On June 14, 2026, Mars Perseverance rover completed a Martian “marathon” by surpassing 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers) of travel. The day before, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped this view of […]
Sample Return
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return
Lipid Biomarkers In Microbialites From A Maar Lake: An Astrobiological Study Of Biomarker Preservation under Mars Analog Conditions
Lipids constitute resistant biomarkers that have been proposed as pacemakers in the search for possible microbial life-forms in Mars’ past.
Posted inUncategorized
Thermal And Rotational Effects Of Giant Impacts During Terrestrial Planet Accretion
Terrestrial planets likely experienced one or more giant impacts during their formation that inflicted large thermal, chemical, and rotational perturbations.
Posted inUncategorized
Ecophysiological Study Of Green Microalgae Isolated From The Grit Crust Of The Atacama Desert
Terrestrial algae play a critical, yet often overlooked, role in the functioning of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), which are considered microecosystems, particularly in extreme environments.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics
Astrobiology In The Time of Artificial Intelligence
The Viking missions showcased multiple spaceflight technologies representing state-of-the-art capabilities: from digital line-scan imaging to the operation of complex onboard laboratories and software-controlled process autonomy.
Posted inMars
Energy-Limited Radiolytic Habitability in the Shallow Martian Subsurface: Implications for ExoMars Rosalind Franklin and Tianwen-3
The surface of Mars is sterilized by ionizing radiation and pervasive oxidants; its shallow subsurface, shielded from ultraviolet light and the most reactive oxidation, may instead preserve habitable conditions.
Posted inCryobiology
Coordinated Proteome-scale Remodeling Underlies Polyextremophilic Survival In Antarctic Cryo-hypersaline Brines
Introduction – Cryo-hypersaline brines combine sub-zero temperatures with near-saturated salinity, creating one of Earth’s most extreme habitats. Antarctic Deep Lake provides a natural model for studying how proteins remain stable […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Sample Return, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Trajectory Design For A Titan-Enceladus Plume Sampling Pseudo-orbiter Mission
The exploration of the Saturnian system, and in particular the plumes and subsurface ocean of Enceladus, has been identified as a key science theme for ESA’s Voyage 2050 program.
Posted inAstronauts and Explorers, Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Microgravity, People Of Astrobiology, Plant Biology, Sample Return, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report
Offworld Biotech: Handling Microbial And Botanical Samples
NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 flight engineer Jessica Meir activates tubes filled with microbial and botanical samples associated with a variety of student-designed experiments inside the International Space Station’s Harmony […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Sample Return, Status Report
Mars Organic Geochemistry-Are We Alone, and Where Did We Come From?
This review of martian organic geochemistry aims to contextualize recent findings of organic molecules in martian meteorites and from Mars missions within the broader study of origins of life on […]