For Understanding Survival Possibility of Trans-Space Migration of Microorganisms -TANPOPO: Astrobiology Exposure and Micrometeoroid Capture Experiments

Abstract

We proposed TANPOPO project, in which we are going to test possibilities of interplanetary migration of microbes and organic compounds on ISS. Ultra low-density aerogel will be used to capture micrometeoroids debris and other microparticles. Particles captured by aerogel will be used for several chemical/biological analyses after the initial inspection of the gel and tracks. The particles will be analyzed for mineralogical, organic and microbiological characteristics. In order to, we verify possibilities of microbes viable under the space environment, we are going to test to expose microbes on ISS.We investigate a method of detection the microbes from the particles caught by earogel and the survival rates of microbe etc. under the condition that simulated an extreme environment of the space.