Transmitting Life Detection Data Gathered by an Exoplanetary Mobile System

Abstract

This paper discusses development of a life detection system that performs field experiments in an exoplanetary environment and transmits measurements from a prototype Mars rover to a remote base station. Oxygen, carbon dioxide, and methane sensors allow the system to gather atmospheric data, while a multi-pixel photon counter scans soil samples to determine if there are traces of adenosine triphosphate. The integrated system processes quantitative data from the experiments using a 32-bit microcontroller and transmits the information from the rover to the remote base station through a MIMO communication system. The communication system consists of a pair of circularly polarized omnidirectional antennas and two linearly polarized Yagi-Uda antennas at the base station. The data is graphically displayed so operators can quickly determine if the samples contain extant, extinct, or no signs of life.