**Astrobiology Small Payload Concept Template**

**(Template from 2/27 presentation at ARC)**

[Experiment Title:]{.underline}

\"Point and Shoot\" Radiation Induced Luminescence Surveyor

[Contact]{.underline}

Primary: Louis Allamandola; Secondary Murthy Gudipati; Andrew Mattioda

[Experiment Objectives]{.underline}:

To rapidly survey large surface areas surrounding a lander such as a
Smallsat Micro Lunar Lander or Rover for luminescent organic, biomarker,
and mineral materials.

[Approach:]{.underline}

By adding a simple a UV flashlamp onto a Smallsat such as the Micro
Lunar Lander the standard cameras could take \'UV flash\' photographs of
the nearby surroundings during periods of darkness. Many
astrobiologicaly important organic molecules and some minerals luminesce
strongly when exposed to UV light. These photographs could then be
overlayed with the photos taken when the area is sunlit. Depending on
the strength of the lamp, areas of several hundred to several thousand
square meters surrounding the spacecraft could be rapidly surveyed for
luminescent materials in this way. Many tons of organic rich materials
fall on planetary surfaces monthly. This material is not protected from
the harsh radiation environment and is perhaps badly degraded on the
surface. However, degradation is much less likely slightly below the
surface. The surface disturbed by the landing or positioning of the
smallsat will expose this material and slight subsurface RIL
measurements can be made with a \'Point and Shoot RIL Surveyor\' without
adding extra instrumental capabilities. An inherent advantage of this
approach is that large areas can be surveyed quickly. This is in sharp
contrast with the more finely tuned, complex and sophisticated
instruments which can sample and analyze a specific site of a few square
cm. Such a rapid radiation induced luminescence survey can greatly guide
site selection for those instruments that perform more in-depth
analyses. More information could also be obtained by simply filtering
the flashlamp. For example, flashes of light from 100 to 200 nm, 200 to
300, or 300 to 400 nm, obtained using simple filters, would induce a
different spectral and time response from most materials and this, in
turn, would reveal much about the bonding nature of emitting species,
placing additional important constraints on the carrier.

[AB Roadmap Objectives Met]{.underline}:

Goal 2- Explore for past or present habitable environments, prebiotic
chemistry and signs of life elsewhere in our Solar System.

Objective 2.1- Mars Exploration

Goal 3- Understand how life originates from cosmic and planetary
precursors

Objective 3.1 Sources of prebiotic materials and catalysts

Objective 3.2 Origins and Evolution of functional biomolecules

A luminescence surveyor squarely addresses parts of Strategic Goals 3
and 6 of the 2006 NASA Strategic Plan. Strategic Goal 3 states \"Develop
a balanced overall program of science, exploration, and aeronautics
consistent with the redirection of the human spaceflight program to
focus on exploration\" and Strategic Goal 6 states \"Establish a lunar
return program having the maximum possible utility for later missions to
Mars and other destinations.\"

[Significance:]{.underline}

The instrument concept proposed here is well suited to NASA\'s Vision
for Space Exploration as it represents a significant and new step
towards being able to rapidly perform a zeroth order survey of the
organic and inorganic inventory of a large area surrounding a landing
site. Enabling exploration of the solar system calls for new, low mass
instrumentation to carry out future *in-situ* studies: first by landers
and rovers, and then by humans. The radiation induced luminescence
surveyor concept presented here is such an instrument.

[Instrument and TRL]{.underline}:

A UV Flashlamp should be an off-the-shelf item and I would guess has a
high technical readiness level. The on-board cameras may need slight
modification so that the lens is not sensitive to the UV flash. Color
calibration may also be necessary to insure that the colors it measures
are realistic.

[Measurement Parameters and environmental parameters]{.underline}

Hydrocarbons, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Minerals ????

[Target Mission/Platform:]{.underline}

Smallsat Micro Lunar Lander or Rover, Mars Lander or Rover.

Another potential application of such a UV Flash Luminescence instrument
would be deployable as a small sat (or hand-held tool) that could be
used remotely in orbit (or by astronauts) to identify organics/dust
condensing on space debris, orbiting satellites or the International
Space Station. Organics are presumably deposited on these surfaces by
micrcrometeorite impacts and any long duration facility may accumulate
such material. This would serve as a quick surveyor for such material
build-up.