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Astrobiobot-Issue-1-Full.Pdf National Aeronautics and Space Administration www.nasa.gov The Amazing Adventures of AstrobioBot The Amazing Adventures of AstrobioBot were produced in 2011 for the Astrobiology Magazine (www.astrobio.net) with funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Copyright 2011, NASA Astrobiology Magazine Concept & Story Aaron Gronstal and Leslie Mullen Artwork Aaron L. Gronstal Layout Jenny Mottar Karyn Traphagen From the Authors The Amazing Adventures of AstrobioBot was a weekly series published in 2012 on the Astrobiology Magazine (www.astrobio.net). We created this series as a light-hearted way to tell the tales of planetary science and the develop- ment of a space mission. The story follows a little robotic instrument and his journey to become a full-fledged Astrobiology adventurer. While AstrobioBot himself is obviously fictitious, many of the supporting characters featured in the comic strip are real-life astrobiologists and mission specialists working in planetary science. Many of the experiments and expeditions that AstrobioBot takes part in are based on actual projects being undertaken by NASA, Univer- sities and space agencies around the world. To learn more about the real-life science behind the story of AstrobioBot, visit the Astrobiology Magazine at www.astrobio.net. In the year 2011... There is a shelf of robotic But one, unbeknownst gadgets. Cameras for Mars... to the scientists... Batteries designed for Titan landers... Solar cells for Saturn orbits... ...is a little robot determined to follow his programming Some are spare parts. Deep in the Intelligent Robotics and search the Solar System Others are instruments Laboratories at NASA Ames... for signs of life! from canceled missions. I can’t complete But unfortunately, AstrobioBot dreams Right now, I my mission here AstrobioBot was built of having wheels like just need to on this shelf as a pair of cameras. his idols, the MER MOVE! rovers on Mars. Huh?! What was that noise? ...like ‘entomopters’... MICROSCOPIC PANORAMIC IMAGER CAMERA His legs were never But there are many options actually finished. for planetary explorers... ...and ‘cliffBots.’ You’re not supposed to be I just need turned on! And how to MOVE! did your batteries get charged? Wait a minute. Are... are you actually WHOA! looking at me? Is this some kind of joke...? I mean, seriously, who’s controlling you? Well, if you want to move, you’re going Let’s try this to need some wheels Human, My name is What is that speaker as well. you must Meghan... banging at the take me 00110110001 door? OH to Mars! 00010101000 NO!!! 0110100... I am destined to be with Mars! These ‘off-the-shelf’ Oops, we need wheels won’t get you to switch that to to Mars, but they’ll English work for now. It’s the Quick, I’ll What about YOU Meghan?! Budget Cuts distract them with this RUN! old microscope! Those wheels you lack a budget for, get some funds if you want more! Hurry, it’s not worth enough to hold them I’m on a 5-year off for long! grant. I’ll be fine. now GO! Escape’s not even AstrobioBot raced MARS! Oh, worth a try... ...where he AstrobioBot around the Ames my beautiful slipped through quickly forgot Research Center Mars... searching for an open the ordeal somewhere to hide... office door. when he spotted an AHHHH!!! interesting poster on Your craters, the wall. your color... your seductive ...but the Budget Cuts were curves... always one step behind him. He ducked into Building 245 and raced through the halls... Um...excuse me. What are you doing in my Luckily, the Budget office? ...for you can run, Cuts passed him by. but you can’t hide! Dr. Chris McKay!!! I have a small amount According to my database, I AM ready. Just look Where exactly did of discretionary funding... you are a MARS at my fancy new wheels! WHOAH! you come from? I might be able to help. scientist! I’m a concept study from the Advanced You must send me Robotics Laboratory. to Mars NOW. My design protocol is to search for life... Well, I am an But the road to investigator on many ‘Concept’ project Mars is long and Mars missions... but huh? Probably tied difficult. Are you you’re not ready for a I need to get to Mars to Constellation... no Please help me sure you’re up to trip to Mars. before the Budget Cuts wonder the Budget Chris McKay. You’re the task little take them back. Cuts are after you. my only hope. ‘AstrobioBot’? YES Dr. McKay! I will Little robot with no funds... Not so fast! do whatever it takes to reach my beautiful Mars. Here they come! AstrobioBot is coming with me to the Mojave! Then we need to get moving. I can fund you for a field expedition to the Mojave. You can learn Now you’re cornered some new skills there. and we have won! With a narrow escape from the Okay AstrobioBot, when you get to Concentrate AstrobioBot. Budget Cuts, AstrobioBot joined Mars, it will look a little bit like this. Use the magnifying force the kids of Spaceward Bound in the of your imager! Mojave Desert to learn about the But there is no life search for signs of life on Mars. anywhere! Does this mean that Mars is barren and empty? HOLY KREBS CYCLE McKay! We don’t know about Mars... but the Mojave is What do definitely not barren of you see? life. Look CLOSER. Then I must It’s like a What you see are Microbes might live on microorganisms. They’re practice looking for whole other Mars, or maybe did in these microbes! world!!! the smallest type of life the past. Although... that we know of. Wait for us! It’s too dangerous in the desert on your own! ...if they do exist on Mars, they could look much different than the ones you see here in the Mojave. AstrobioBot raced through the Cyanobacteria! But AstrobioBot’s So... Mojave identifying signs of life. battery life began to sleepy... run dangerously low. Wow! Getting...so ...hungry... Diverse assemblages! Nitrogen fixers! Could it be the end for our brave adventurer? System... Mars, my Have I really shutdown... beautiful made it to Am I dreaming? Mars! Mars? Are you... are you a GHOST? McKay... Microbes... Mars... And my wonderful Mars microbe friends. Mars! ...where ...Wait... AM I?! Wait a minute... I am the Spirit rover, here to guide It is a frozen Meteorites may For years I you in your quest. desert today, but have brought mol- wandered the ancient Mars may ecules used by life to desert... searching have been more like the early Earth for evidence that My mission is and Mars. finished, but you Earth, with oceans Mars was once and warmer ‘habitable.’ must continue where You’ve learned about temperatures. I left off. existing life, but you must search for fossils and evidence of past life. But I’ve learned What happened to how to find life on Is this ancient Mars? you, Spirit guide? Mars. Is that why there’s so many meteorites? ...bouncing into Gusev crater in a giant airbag. I found balls of hematite embedded But trouble in the rocks, similar to was brewing. I arrived on Mars those spotted by my in January 2004... twin, Opportunity, on the other side of the planet. I quickly set to work ...which meant and found carbonates... that water may have once flowed at my landing site. I was running out of power due to dust that These ‘blueberries’ coated my solar also were clues of a panels. The end wet past on Mars. looked near... Suddenly, I I was free to roam! I struggled on to a rock was struck by a I continued my called ‘Home Plate,’ hoping it gust of wind! discoveries, years would be a safe place to spend beyond my expected the martian winter... lifetime. Then age finally took its toll. One of my wheels failed. ...but I was stuck in the sand. I An unexpected dust But dragging my wheel revealed struggled and struggled to get my devil passed by and silica deposits beneath the surface. solar panels in a good position. Could blasted the dust from More clues about past water.... I survived to re-awaken in Spring? my solar panels. They quickly prepared Meanwhile... I can’t the balloon for flight... see AstrobioBot anywhere! We’re going to have to launch Oh no! the balloon. With the balloon’s camera we can search from above. The tethers snapped and ...but the desert the balloon drifted off. winds blew strong! Well, it’s not Get the much use now. DREAMS* What are we project ready! going to do?! *Doing Research at Extreme Altitudes by Motivated Students (DREAMS), As the coders ...and a Back with Lab space was limited and we ran their Miller-Urey AstrobioBot were forced to share with algorithms... test on the Computational Astrobiology origin of and the Origin of Life teams. life began... And what is your story little AstrobioBot? ...and my last circuit was soldered... It all began in the Intelligent There was barely ...the generator Robotics Lab... enough room! overloaded!!! The scientists did all they I also hoped could to revive me, but my But I wasn’t The backup generators quickly for rebirth, but it system was overloaded. dead. When my kicked in... and then it happened! never came. batteries re-booted, I was reborn as AstrobioBot Alas, I did not survive the winter. Now YOU must carry on the search for life on Mars.
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