CHARACTERIZATION OF OUTER SPACE RADIATION INDUCED CHANGES IN EXTREMOPHILES UTILIZING DEEP SPACE GATEWAY OPPORTUNITIES.

Kurzfassung

Early integration of science and exploration concerns into the design of the Deep Space Gateway (DSG) is essential to maximizing its science and exploration potential. The proposed concept, characterization of outer space radiation induced changes in microbial extremophiles, requires the DSG as infrastructure supplying power, communications, etc. to otherwise autonomous systems. Survival and proliferation of life beyond low earth orbit (LBLEO) can be accomplished by exposing extremophilic microorganisms in outer space radiation (OSR) conditions using DSG system. Extremophilic microbial survival, adaptation, biological functions, and molecular mechanisms associated with outer space radiation can be tested by exposing them onto DSG hardware (inside/outside) utilizing the traditional microbiology methods and state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques.