The research of deep space life exploration based on fluorescence

Deep space life exploration nowadays mainly focuses on whether environments on other planets are suitable for the existence of life. This has not hit the key point. As life depending on its specified conditions, it is of great necessity and importance to conduct exploration in the life's original environment. An idea was put forward in this paper to detect specific life forms in the original environment if they exist. This idea, based on fluorescence, included light source unit and detection unit. The former was optical fiber coupled LED and lens; the latter was charge coupled device (CCD) and other lens. Light from LED was collected and transferred by optical fiber, then purified by a filter in order to obtain specific wavelength light, which could excite corresponding organic biological molecules. These molecules emitted light of other wavelength, usually referred to as fluorescence, the moment they were illuminated by excitation light. The fluorescence was also purified by another filter. Then lens was used to collect the light. As to detection device, CCD would give fluorescence image. Theoretical analysis demonstrated that the system could meet the task's requirements. During test in laboratory, this system performed well, too. CCD could output desired signals. This provided strong support that the idea present in the paper is feasible and is of practical significance.