JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2017

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[EE] Poster

B (Biogeosciences) » B-AO Astrobiology & the Origin of Life

[B-AO01] [EE] Astrobiology: Origins, Evolution, Distribution of Life

Wed. May 24, 2017 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM Poster Hall (International Exhibition Hall HALL7)

convener:Kensei Kobayashi(Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University), Masatoshi Ohishi(Astronomy Data Center, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), Hikaru Yabuta(Hiroshima University, Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science), Joseph Kirschvink(Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA)

[BAO01-P06] Temperature Measurement Results with the Mechanical Space Thermometer for the Tanpopo

*Hirofumi Hashimoto1,2, Eiichi Imai3, Hajime Yano1,2, Shin-ichi Yokobori4, Akihiko Yamagishi4 (1.Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2.The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, 3.Nagaoka University of Technology, 4.Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences)

Keywords:Tanpopo, International Space Station, Mechanical Space Thermometer

Temperature in the space is very interesting as astrobiology because it controls the life and death of the creature in space environment. The mechanical thermometer using a bimetallic strip coil was developed for the Tanpopo mission. The Tanpopo mission is a multi-year passive exposure experiment for astrobiology exposure and micrometeoroid capture onboard the Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) at the Japanese Experiment Module ‘Kibo’ (JEM) Exposed Facility (EF) on the International Space Station (ISS). The Tanpopo mission apparatuses were launched by the SpaceX-6 Dragon CRS-6 on April 14 2015, from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the U.S.A. Since its microbial exposure experiment requires recording the maximum temperature that the Tanpopo exposure panel experiences, we have developed a mechanical thermometer with no electric power supplied from the ExHAM. At a given time and orbital position of the ISS, the thermometer indicator was video-imaged by the extravehicular video camera attached to the Kibo-EF and controlled from the ground. With these images analyzed, we were able to derive the temperatures of the Tanpopo exposure panels on the space pointing face of the ExHAM. Temperature measurement results with the mechanical space thermometer are shown in Fig.1. Twelve times of observation of the thermometer was carried out in 2015 and 2016. The maximum and minimum temperature were 26.4±5 ℃ and -41.6±5 ℃, respectively. Now this passive and mechanical thermometer is available to other space missions with no electric supplies required and thus highly expands the possibility of new extravehicular experiments and explorations for both human and robotic missions.