Scientists begin Mars exploration 1 km under the UK

8 Apr 2014 01:14 PM

A research project which will investigate how life adapts to Mars-like environments, such as the deep subsurface, has been launched at the STFC Boulby Underground Laboratory. Called MASE (Mars Analogues for Space Exploration), this is a pan-European project aimed at advancing our ability to assess the habitability of Mars and detect life.

The research commenced with twenty European scientists working at the Boulby mine testing technologies for the exploration of Mars and hunting for deep subsurface life that will aid scientists in their search for extraterrestrial life.

Underground Research Laboratory, Boulby
 

Boulby Mine, a 1.3 km-deep potash mine on the North East coast of England, offers the ideal environment to test procedures and technology required for the surface and subsurface exploration of Mars, whilst carrying out a programme of scientific research to understand life in the deep subsurface of the Earth. In the process of doing this, new insights will be gained in technology transfer from the space exploration sector to the mining industry to improve mining safety and profitable mineral extraction, ensuring that space exploration and technologies directly benefit life here on Earth.

Dr Sean Paling, of the STFC Boulby Underground Laboratory said that “Boulby is of great interest to these visiting astro-biologists and space scientists because the rock and general environs deep underground here mimic conditions on Mars and other planetary bodies that may harbour life. It is very exciting to see this new research project evolving in and around our existing underground science facility, building on our existing science projects including the search for Dark Matter.”

The research findings from the MASE programme will be of crucial importance in enabling any future Earth mission to Mars to better understand the likelihood of discovering any life or remains of past life on the surface of the “Red Planet”.

Professor Charles Cockell, scientific coordinator of the MASE programme and Director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology said, ‘If we want to successfully explore Mars, we need to go to Mars-like places on Earth. The deep, dark environment of Boulby mine is the ideal place to understand underground life and test space technologies for the exploration of Mars. In the process, we hope to aid the transfer of high technology from space exploration to safe, effective mining’.

Note to editors

The MASE programme is scientifically coordinated by the UK Centre for Astrobiology, which, in conjunction with Boulby Mine and the Science and Technology Facilities Councils (STFC) Boulby Underground Laboratory, also runs the MINAR (Mine Analogue Research) programme at Boulby, a programme to study how space technologies can be transferred into the mining sector at the same time as being used to explore the deep subsurface for life.

The MASE programme and the related MINAR programme are made possible by the cooperation of and support from the Boulby Mine operators, Cleveland Potash Limited, and the mineral owners of the substantial undersea mineral deposits, The Crown Estate.

MINAR contacts
MASE contacts

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Coordination
About MASE (Mars Analogues for Space Exploration)

Assessing the habitability of Mars and detecting life, if it was ever there, depends on knowledge of whether the combined environmental stresses experienced on Mars are compatible with life and whether a record of that life could ever be detected. However, our current ability to make these assessments is hampered by a lack of knowledge of how the combined effect of different environmental stresses influence the survival and growth of organisms. In particular, many combinations of stress, such as high radiation conditions combined with high salt and low temperature, relevant for early Mars, have not been investigated.

Furthermore, a lack of experimental studies on how anaerobic microorganisms respond to such stresses undermine our knowledge of Mars as a location for life since the planet is essentially anoxic. Even if life can be shown to be potentially supported on Mars, there exist no systematic studies of how organisms would be preserved. MASE will address these limitations in our knowledge and advance our ability to assess the habitability of Mars and detect life

MASE will also consider thoroughly the following cross cutting aspects i) optimised methodologies for sample management and experimental process and ii) optimised methodologies for life detection.

MASE is a collaborative research project supported for four years (2014-2017) by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities.

MASE partners
About The European Science Foundation

The European Science Foundation coordinates collaboration in research, networking, and funding of international research programmes, as well as carrying out strategic and science policy activities at a European level. Its members are 66 national research funding and performing organisations, learned societies and academies in 29 countries.

About Boulby

Boulby mine is operated by Cleveland Potash Ltd (CPL). In addition to commercial mining activity Boulby is home to the UK’s Boulby Underground Laboratory which is funded and managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), hosting a variety of science studies from astrophysics (the search for Dark Matter) to studies of geology, climate, the environment and beyond. Connected to the Boulby Underground Laboratory, Boulby also hosts the Boulby International Subsurface Astrobiology Laboratory (BISAL), a permanent deep subsurface astrobiology/microbiology laboratory established by the UK Centre for Astrobiology in late 2011. The lab provides a means to collect and culture anaerobic organisms from subsurface halites and sulfates, study their physiology and prepare samples for transport to surface laboratories for detailed investigations.

About the UK Centre for Astrobiology

The UK Centre for Astrobiology is based at the University of Edinburgh. It is focused on the study of molecules and life in extremes. The Centre established a deep subsurface astrobiology lab at Boulby in 2012 and is currently coordinating MINAR (Mine Analogue Research), a programme jointly organised with the STFC Boulby Underground Laboratory and MASE.

The Crown Estate