Study Findings: Radar Evidence of an Accessible Cave Conduit on the Moon Below the Mare Tranquillitatis Pit

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Image (Credit): Mare Tranquillitatis Pit on the lunar surface. (http://www.lroc.asu.edu/atlases/pits/3)

Nature Astronomy abstract of the study findings:

Several potential subsurface openings have been observed on the surface of the Moon. These lunar pits are interesting in terms of science and for potential future habitation. However, it remains uncertain whether such pits provide access to cave conduits with extensive underground volumes. Here we analyse radar images of the Mare Tranquillitatis pit (MTP), an elliptical skylight with vertical or overhanging walls and a sloping pit floor that seems to extend further underground. The images were obtained by the Mini-RF instrument onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2010. We find that a portion of the radar reflections originating from the MTP can be attributed to a subsurface cave conduit tens of metres long, suggesting that the MTP leads to an accessible cave conduit beneath the Moon’s surface. This discovery suggests that the MTP is a promising site for a lunar base, as it offers shelter from the harsh surface environment and could support long-term human exploration of the Moon.

Citation: Carrer, L., Pozzobon, R., Sauro, F. et al. Radar evidence of an accessible cave conduit on the Moon below the Mare Tranquillitatis pit. Nat Astron (2024).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02302-y

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Study Findings: Which Caves on Mars are Safe to Live In?

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Image (Credit): A region in Chryse Planitia where Tiu, Ares, and Kasei Valles end, which is pockmarked by impact craters large and small. (HiRISE/The University of Arizona)

Here are some highlights from the paper presented at the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference:

For reliable protection against cosmic radiation, living and working spaces for colonists are best built below the surface. These colonies also need to be provided with energy. And solar panels are not the best option because the solar radiation flux is much lower on Mars and the panels will be constantly dusted with dust due to frequent dust storms. A nuclear reactor may be the best option.

Humans also need constant access to water resources. From the point of view of the reliability of the future housing, a lava tube with strong walls best meets these requirements. It is a hollow formation in the crust, formed as a result of the release of volcanic lava. And based on the need to provide settlements with water, a more suitable case should be considered underground caves in glacial cracks with a gentle horizontal entrance. After all, there are already significant deposits of water ice under the surface. But the walls of such settlements will be less strong, and they will require more careful preparatory work.

Publication: 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held 11-15 March, 2024 at The Woodlands, Texas/Virtual. LPI Contribution No. 3040, id.1028

Contact Info: A. P. Vidmachenko, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Str. Heroyiv Oborony, 12, Kyiv, 03041, Ukraine, avidmachenko@gmail.com.

Link to paper: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2024/pdf/1028.pdf

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Study Findings: Genomic, Functional, and Metabolic Enhancements in Multidrug-Resistant Enterobacter Bugandensis Facilitating its Persistence and Succession in the International Space Station

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Image (Credit): The International Space Station. (NASA)

PubMed  abstract of the study findings:

Distinct from their Earth counterparts, ISS E. bugandensis strains have exhibited resistance mechanisms that categorise them within the ESKAPE pathogen group, a collection of pathogens recognised for their formidable resistance to antimicrobial treatments. During the 2-year Microbial Tracking 1 mission, 13 strains of multidrug-resistant E. bugandensis were isolated from various locations within the ISS. We have carried out a comprehensive study to understand the genomic intricacies of ISS-derived E. bugandensis in comparison to terrestrial strains, with a keen focus on those associated with clinical infections. We unravel the evolutionary trajectories of pivotal genes, especially those contributing to functional adaptations and potential antimicrobial resistance. A hypothesis central to our study was that the singular nature of the stresses of the space environment, distinct from any on Earth, could be driving these genomic adaptations. Extending our investigation, we meticulously mapped the prevalence and distribution of E. bugandensis across the ISS over time. This temporal analysis provided insights into the persistence, succession, and potential patterns of colonisation of E. bugandensis in space. Furthermore, by leveraging advanced analytical techniques, including metabolic modelling, we delved into the coexisting microbial communities alongside E. bugandensis in the ISS across multiple missions and spatial locations. This exploration revealed intricate microbial interactions, offering a window into the microbial ecosystem dynamics within the ISS.

Citation: Sengupta P, Muthamilselvi Sivabalan SK, Singh NK, et al. Genomic, functional, and metabolic enhancements in multidrug-resistant Enterobacter bugandensis facilitating its persistence and succession in the International Space Station. Microbiome 12(1):62 (2024).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1

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Study Findings: A Recently Formed Ocean Inside Saturn’s Moon Mimas

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Image (Credit): Saturn’s moon Mimas and its large Herschel Crater. The moon is also referred to as the “Death Star” from Star Wars. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)

Nature  abstract of the study findings:

Moons potentially harbouring a global ocean are tending to become relatively common objects in the Solar System. The presence of these long-lived global oceans is generally betrayed by surface modification owing to internal dynamics. Hence, Mimas would be the most unlikely place to look for the presence of a global ocean. Here, from detailed analysis of Mimas’s orbital motion based on Cassini data, with a particular focus on Mimas’s periapsis drift, we show that its heavily cratered icy shell hides a global ocean, at a depth of 20–30 kilometres. Eccentricity damping implies that the ocean is likely to be less than 25 million years old and still evolving. Our simulations show that the ocean–ice interface reached a depth of less than 30 kilometres only recently (less than 2–3 million years ago), a time span too short for signs of activity at Mimas’s surface to have appeared.

Citation: Lainey, V., Rambaux, N., Tobie, G. et al. A recently formed ocean inside Saturn’s moon Mimas. Nature 626, 280–282 (2024).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06975-9

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Study Findings: Atmospheric Carbon Depletion as a Tracer of Water Oceans and Biomass on Temperate Terrestrial Exoplanets

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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Nature Astronomy abstract of the study findings:

The conventional observables to identify a habitable or inhabited environment in exoplanets, such as an ocean glint or abundant atmospheric O2, will be challenging to detect with present or upcoming observatories. Here we suggest a new signature. A low carbon abundance in the atmosphere of a temperate rock`y planet, relative to other planets of the same system, traces the presence of a substantial amount of liquid water, plate tectonics and/or biomass. Here we show that JWST can already perform such a search in some selected systems such as TRAPPIST-1 via the CO2 band at 4.3 μm, which falls in a spectral sweet spot where the overall noise budget and the effect of cloud and/or hazes are optimal. We propose a three-step strategy for transiting exoplanets: detection of an atmosphere around temperate terrestrial planets in about 10 transits for the most favourable systems; assessment of atmospheric carbon depletion in about 40 transits; and measurements of O3 abundance to disentangle between a water- versus biomass-supported carbon depletion in about 100 transits. The concept of carbon depletion as a signature for habitability is also applicable for next-generation direct-imaging telescopes.

Citation: Triaud, A.H.M.J., de Wit, J., Klein, F. et al. Atmospheric carbon depletion as a tracer of water oceans and biomass on temperate terrestrial exoplanets. Nat Astron (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02157-9

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