. 

In fact, every [Earth] spacecraft sent to the "Red Planet" (called Mars) is allowed [permitted?] to carry a small amount of terrestrial contamination onboard, 
including hardy endospore-forming bacteria - capable of withstanding severe conditions in space.

How will future astrobiology missions searching for indications of life—past or present—disentangle the signature of terrestrial contaminants from potentially native life forms?

While we can do a better job at reducing the "viable bioburden" on spacecraft [from Earth] by aggressive sterilization methods, 
  it adds [this would add] substantial costs to missions and limits the type of instruments that can be carried (e.g., computers don’t like to be autoclaved). [ How are ASICs made? Clean Room Technology ]

Even a fully "aseptic spacecraft" would still belittered with microbial debris — biosignatures that might be indistinguishable from samples acquired in a precious scoop of Martian soil.

Knowing this, perhaps we must accept the "inevitable contamination issue" and focus instead on identifying our own signal through intentional tagging and traceability. 
 Systematic approaches using synthetic molecular barcodes or inert fluorescent particles would at least tell us which samples are fouled and which can be trusted. 

The detection - of life beyond Earth - will someday send shockwaves through popular culture and reconfigure humanity’s understanding of the universe. 

We must ensure that such a discovery will not be corrupted or confused by a false signal  ..." [END] 


Contact Us : Thank you for your interest in the NASA Ames Office of the Chief Scientist.  If you have questions or comments regarding the OCS please send us an email at arc-ocs@mail.nasa.gov and someone will get back to you shortly. ... NASA's Ames Research Center, one of ten NASA field centers, is located in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. 
 Since 1939, Ames has led NASA in conducting world-class research and development in aeronautics, exploration technology and science aligned with the center's core capabilities.
 Location: Moffett Field, California, 40 miles south of San Francisco; 12 miles north of San Jose, between Mountain View and Sunnyvale  ..."

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

 https://marlin-prod.literatumonline.com/cms/attachment/aa285640-7adb-4f3c-90d1-615c780ac1db/gr1.jpg 


https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(17)30506-4


https://www.elsevier.com/books/origins-of-life/zubay/978-0-12-781910-5  

 Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis Publisher: William C Brown Pub | ISBN: 0697241696 | edition 1995 | PDF | 989 pages | 80 mb Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis by. Audio book Principles of Biochemistry: Energy,. Download Free eBook:Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis by Geoffrey Zubay - Free chm, pdf ebooks download Book Review: Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry - David L. Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis. *FREE* super saver shipping on. Lehninger’s Principles of Biochemistry is a very. Note: Marketplace items are not eligible for any BN.com coupons and promotions Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis Vander A et al : Human physiology Seventh edition; vh dissector pro free; smith urology pdf; hoffman hematology 6th ed free download; resnick bone and joint imaging pdf Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis ebooks. Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis ebook Science Technology book download free ebooks By Rapidshare mediafire megaupload torrent 0697241696. . Parson, Dennis E. and Proteins 3.1. Download eBook ~ Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and. Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis by. I STRUCTURE AND CATALYSIS. Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis [Geoffrey Zubay, William W. of life forms in global cycles of energy. Vance] on Amazon.com. Download Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and. Download Ebooks Download eBook ~ Principles of Biochemistry: Energy, Proteins, and Catalysis ~ hosted by OverBlog .   

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 Biochemistry (Second Edition)
by Geoffrey Zubay. pp 1226.
Basingstoke, UK. 1988. £22
Macmillan Publishing,
ISBN 0-02-432080-3
The earliest impression I formed during the first stages of
evaluating this book was that it was very different from the First
Edition which was published four years previously. In this I was
influenced by: (i) the new outer appearance; (ii) the change of
publisher; (iii) the larger format, although the number of pages
is essentially the same; (iv) the use of a bold purple for
highlighting of headings, etc, rather than the more sedate, rustybrown of the former edition; (v) the presence of a glossary, and
of answers to end-of-chapter problems; (vi) the organisation into
six parts (comprising 36 chapters), rather than five parts
(comprising 32 chapters).
My mature impression is that the book is more uniformly
readable, much better integrated, more balanced in style,
approach and coverage than its predecessor. This is very likely a
reflection of the involvement of the coordinating author in
almost one-half of the chapters, and of the part played by a good
editorial assistant in the book's production.
Its release coincided with that of the Third Edition of Stryer's
textbook, making comparison almost inevitable. The content of
the two books is rather similar though the extent of coverage
naturally varies. Zubay's book comes out as containing much
more metabolism than Stryer's and in this may have a slightly
wider appeal amongst those who believe that metabolism,
though difficult, is important.
This book should find increasing acceptance as a basic
textbook especially for undergraduate students majoring in
biochemistry and molecular biology, and for graduate students
doing research in this or in related disciplines.
F

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

 https://www.biology.columbia.edu/people/graduate-students  

 https://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=79971  

 https://www.scribd.com/doc/92112743/Principles-of-Biochemistry-Zubay   ::  https://html2-f.scribdassets.com/xggwtrj5s1ks7b6/images/1-9dc1e50b68.jpg  

  https://hansandcassady.org/FDA-Compiance-Enforcement-Letter-SENT-1-23-2018-PDF.pdf  

  https://chemistry.ua.edu/people/carolyn-j-cassady/   (205) 348-8443 ccassady@ua.edu  Shelby Hall 1064 

 "Cassady" "Biochemistry" 

 https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/63190/7/07_chapter%201.pdf

 Zubay, Geoffery "The Three-dimensional Structure of Proteins"

 http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/grad/petersonlisting.pdf

 "Geoffrey L. Zubay, Professor; Ph.D., Harvard, 1957. Prebiotic reactions leading to the origins of life."

Zubay, G., 1996. Origins of Life on Earth and in the Cosmos

Zubay, G., 1996. Origins of Life on Earth and in the Cosmos. -- Wm.C. Brown, Dubuque,IA.

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 Shock the Monkey >  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnVf1ZoCJSo  

Cheerleading kicks 

 Luther.W.Beegle@jpl.nasa.gov

 Dear Professor Beegle (Luther) , I do not wish to pester you - but, perhaps you are not aware?

 Honda makes a robot ( "Asimo" ) - that, can walk up and down "stairs";
 which, many human abodes - on Earth (in America) - have these structures - related to: entering the abode.

 Asimo can also make appointments - with American citizens;
  which, this will be required - related to the US Constitution - created 1787. 

 Other US companies make "ROBOTS" - but theirs - appear (to me) designed to frighten humans - and, are "war-like" & military in appearance.

 The creation of SHERLOC - now residing on Perserverence - was funded with US TAX Payor dollars.

 Roche Molecular Engineering - has devised a means (a technology) to identify the HIV virus. PCR etc. 

   Standford v. Roche is a recent SCOTUS Opinion (2011) - that can be applied - to encourage ROCHE's involvement - if needed. [i.e. Bayh v. Dole]

 Consider, the SARS-COV-2  virion - has a unique appearance: Specifically, a  nucleo capsid - plus 100 external "corona"; which are not "spiked" - but, appear as "clubs".

 The polypeptide sequence - of the RNA molecule - residing inside the virion's nucleo capsid - is known. And, each polypeptide molecule - has a unique sterio-chemistry appearance - related to ribosome "active sites".

 Wrapping up, I have worked - all over the USA - with Engineers from everywhere - on Earth.

 ONE of these people was (the) Jaiyuan FANG - The founder of SIGRITY - and, the "father" of US Signal Integrity software. 

 Dr. FANG - still lives in California. Now, very wealthy, he works (ocasionally) for Cadence ASIC Software ; And, was the leader of IEEE - for a time.

 I do not believe USA-IEEE is a "terrorist organization" - however, many of its members - can, perform YOGA poses - and, karate scissor kicks - as I once could. 
  (I still perform YOGA poses daily.)

 Respectfully,
 - Susan Marie Neuhart (nee CASSADY) - YES. My Uncle Pearl's "little boy" did win the Heisman Trophy


BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

 Mars Perserverence Life Probe created provide by Luther Beegle

 - https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/sherloc/ 

 - https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/sherloc/ 


 Susan,
 
Thanks for the inquiry. The answer to your question is both simple and complex. Yes we can detect if there is a virus within the beam of the laser. The problem is we cannot tell which virus it is.
 
Given the amount of biology on natural surfaces you cannot search a non-cleaned surface and not see something. The vast majority of microbes  are pretty harmless so the measurement really does not help detect COVID.
 
Luther :: 
 
Luther Beegle (He/Him)
PI of SHERLOC
Deputy Manager, Science Division
Jet Propulsion Laboratory MS 183-335
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena Ca 91109-8099
Office: (818) 354-2400
Cell: (818) 642-8913

 Luther.W.Beegle@jpl.nasa.gov
 
From: Susan Cassady Neuhart <susancn@hansandcassady.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 4, 2020 6:55 AM

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 Olivine ::  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivine  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bravais_lattice 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


 The 5 Possibilities For Life On Mars

Life On Mars

 SOURCE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2020/08/04/the-5-possibilities-for-life-on-mars/#68b279305387

"...  But by far, the most fascinating possibility is the red planet: Mars. 

This smaller, colder, more distant cousin of Earth most certainly had a wet past, where liquid water clearly flowed on the surface for more than a billion years. 

Circumstantial evidence has pointed to the plausibility of life on Mars, not only in the ancient past, but possibly still living, and perhaps occasionally active, even today. 

There are five possibilities for life on Mars. Here’s what we know so far. 

The 5 Possibilities For Life On Mars

Mars as it appeared some 3.5 billion years ago, with large amounts of surface water. IMAGE

While Mars is known as a frozen, red planet today, it has all the evidence we could ask for of a ... [+] KEVIN M. GILL / FLICKR

For as long as humanity has been watching the skies, we’ve been fascinated with the possibility that other worlds — much like Earth — might contain living organisms. 

While our visits to the Moon taught us that it’s completely barren and uninhabited, other worlds within our Solar System remain full of potential. 

Venus might have life in its cloud-tops. 

Europa and Enceladus might have life teeming in a sub-surface ocean of liquid water. Even Titan’s liquid hydrocarbon lakes provide a fascinating place to search for exotic living organisms.

But by far, the most fascinating possibility is the red planet: Mars. This smaller, colder, more distant cousin of Earth most certainly had a wet past, where liquid water clearly flowed on the surface for more than a billion years. Circumstantial evidence has pointed to the plausibility of life on Mars, not only in the ancient past, but possibly still living, and perhaps occasionally active, even today. There are five possibilities for life on Mars. Here’s what we know so far.

Oxbow bends only occur in the final stages of a slowly flowing river's life, even on Mars.

Oxbow bends only occur in the final stages of a slowly flowing river's life, and this one is found ... [+] NASA / MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR

---- We Should Consider Starting Covid-19 Vaccinations Now


With the information we’ve obtained from various orbiters, landers, and rovers, we’ve made a slew of fascinating discoveries on Mars. 
We see dried-up riverbeds and evidence of ancient glacial events on the Martian surface. 
We find tiny hematite spheres on Mars as well as copious evidence for sedimentary rock, both of which only form on Earth in aqueous environments. 
And we’ve observed solid sub-surface ice, snows, and even frozen surface water on Mars in real-time.

We’ve even observed what’s likely to be briny surface water actively flowing down the walls of various craters, although that result is still controversial. 

All the raw ingredients that are required for life on Earth were abundant on early Mars as well, including a thick atmosphere and liquid water on its surface. 

Although Mars no longer appears as though it’s teeming with life today, there are ++++++  three pieces of evidence ++++++++  that past or even present life might be a possibility.


The hematite spheres (or 'Martian blueberries') as imaged by the Mars Exploration Rover.

The hematite spheres (or 'Martian blueberries') as imaged by the Mars Exploration Rover. These are ... [+] NASA/JPL-CALTECH/CORNELL/ASU

1. The first compelling piece of evidence came from the instruments on board NASA’s Mars Viking landers in 1976. 

There were three biology experiments performed: a gas exchange experiment, a labeled release experiment, and a pyrolytic release experiment, followed-up by a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer experiment. 
The labeled release experiment yielded a positive result when performed on both Viking landers, but only the first time the test occurred. All other experiments came back negative.

2. The second piece of evidence came when a fragment of a Martian meteorite — Allan Hills 84001 — was recovered on December 27, 1984. 
 As it turns out, approximately 3% of all meteorites that fall to Earth originate from Mars, but this one was particularly large: nearly 2 kilograms (over 4 pounds) heavy. It originally formed on Mars some 4 billion years ago, and landed on Earth only some 13,000 years ago. When we looked inside of it in 1996, it appears to contain material that could be the remnants of fossilized organic life forms, although they could have arisen from inorganic processes as well.

The possible geochemical or organic processes that could lead to seasonal methane on Mars.

3. Most recently, the Mars Curiosity rover detected Methane vents on Mars, which could have been ... [+] NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SAM-GSFC/UNIV. OF MICHIGAN
And finally, the third piece of evidence came out with NASA’s latest Mars rover: Curiosity. 
As the seasons changed on Mars, Curiosity detected “burps” of methane emitted from specific underground locations, but only at the end of Martian winter and with the onset of spring. 
This is, again, an ambiguous signal at best, as inorganic, geochemical processes could be seasonal and result in the release of methane, but organic, biological processes could cause this as well.

When we look at the full suite of evidence — at everything we’ve learned about Mars — ***** there are five possibilities  ******  for the history of life on the Red Planet. 

1. It could be an eternally barren world; 
2. it could be a world where life thrived for a time but then hit a dead-end; 
3. it could have extant life on it today; 
4. it could have been seeded by Earth life early on; 
5. or,  it could only have Earth-based organisms that made their way there since the dawn of the space age.

Here’s what each possibility would mean.

Mars, along with its thin atmosphere, as photographed from the Viking orbiter.
Mars, along with its thin atmosphere, as photographed from the Viking orbiter. From afar as well as ... [+] NASA / VIKING 1
1.) Mars never had life on it. Despite having the same raw ingredients as early Earth and similar, watery conditions, the necessary circumstances that enable life to form simply never occurred on Mars. All the geological and chemical processes that occur inorganically still happened, but nothing organic. Then, a little more than three billion years ago, Mars’s atmosphere was stripped away by the Sun, drying up any liquid surface water and leading to Mars’s current appearance.

This is the most conservative stance, and would require that all three of the purported “positive” tests have either an inorganic or contamination-based resolution. This is eminently possible, and remains — in the mind of many — the default assumption. Until some very compelling evidence comes along that robustly points to either past or present life on Mars, this will likely remain the leading hypothesis.

Seasonal frozen lakes appear throughout Mars, indicating a watery past.
Seasonal frozen lakes appear throughout Mars, showing evidence of (not liquid) water on the surface. ... [+] ESA/DLR/FU BERLIN (G. NEUKUM)
2.) Mars had life early on, but it died out. This scenario, in many ways, is just as compelling as the prior one. It’s very easy to imagine that a world with:

a thick atmosphere similar to early Earth’s,
stable, liquid water on its surface,
continents with rich geological diversity,
volcanoes,
a magnetic field,
a day similar in length to our own,
and temperatures only marginally cooler than Earth’s today,
could lead to life. To many, it’s virtually impossible to imagine that these conditions — after more than a billion years — wouldn’t lead to life, considering that life arose on Earth no more than a few hundred million years after its formation.

However, the loss of the Martian atmosphere had a profound effect on the planet, and could have resulted in the extinction of all life on Mars. Drilling down into the sedimentary rock of Mars and searching for fossilized life forms, or even metamorphosed carbon-rich inclusions, could potentially reveal the evidence necessary to validate this scenario.

Recurring slope lineae on Mars are caused by the flow of briny, liquid water, even today.
Recurring slope lineae, like this one on the south-facing slope of a crater on the floor of Melas ... [+] A.S. MCEWEN ET AL., NATURE GEOSCIENCE 7, 53–58 (2014)
3.) Mars had early life, and it still persists in a mostly-dormant form beneath the surface. This is the most optimistic, but still scientifically viable, view of life on Mars. Perhaps life took hold early on, and when Mars lost its atmosphere, a few extremophiles remained in a sort of frozen, suspended-animation state. When the right conditions emerged — perhaps underground, where liquid water can occasionally flow — that life “wakes up” and begins performing its critical biological functions.

If this is the case, then there are still organisms to be found beneath the Martian surface, perhaps in the shallow sands just a few feet or even mere inches below our spacecraft. We’re likely only talking about single-celled life, perhaps not even reaching the complexity of a eukaryotic cell, but life on any world other than Earth would still be a revolution for science. NASA’s Perseverance rover, which launched successfully on July 30, 2020, will collect critical soil samples to attempt to test this hypothetical scenario.

A planetoid colliding with Earth, larger than even the dinosaur-killing asteroid strike.
A planetoid colliding with Earth, larger than even the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs, ... [+] NASA / DON DAVIS
4.) Mars didn’t have life until Earth seeded it, naturally. 65 million years ago, a very large, fast-moving body impacted Earth, creating Chixulub crater and kicking up enough material to blanket the Earth in a cloud of debris, leading to the fifth great mass extinction in Earth’s history. And, like many massive impacts, this one likely kicked up small pieces of Earth all the way into space, the same way that impactors on the Moon or Mars send meteors throughout the Solar System, where some of them eventually land on Earth.

Well, a few impacts likely go the other way as well: sending Earth-borne material to other worlds, including Mars. It seems unreasonable that the material in Earth’s crust, rich in organic life, wouldn’t make it to Mars at all. Instead, it’s eminently plausible that Earth-based organisms made it to Mars and began reproducing there, whether they thrived or not. Perhaps someday, we’ll be able to know the full history of life on Mars, and determine whether any of it has the same common ancestor that all extant Earth life is descended from. It’s a fascinating possibility that isn’t easy to dismiss.

The first truly successful Mars landers, NASA's Viking 1 and 2.
The first truly successful landers, Viking 1 and 2, returned data and images for years, including ... [+] NASA AND ROEL VAN DER HOORN
5.) Our modern space program spread Earth-based life to Mars. And, finally, perhaps Mars truly was a barren, lifeless planet — at least for billions of years — until the dawn of the space age. Perhaps spaceborne materials that weren’t 100% decontaminated or sterilized landed on the Martian surface, bringing modern Earth organisms with them as stowaways.

It’s the ultimate nightmare of astrobiologists: that there’s a fascinating history of life to uncover on another world, but we’ll contaminate it with our own organisms before we ever learn the true history of life on that world. In the worst case scenario, it could be the case that was surviving simple life on Mars of Martian origin, but that Earth life arrived and out-competed it, driving it to a rapid extinction. This very real, healthy fear is why we’re frequently so conservative, from a biological perspective, when we explore other planets and foreign worlds.

An Atlas V rocket with NASA's Perseverance Mars rover launches on July 30, 2020.
An Atlas V rocket with NASA's Perseverance Mars rover launches from pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air ... [+] SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES
There is a tremendous hope that current and future generations of Mars rovers and orbiters will help us finally puzzle out whether Mars — either now or at any point in its past — has ever harbored life. If the answer to that question is affirmative, then it leads to an important follow-up question: is that life related to or independent of life on Earth? It is possible that life originated on Earth and seeded Mars with life; it’s possible that life originated on Mars and then seeded Earth; it’s even possible that life predated both Earth and Mars, and early forms of it took hold on both planets.

But at this point in time, we have no overwhelming evidence that life ever existed on Mars at all. We have a few hints that could be indicators of past or present life there, but entirely inorganic processes could explain each and every one of those observed results.

As always, the only way we’ll find out the truth is by conducting more and better science with superior instruments and techniques. As NASA’s Perseverance rover moves ahead to collect a variety of soil samples, the next step will be returning them to Earth for laboratory analysis. If we succeed at that, we could know for certain, within the next decade, which of these five possibilities is most consistent with the truth about Mars.


Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website or some of my other work here. 
Ethan Siegel :: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethan_Siegel
Ethan Siegel -- I am a Ph.D. astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, who professes physics and astronomy at various colleges. I have won numerous awards for science writing… 

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 MOSQUITO


  HOW BIG CAN MOSQUITOES GET?

How Big Can Mosquitoes Get?

How Big Can Mosquitoes Get? A size comparison of mosquitoes and midges. Mosquitoes and midges are pests, tiny little pests, yet they’re the most deadly animal on the planet. Here at Mosquito Magnet®, we wanted to take a look at the size difference between some of the most common biting mosquitoes and midges. In our infographic below, you can find a comparison of size between the smallest of these blood suckers – the biting midge, to the largest of them all – the gallinipper mosquito.

How big can mosquitoes get anopheles mosquito

BITING MIDGES/NO-SEE-UMS/PUNKIES/SAND FLIES

Biting midges range in body length from 1 - 4mm (0.04 - 0.16in) These tiny pests are often so small that they can fit through typical screens on windows and doors. In tropical regions, biting midges are known to transmit filarial worms to humans and bluetongue virus to livestock. However, even when these pests aren’t vectors (carriers) of disease, their bite can be extremely uncomfortable and some people may develop an allergic reaction. On the plus-side, No-See-Ums and Gull Midges are the only known pollinators of the cacao tree. There are 4,000 - 5,000 known species of biting midges located throughout the world in tropical, sub-tropical, sub-Saharan, temperate regions and even areas with cooler climates.

SOUTHERN HOUSE MOSQUITO/CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS

The Southern House Mosquito ranges in length from about 3.96-4.25mm (0.16 – 0.17in). These opportunistic nighttime feeders are known to transmit West Nile Virus, Western Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, Rift Valley Fever Virus and filarial nematode. The Southern house mosquito, aptly named, enters homes at dusk to feed and rest on walls and in clothing. Mature females of the species prefer human blood. Quinquefasciatus is Latin for five-banded, referring to the banded appearance of the mosquito. Culex quinquefasciatus is a sub-tropical species found in North and South America, Australia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand within latitudes 36°N and 36°S.

MALARIA MOSQUITO/ANOPHELES MOSQUITO/MARSH MOSQUITO

Known universally as the Malaria Mosquito, the Anopheles is the primary vector for Malaria. It is typically about 5mm (0.20in) in length and, uniquely, points its stomach upward while sitting. Anopheles mosquitoes are also known transmitters of heartworm in dogs. Approximately 430 species of Anopheles mosquitoes exist, but only 30 - 40 of those species are vectors of malaria. Many of the vector species of this mosquito have become resistant to insecticides. Anopheles mosquitoes are found all throughout the world, with the exception of Antarctica.

NORTHERN HOUSE MOSQUITO/CULEX PIPIENS

Ranging in length from 3 - 7mm (0.12 – 0.27in), the Northern House Mosquito is known as the primary vector of St. Louis Encephalitis. This mosquito also transmits West Nile Virus, Western Equine Encephalitis, Heartworm in dogs and bird Malaria. Previously considered a “bird feeder,” this mosquito has gotten the taste for human and mammal blood. The female C. pipiens is known to overwinter in caves, cellars, basements and outbuildings.  This mosquito is considered to be the most common mosquito in urban and suburban areas in North America.

YELLOW FEVER MOSQUITO/AEDES AEGYPTI

Known to be the main vector of Yellow Fever and Dengue Fever in North, Central and South America, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is typically about 4 – 7mm (0.16 - 0.27in) in length. It is also a vector of the Zika Virus. This particular mosquito strikes during early morning and late afternoon hours when the temperature is cooler, and it is rather fond of human blood. The Yellow Fever Mosquito’s eggs can survive for up to a year if conditions were not suitable for hatching and will hatch once flooded by deoxygenated water. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is found in most regions in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world.

ASIAN TIGER MOSQUITO/AEDES ALBOPICTUS

More aggressive than its competitor, the Asian Tiger mosquito has overtaken the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in certain areas. Growing to be 2 – 10mm (0.08 – 0.39in) in length, the Aedes albopictus is a vector of the Zika Virus, and a potential carrier of Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, Encephalitis and Hearthworm. Asian Tiger Mosquitoes are aggressive, persistent daytime biters who prefer human blood over other mammals. Their name comes from their tell-tale black-and-white striped appearance. The Aedes albopictus mosquito is found in most regions in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world and can survive a wide range of climates.

GALLINIPPER/PSOROPHORA CILIATA

The Gallinipper Mosquito can grow 20 times as large as the Asian Tiger mosquito – it ranges from 12.7 - 25.4mm (0.5 – 1in) – that’s an inch-long mosquito! It is second in length only to the Australian Elephant Mosquito/Toxorhynchites speciosus, which is about 1.5 inches in length, but does not feed on blood. Bites from the Gallinipper are reported to be much more painful and this mosquito can bite through clothing. Folklore says this mosquito got its name, Gallinipper, because it seems like it takes a gallon of your blood when it bites. Luckily, this mosquito is not known to carry any diseases or parasites. It does, however, feed both day and night. P. ciliata are found in North American from South Dakota through Texas and Quebec through Florida. They are also found in South America.

MORE ABOUT MOSQUITOES AND MIDGES

If you would like to learn more about many of the mosquitoes featured here, check out our Biting Insect Library. Stay in-the-know about all things mosquito by following Mosquito Magnet® on Facebook or sign up for our Newsletter.

A special thanks to Kutztown University's Biology Department for assistance with this article.  

HOW BIG CAN MOSQUITOES GET?

How Big Can Mosquitoes Get?

How Big Can Mosquitoes Get? A size comparison of mosquitoes and midges.


Mosquitoes and midges are pests, tiny little pests, yet they’re the most deadly animal on the planet. Here at Mosquito Magnet®, we wanted to take a look at the size difference between some of the most common biting mosquitoes and midges. In our infographic below, you can find a comparison of size between the smallest of these blood suckers – the biting midge, to the largest of them all – the gallinipper mosquito.

Stop these pest before they get too big. Shop Mosquito Magnet® Mosquito Traps »

How big can mosquitoes get anopheles mosquito 



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10-30-2020

SOURCE:  https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument/cmdocumentid=467321/solicitationId=%7B03F2F115-89D2-1AAB-F632-574C1A80C65B%7D/viewSolicitationDocument=1/NNH15ZOA001N-15GCD_C2_20150604.pdf

"... The Game Changing Development (GCD) Program ( https://gcd.larc.nasa.gov/  ::  https://gameon.nasa.gov/ )
investigates novel ideas and approaches that have the potential to revolutionize future
space missions and provide solutions to significant national public needs. GCD seeks
to identify and rapidly mature innovative, high-impact, capabilities and technologies and
complement them with "new start" and competitively-selected projects by using a
balanced approach of guided technology development efforts and competitivelyselected efforts from across NASA, academia, industry, and other government
agencies.

1.2 Background
NASA initiated the design and development of a new bipedal humanoid robot, R5,
through the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) in 2012. While developed specifically for
disaster-response tasks, R5 was also envisioned as part of a new category of robots for
use in future NASA missions, either as a pre-cursor robot performing mission tasks
before humans arrive, or as a human-assistive robot actively collaborating with the
human crew. NASA seeks to stimulate innovation in the operations and capabilities of
existing and future humanoid robots with a focus on the performance of tasks related to
space exploration missions. NASA’s interests in humanoid robots derives from their
latent ability to more effectively and efficiently operate equipment engineered for
humans and their ability to function effectively as astronaut assistants. These NASA
interests for the use of humanoid robots in extreme space environments also overlap
with the potential utility of similar robots in terrestrial applications such as disaster relief.
To maximize the diversity of innovation, NASA is assembling two additional R5 units
that will be provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) for at least two years
to the robotics community for active research of high-level humanoid behaviors. The
robots will have walking, balancing and manipulating capabilities so that future research
may focus on the development of complex behaviors that would advance autonomy for
bipedal humanoid robots.
These robots are intended to be the primary instruments for the Space Robotics
Challenge (SRC), which NASA will administer separately in 2016 through the
Centennial Challenges Program. The SRC seeks to advance innovation in robotic
software to increase the autonomy of dexterous mobile robots, particularly those of 

... 7.0 POINTS OF CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

* Technical questions and comments about this Appendix may be directed to: Kimberly Cone
NRA Manager, GCD
HQ-STMD-GCDC2@mail.nasa.gov

* Procurement questions and comments about this Appendix may be directed to:
Chris Gaspard
Contracting Officer
NASA Johnson Space Center
2101 NASA Pkwy., Mail Code BH
Houston, TX 77058
HQ-STMD-GCDC2@mail.nasa.gov
All questions shall be submitted in writing to the email address provided above.
Questions of a general nature will be added to the FAQs for this Appendix. The FAQs
will be located under “Other Documents” on the NSPIRES page associated with this
Appendix.  ..."



10-30-2020

 "detecting" "virions" < GOOGLE

Contributor Information

 Xuanhong Cheng, Email: :: Email: xuc207@lehigh.edu :: https://engineering.lehigh.edu/faculty/xuanhong-cheng

 Grace Chen, Email:   ::  gracec@mit.edu  
   https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/65845/FAchin-2010-Integration%20of%20Vertically-Aligned%20Carbon%20Nanotube.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

 William R. Rodriguez, Email:  wrodriguez@partners.org ::  "William R. Rodriguez" "partners"   ::  https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/authors?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020182

SOURCE: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/authors?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020182
 "...  William R Rodriguez
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: wrodriguez@partners.org (WRR), E-mail: mcdevitt@mail.utexas.edu (JTM)
AFFILIATIONS Partners AIDS Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America, Division of AIDS, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America  ..."


CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7080050/  
    > TITLE " Micro- and nanotechnology for viral detection "

 "...  Abstract
Since the identification of viruses at the start of the 20th century, detecting their presence has presented great challenges. In the past two decades, there has been significant progress in viral detection methods for clinical diagnosis and environmental monitoring. The earliest advances were in molecular biology and imaging techniques. Advances in microfabrication and nanotechnology have now begun to play an important role in viral detection, and improving the detection limit, operational simplicity, and cost-effectiveness of viral diagnostics. Here we provide an overview of recent advances, focusing especially on advances in simple, device-based approaches for viral detection. 
...Fully integrated lab-on-a-chip devices
Recently, significant efforts have been made towards integrated genetic analysis microchips for sample-in, answer-out pathogen detection [2, 63, 64] (Fig. 4). These devices take in biological samples and perform, in a programmed fashion, the complete process of viral separation, lysis, nucleic acid amplification, and electrophoretic amplicon detection. Using such a device, Lien et al. detected dengue virus down to 102 pfu mL−1 within 4 h [65]. Another microchip by Easley et al. detects pathogens in blood in less than 30 min, though with compromised sensitivity [64].
... Micro/nanoparticles as imaging agents
Instead of staining the viruses directly by use of fluorescent dyes, 
micro/nanoparticles carrying detection tags and capable of recognizing the target virions are also used as labeling and imaging agents. 
These methods have the advantage of higher specificity towards the target virions, and improved imaging contrast compared with direct viral staining.
... Conclusion
In summary, technical breakthroughs have been reported in viral detection on both molecular and whole-particle levels. Many of these breakthroughs have taken advantage of recent advances in the rapidly growing micro and nanotechnology to bring improvements to the speed, sensitivity, operability, and portability of viral diagnostics. Further efforts in device integration, process automation, cost reduction, and improved accuracy will re-shape future viral diagnosis for access at point-of-care and even home settings.
..."

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7080050/table/Tab1/?report=objectonly