Space flight experiments with nonterrestrial minerals and bioorganic molecules

Abstract

Meteorites probably played a central role in the evolution of life. Due to the structure, they tend to adsorb organic compounds and catalyze a variety of organic reactions critical to scenarios of life’s origins. We have shown experimentally that extraterrestrial minerals can catalyze the formation of peptides and nucleotides, thus, lending support to the RNA world hypothesis. This theory proposes that life based on RNA preceded the modern life, which is based on DNA and proteins. The present study was performed onboard different Russian space stations (Bion, Cosmos, and Mir) with various duration, altitude, and radiation conditions. Irradiation of solid samples, free or admixed with certain minerals, is the major task of future space flight experiments, planned for performing onboard Russian space satellite Bion-10M. Radiation behavior of bioorganic substances (BOS) on the Earth’s orbit could have truly applied significance (formation of uridine dimers).