Miniaturized Instrument for Planetary Protection and Life Detection

An instrument has been designed to operate independently and perform analysis of enzymatic assays related to rapid assessment of microbial contamination. This has been employed to test the feasibility of monitoring surfaces on spacecraft hardware or assembly areas that may have applications for Planetary Protection. The format is also being considered as an on-board component of life detection instrumentation for future spaceflight missions to look for evidence of life on other planets in our solar system.