Search for life in Martian ice relies on UK technology (Forwarded)

Imperial College London
London, U.K.

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For immediate release: Wednesday 25 July 2007

Search for life in Martian ice relies on UK technology

The Martian surface will be explored for conditions favourable for past or
present life thanks to micro-machine technology supplied by Imperial College
London. The NASA mission, planned for August 2007, represents the first
chance for UK hardware to contribute to the exploration of Mars since the
failed Beagle 2 spacecraft launched in 2003.

Dr Tom Pike and his team at Imperial's Department of Electrical and
Electronic Engineering have provided substrates -- surfaces used to hold
samples for imaging -- for the Mars Phoenix mission. These substrates will
hold dust and soil for examination in a microscope station attached to the
Phoenix lander.

The grains of Martian dust and soil, delivered by a mechanical excavating
arm, will be imaged by an optical microscope and an atomic force microscope.
Together they will provide the highest resolution of imaging ever taken on
another planet.

"Nobody has looked at Mars at this type of resolution. It is very difficult
to predict what we might find, but if you wanted to look for the earliest
forms of past or present life we will be the first to look closely enough,"
said Dr Pike.

The team has been conducting trials on a replica of Phoenix's microscope
station based at Imperial. They have been using the equipment for several
months to work out the best way of studying the Martian soil.

They also visited Mission Control at the University of Arizona Tucson USA
(1420 July 2007). As part of the "operational readiness" process Dr Pike and
his colleagues spent a week going through a simulation of the actual
mission.

The launch date is scheduled for a three-week period after 3 August 2007.
The aim of the NASA mission is to search for potential biological habitable
zones. The Phoenix lander is scheduled to touch down on the northern
ice-rich polar region known as the Vastitas Borealis.The mission represents
the first attempt to actually touch and analyse Martian water in the form of
buried ice. The spacecraft will investigate whether frozen water near the
Martian surface might periodically melt enough to sustain a habitable zone
for primitive microbes.

If Phoenix lands successfully scientists will have three months to complete
their tasks. They will race against the clock to dig for, and analyse,
materials before the Martian winter sets in and the solar panels no longer
provide enough power to run the vehicle.

During the analysis phase Dr Pike and his team will be based at Mission
Control. They will be part of the team operating the microscope station.

The construction of the microscope station is an international collaboration
with contributions from the U.S., Switzerland, Demark and the UK. The UK
involvement is supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

"This is the first chance since the Beagle mission that the UK will be able
to help explore the surface of Mars. It is great to have the resources and
the people at Imperial to enable us to take part in this mission," said Dr
Pike.

About Imperial College London

Rated as the world's ninth best university in the 2006 Times Higher
Education Supplement University Rankings, Imperial College London is a
science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and
research that attracts 11,500 students and 6,000 staff of the highest
international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science,
medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that
improve quality of life and the environment -- underpinned by a dynamic
enterprise culture.

With 66 Fellows of the Royal Society among our current academic staff and
distinguished past members of the College including 14 Nobel Laureates and
two Fields Medallists, Imperial's contribution to society has been immense.

Inventions and innovations include the discovery of penicillin, the
development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This
commitment to the application of our research for the benefit of all
continues today with current focuses including interdisciplinary
collaborations to tackle climate change and mathematical modelling to
predict and control the spread of infectious diseases.

The College's 100 years of living science will be celebrated throughout 2007
with a range of events to mark the Centenary of the signing of Imperial's
founding charter on 8 July 1907.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk

See also ...

* Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/electricalengineering
* NASA Website - Phoenix mission
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/