Antaeus: Concept for a Sample Receiving Lab/Planetary Quarantine Facility at the Gateway

Antaeus will provide an integrated system in a module designed to receive samples with biological potential from the Moon and Mars to perform preliminary handling, processing, curation, storage, and analysis.

OPERATIONS: The Antaeus Module docks to the Lunar Gateway. Antaeus will receive “pristine” samples delivered by robotic spacecraft to its airlock, from which the robotic system will place each sample capsule into an individual sample handling and analysis chamber (SHAC). Researchers may operate the Antaeus systems tele-robotically from anywhere. Once the scientists complete their preliminary assessment of lunar samples, they may choose to send a SHAC to Earth or archive it in place. For each sample, the researchers determine the sample’s biological potential and decide whether to sterilize it or observe it in its “natural” state. The Antaeus module incorporates a standalone Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) including a shower enclosure to afford decontamination.

MISSION CONTEXT: Antaeus supports analysis of lunar biological samples (Surveyor 3 Streptococcus, Apollo 17 jettison bag E. Coli, and Space IL crash site tardigrades) and lunar ice cores for helio-physics solar history. Antaeus provides a suite of capabilities to analyze samples in a cryovacuum state under laboratory conditions without the necessity of returning them all the way to the Earth. The prepared sample and lunar biologicals retrievals will afford practice and testing for contaminant control and simulated handling of potentially biological samples. For Mars Returned Sample Handling (MRSH), Antaeus affords planetary protection with respect to back-, cross-, and forward- contamination of the sample

BREAKING CONTACT WITH THE EARTH: By keeping Mars samples away from contact with the Earth, scientists can control any dangerous microbes, and if necessary, kill them without endangering the Earth or humanity. The Antaeus Architecture and technology ensemble would also serve to support with a crewed Mars base or habitat.