Page 1 July 10, 2014 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Page 4 March 3, 2016 Film Review Through optical fi lters, some of the samples were subjected to ultraviolet radiation as if on Mars (higher than 200 nanometers) and others to lower radiation, including separate control samples. “The most relevant outcome was that more than 60% of the cells of the endolithic communities studied remained intact after ‘exposure to Mars,’ or rather, the stability of their cellular DNA was still high,” says Rosa de la Torre Noetzel from Spain’s National Looking Up Antarctic Fungi Survive Martian Conditions On International Space Station By Bob Eklund The McMurdo Dry Valleys, located in the Antarctic Victoria Land, are considered to be the most similar earthly equivalent to Mars. They make up one of the driest and most hostile environments on our planet, where strong winds scour away even snow and ice. Only so-called cryptoendolithic microorganisms—capable of surviving in cracks in rocks—and certain lichens can withstand such harsh conditions. A few years ago a team of European researchers traveled to these remote valleys to collect samples of two species of cryptoendolithic fungi: Cryomyces antarcticus and Cryomyces minteri. The aim was to send them to the International Space Station (ISS) for them to be subjected to Martian conditions and space to observe their responses. The tiny fungi were placed in cells (1.4 centimeters in diameter) on a platform for experiments known as EXPOSE-E, developed by the European Space Agency to withstand extreme environments. The platform was sent in the Space Shuttle Atlantis to the ISS. For 18 months half of the Antarctic fungi were exposed to Mars-like conditions. More specifi cally, they were placed in an atmosphere with 95% CO2, 1.6% argon, 0.15% oxygen, 2.7% nitrogen and 370 parts per million of H2O; and a pressure of 1,000 pascals. Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), co-researcher on the project. The scientist explains that this work, published in the journal Astrobiology, forms part of an experiment known as the Lichens and Fungi Experiment (LIFE), “with which we have studied the fate or destiny of various communities of lithic organisms during a longterm voyage into space on the EXPOSE-E platform.” “The results help to assess the survival ability and long-term stability of microorganisms and bioindicators on the surface of Mars, information which becomes fundamental and relevant for future experiments centered around the search for life on the red planet,” says De la Torre. Researchers from the LIFE experiment, coordinated from Italy by Professor Silvano Onofri from the University of Tuscany, have also studied two species of lichens (Rhizocarpon geographicum and Xanthoria elegans) which can withstand extreme high-mountain environments. These were gathered from the Sierra de Gredos (Avila, Spain) and the Alps (Austria), with half of the specimens also being exposed to Martian conditions. Another group of samples (both lichens and fungi) was subjected to an extreme space environment (with temperature fl uctuations of between -21.5 and +59.6 °C, galactic-cosmic radiation of up to 190 megagrays, and a vacuum of between 10^-7 to 10^-4 pascals). The effect of the impact of ultraviolet extraterrestrial radiation on half of the samples was also examined. After the year-and-a-half-long voyage, the two species of lichens exposed to Martian conditions showed double the metabolic activity of those that had been subjected to space conditions, even reaching 80% more in the case of the species Xanthoria elegans. • Gene Cernan Tells His Story of Being The Last Man on the Moon for anyone willing to participate in the program, which lead to more opportunities for people like Gene to join. Getting his foot in the door was the easy part, he realizes in hindsight. The intense training that each of the aspiring young men endured, including desert survival, water survival, and jungle survival just to name a few, was the hard part. The best thing to come from that experience, Gene remarks, was the strong bonds he made with the other men. His close friendships with his co-workers also made the tough times almost unbearable. Two deadly events, the unexpected crash of Gemini 9 which claimed the lives of the two pilots in his crew as well as the emotional Apollo 1 fire of 1967, when his neighbor and good friend Roger Chaffee and two other men died as a result of a flash cabin fire in the shuttle, shook up Cernan’s world. At the time, he was married with a young daughter and Through the thought optical of fi lters,never some seeing of his the samples family were subjected again was to extremely ultraviolet hard radiation on as if him.on Mars However,(higher when than he 200 was selected nanometers) and to others be a to part lower of the radiation,Apollo including 17 crew, separate NASA’s control samples. last mission to the moon, Cernan “The couldn’t most relevant say no. outcome was that more Cernan than spent 60% of three the cells days of on the the endolithic moon.communities Right before studied he remained was about intact after to ‘exposure leave, and to Mars,’knowing or rather,that the man stability may not of be their back cellular on the DNA moon was still again high,”for says years,Rosa he left de la his Torre footprints Noetzel and from wrote Spain’s his daughter’s National initials in the lunar dust. He describes this moment with such intimacy and detail that it’s truly humbling to listen to him. It does not feel like a traditional “documentary-style” film, thanks to the stylized approach from director Mark Craig as he strikes the perfect balance between the portrayal of Gene’s personal and work life. He cuts between Gene in the present day with archival footage of his time at NASA, which, photographically, feels like a subtle effort to relive his experience. The B-roll of By Morgan Rojas for www.CINEMACY. Looking Up On Wednesday, February 24th, scientists detected the origin point of a space radio signal 6 billion light-years away and managed to find the universe’s missing matter as a result. This incredible discovery is a strong reminder of how far we’ve come since 1969, the moment when Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong declared the first successful mission to the Moon as One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Since Armstrong, twelve men in total have walked on the moon during the Apollo missions from 1969-1972. Of these 12, Eugene “Gene” Cernan was the last, and the documentary The Last Man on the Moon is his story. Cernan’s story is a unique one; a former Navy captain, his journey towards becoming a NASA astronaut started with a simple phone call. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set the bar high for U.S. space exploration, putting pressure on the space program to be the first country to land on the moon. This public assignment given to NASA resulted in an increased demand Antarctic Fungi Survive Martian Conditions On International Space Station com By Bob Eklund The McMurdo Dry Valleys, located in the Antarctic Victoria Land, are considered to be the most similar earthly equivalent to Mars. They make up one of the driest and most hostile environments on our planet, where strong winds scour away even snow and ice. Only so-called cryptoendolithic microorganisms—capable of surviving in cracks in rocks—and certain lichens can withstand such harsh conditions. A few years ago a team of European researchers traveled to these remote valleys to collect samples of two species of cryptoendolithic fungi: Cryomyces antarcticus and Cryomyces minteri. The aim was to send them to the International Space Station (ISS) for them to be subjected to Martian conditions and space to observe their responses. The tiny fungi were placed in cells (1.4 centimeters in diameter) on a platform for experiments known as EXPOSE-E, developed by the European Space Agency to withstand extreme environments. The platform was sent in the Space Shuttle Atlantis to the ISS. For 18 months half of the Antarctic fungi were exposed to Mars-like conditions. More specifi cally, they were placed in an atmosphere with 95% CO2, 1.6% argon, 0.15% oxygen, 2.7% nitrogen and 370 parts per million of H2O; and a pressure of 1,000 pascals. Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), co-researcher on the project. The scientist explains that this work, published in the journal Astrobiology, forms part of an experiment known as the Lichens and Fungi Experiment (LIFE), “with which we have studied the fate or destiny of various communities of lithic organisms during a longterm voyage into space on the EXPOSE-E platform.” “The results help to assess the survival ability and long-term stability of microorganisms and bioindicators on the surface of Mars, information which becomes fundamental and relevant for future experiments centered around the search for life on the red planet,” says De la Torre. Researchers from the LIFE experiment, coordinated from Italy by Professor Silvano Onofri from the University of Tuscany, have also studied two species of lichens (Rhizocarpon geographicum and Xanthoria elegans) which can withstand extreme high-mountain environments. These were gathered from the Sierra de Gredos (Avila, Spain) and the Alps (Austria), with half of the specimens also being exposed to Martian conditions. Another group of samples (both lichens and fungi) was subjected to an extreme space environment (with temperature fl uctuations of between -21.5 and +59.6 °C, galactic-cosmic radiation of up to 190 megagrays, and a vacuum of between 10^-7 to 10^-4 pascals). The effect of the impact of ultraviolet extraterrestrial radiation on half of the samples was also examined. After the year-and-a-half-long voyage, the two species of lichens exposed to Martian conditions showed double the metabolic activity of those that had been subjected to space conditions, even reaching 80% more in the case of the species Xanthoria elegans. • ON MARCH 17 CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY AT THE BOWL & PARTY ALL DAY LONG! FOOD SPECIALS GREEN BEER LIVE MUSIC WEAR GREEN & when you buy one game of bowling you’ll GET ANOTHER GAME FREE when lanes are available For more information please call Charlotte at charlotte@pvbowl.com; or 310.326.5120 Gene Cernan aboard the lunar module after his final EVA. Photo: Jack Schmitt / NASA various space missions really does make The Martian look like a comedy. The Last Man on the Moon is a top notch documentary that feels like a perfect fit on the HBO or Showtime roster. It is humbling, poignant, hard-hitting, and emotionally charged, on top of being aesthetically rich and visually beautiful. Without giving too much away, I can say that the last shot will take your breath away as it did mine. The Last Man on the Moon is not all happy endings. This is a deeply personal film for Cernan which is why it took until now, 40 years since his return to earth, to share his story. Now living on a ranch in Texas, Gene still works to this day, as his friends and family admit that “retirement” is not in his vocabulary. This film and its message is so important and will leave the viewer feeling inspired from both Gene’s words and actions. Lightheartedly joking that he can’t live forever, he wants to share his knowledge and experience now because he feels an obligation to inform the younger generations about man’s potential and inspire hope for the future. “I walked on the moon,” he says at the end of the film, “What can’t you do?” The Last Man on the Moon is playing at Laemmle’s Monica Fourplex. •
MBSun_030316_FNL_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above