Analog Studies
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Venus

Away Team Training: Analogs for VENus’ GEologically Recent Surfaces (AVENGERS) Initiative

by Keith Cowing

Editor’s note: when it comes to conducting field trips – sorties – Away Team missions – on another world, astrogeology and astrobiology and astrochemistry overlap with one another all the […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release

Limiting Ice World Exploration: U.S. Will Retire Its Only Icebreaker Thus Stranding Polar Research

by Keith Cowing

Editor’s note: space agencies around the world have long used polar locations as analogs wherein the sudy of geology and biology informs our understanding of the extremes to which Earth […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release

ESA Away Team Training: Lunar Geology Lessons For Artemis

by Keith Cowing

Editor’s note: when it comes to conducting field trips – sorties – Away Team missions – on another world, astrogeology and astrobiology and astrochemistry overlap with one another all the […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

The Biology, Microclimate, and Geology of a Distinctive Ecosystem Within the Sandstone of Hyper-Arid Timna Valley, Israel

by Keith Cowing

Microbial endolithic communities in the sandstone rocks of the southern Negev Desert, particularly in Timna Park, were initially discovered by Imre Friedmann and Roseli Ocampo-Friedmann in their pioneering study about […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Sample Return, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Extreme Earth Life: Flatworm Cocoons Discovered In Abyssal Depths Of Over 6,000 Meters

by Keith Cowing

Editor’s note: when we begin to robotically explore the ice-covered oceans of Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Mimas etc. we’ll need to make the most of the visits. Learning how to best […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Habitable Zones, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Perseverance Rover Uncovers Clues To Ancient Martian Chemistry

by Keith Cowing

NASA’s Perseverance Rover spent three years exploring the floor of Jezero Crater, located just north of the Martian equator.

Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Life Support Systems, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report

Planetary Protection Knowledge Gap Closure Enabling Crewed Missions to Mars

by Keith Cowing

As focus for exploration of Mars transitions from current robotic explorers to development of crewed missions, it remains important to protect the integrity of scientific investigations at Mars, as well […]

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