Urey: Mars Organic and Oxidant Detector 2009 Q2

探测地球以外的行星上的生命是现代太空探索的一个主要目标。人们普遍认为，我们太阳系其他地方最有可能存在生命的地方是火星。来自这颗红色星球的最新数据提振了围绕火星上目前存在生命的可能性的乐观情绪。火星全球勘测者、火星奥德赛、火星快车和火星探索漫游者等行星任务揭示了大量证据表明，地貌和矿物是由液态水产生的。目前存在着极端的科学和公众兴趣，关于火星上是否存在生命，以及这颗行星将成为即将于2013年发射的外部火星任务的重点。ExoMars火星车包含一套有机分析仪器，可以以前所未有的灵敏度、特异度和分析置信度检测有机化合物。Urey仪器是这一方案的核心，将对火星环境进行开创性的调查，其中将包括以比以前的原位有机探测系统获得的灵敏度高许多个数量级的灵敏度搜索指示生命和生命前化学的有机化合物。英国的责任是为样品选择提供建议，确定提取条件，推动有机组合的初步表征，并对非生物成因的多环芳烃进行详细鉴定。这些任务使英国的努力走在了外火星有机探测实验的前列。该提案要求继续提供资金，以继续开展Urey项目的工作。

The detection of life on planets other than the Earth is a major goal of modern space exploration. It is generally considered that the most likely host for life elsewhere in our Solar System is the planet Mars. Optimism surrounding the possibility of current life on Mars has been boosted by recent data from the red planet. Planetary missions, such as Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express and the Mars Exploration Rovers have revealed extensive evidence of landforms and minerals produced by liquid water. Extreme scientific and public interest currently exists about whether life has been present in the past or still exists on Mars and it is this planet that will be the focus of the forthcoming ExoMars mission set to launch in 2013. The ExoMars rover contains a suite of organic analytical instruments to detect organic compounds at unprecedented levels of sensitivity, specificity and analytical confidence. The Urey instrument is central to that package and will perform a groundbreaking investigation of the Martian environment that will involve searching for organic compounds indicative of life and prebiotic chemistry at a sensitivity many orders of magnitude greater than obtained in previous in situ organic detection systems. UK responsibility is in advising sample selection, determining extraction conditions, driving preliminary characterization of organic assemblages and performing detailed identification of abiogenic PAH hydrocarbons. These tasks place the UK effort at the forefront of the ExoMars organic detection experiments. This proposal requests the continuation of funding to continue work on the Urey project.