After 1.5 years exposition to Space, EXPOSE-E and its biological, chemical and dosimetrical samples landed safely to Earth with the Space Shuttle Discovery on September 12th, 2009.
The ESA-experiment facility was launched to the International Space Station February 7th, 2008 with the Space Shuttle Atlantis and attached to the starboard cone of the European research module Columbus. 2 weeks later, MUSC, DLR, activated EPOSE-E and opened lids and valves via telecommand to expose the samples to the hostile Space environment. For more than 18 month, the space travel of the samples provided by the 8 international scientific groups was coordinated by DLR. One part of the samples was exposed to oscillating temperatures, extraterrestrial solar short wavelength UV radiation and vacuum of Low Earth Orbit (LEO), while another part was exposed to simulated Mars environmental parameter: Pressure of 600 Pa, an atmosphere consisting mainly of CO2 and a UV-spectrum, modulated to simulate the spectrum on the Mars surface by optical filter combinations.
EXPOSE-E operated flawlessly during the whole 1.5 year mission: measured data on temperature and solar UV radiation were down linked regularly to Earth. To avoid over heating, lids closed nominally and were successfully reopened from ground by telecommand.
After the return of EXPOSE-E all 3 Trays containing the samples were transported to DLR in Köln for opening of the Trays in inerter Nitrogen atmosphere. Samples were de-integrated and returned to the participating international scientific groups for analysis. Results will increase our knowledge on the origin, evolution and adaptations of Life and provide experimental basis for recommendations for planetary protection issues.
A mission parallel ground simulation experiment at DLR was started with a time laps after first data of the space flight environment were available and analysed. A similar set of samples are exposed on ground in the Planetary and Space Simulation Facilities at DLR to the same environmental parameters as in space with the exception of low gravity and ionizing radiation. The mission ground simulation will cover the whole mission duration. Samples will then be distributed to the scientific groups for analysis.