What is BILI?

Q.  What is BILI?
- Published on 13 Jan 17

a. Only 1
b. New process of cleaning pollution
c. Instrument of NASA
d. New gene

ANSWER: Instrument of NASA
 
  • The Bio-Indicator Lidar Instrument, or BILI is a fluorescence-based lidar, a type of remote-sensing instrument similar to radar in principle and operation.
  • Instead of using radio waves, however, lidar instruments use light to detect and ultimately analyse the composition of particles in the atmosphere.
  • Although NASA has used fluorescence instruments to detect chemicals in Earth’s atmosphere as part of its climate-studies research, the agency so far hasn’t employed the technique in planetary studies.
  • It is a sensing technique that the US military currently uses to remotely monitor the air to detect potentially life-threatening chemicals, toxins, and pathogens.
  • The beauty of BILI is its ability to detect in real-time small levels of complex organic materials from a distance of several hundred meters
  • Therefore, it could autonomously search for bio-signatures in plumes above recurring slopes - areas not easily traversed by a rover carrying a variety of in-situ instruments for detailed chemical and biological analysis.
  • This can be used to detect signatures of life on Mars.

Post your comment / Share knowledge


Enter the code shown above:

(Note: If you cannot read the numbers in the above image, reload the page to generate a new one.)