The Design of a Bioinspired Integrated Total Habitability Instrument for Planetary Exploration: A Review of Potential Sensing Technologies

TL;DR

This paper reviews the design of a single instrument to assess planetary habitability by measuring key life-supporting factors.

Contribution

Proposes a novel, bioinspired instrument integrating multiple sensing technologies for planetary habitability assessment.

Findings

A Total Habitability Instrument could measure liquid water, nutrients, and energy sources in diverse environments.

Soft systems and microfluidics are promising technologies for building such an instrument.

The instrument could be used by both robotic and human explorers to map habitability across planetary bodies.

Abstract

One key objective of astrobiology is to investigate and discover if other planetary bodies are habitable. The determination of whether an environment is habitable to known life requires measuring liquid water, CHNOPS elements, other nutrients, and energy supplies. Here we investigate the potential for a single instrument capable of sampling these key indicators: a ‘Total Habitability Instrument’. The proposed instrument would be capable of deployment in diverse environments and provide an integrated set of measurements that together allow for the assessment of the habitability of an environment of interest, such as those of the Moon or Mars. We explore existing and potential technological developments that would enable the construction of such an instrument, with a focus on soft systems, which are inspired by nature in their design, and microfluidics. This paper considers a multidisciplinary approach to the design and sensing requirements of a Total Habitability Instrument that would be capable of gathering and processing samples and be deployable by both robotic and human explorers on all planetary bodies, allowing for the mapping of habitability over large areas of our Solar System and beyond.

Figures