Summary and Reader Response Draft 04 of The ExoMars Drill Unit
In their research, Vago et al. (2017) highlight the importance of conserving the biomarkers and fossil groups located underground, because these represent the most comprehensive substantiation that life existed on Mars. The research article describes that majority of Earth's biological material exists in the “form of carbonaceous macromolecules stored" underground, and the presence of those is more abundant in living organisms (Vago et al., 2017, p. 480). Subterranean, structural biopolymers such as lipids and proteins are stable for billions of years, whereas carbohydrates and proteins decompose fleetly once microorganisms die. Thus, the preservation of biomarkers collected from beneath the surface by the drill unit is vital to provide the highest probability for the presence of life on Mars.
Vago et al. (2017, p. 492) emphasize the importance of the Ma_MISS spectrometer for preserving deep specimens that may be altered after removal from their cold, subterranean environment. Ma_MISS and the spectrometers inside the ExoMars work together to prevent alterations of the samples during the drilling process. Ma_MISS will investigate the unexposed matter, while spectrometers in the ExoMars rover will collect data crucial to resolving rock formation conditions. As a result, these features and functions are pivotal to preserving the natural content of the sample, especially during radiation damage, ensuring pristine biomarkers for examining whether life exists.
While the drill unit seems sufficient for preserving identifiers for life on Mars, Korablev et al. (2017) offer a different perspective. As stated in the article, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is capable of collecting trace gases such as methane, in Mar's atmosphere, which is thought to be indicators of early or current biological or geological movement. “Planetary biota” will create a state of disequilibrium in the atmosphere that would indicate the presence of life on Mars (Hitchcock & Lovelock, 1967; Korablev et al., 2017). However, the level of disequilibrium must be far greater than what nonbiological processes can produce. According to Hitchcock & Lovelock (1967) and Korablev et al. (2017), identifiers for life on Mars can clearly be obtained in the atmosphere. The ExoMars TGO can simply collect identifiers in Mar's atmosphere, whereas the drill unit must drill and collect while preserving identifiers found underground.
In conclusion, the ExoMars drill unit is necessary to obtain and preserve biomarkers used to identify life on Mars. However, verification for the compilation of possible biosignature discoveries may require further scrupulous analyses, one the present technology is not capable of (Vago et al., 2017, p. 499-500). Even though well-preserved biomarkers underground present the best way of detecting the presence of life on Mars, technology today is not advanced enough to determine the precedence of sample collection to prove existence.
References
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