A research team from Umeå University, SLU and Algeria has found bacteria, with a number of interesting properties, in previously unexplored caves at a depth of several hundred meters in […]
Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: NASA Astrobiology Field Research With A Hand-held X-ray Fluorescence Field Spectrometer
Teams from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center continue to conduct field work as part of this week’s NASA Expeditions in Hawaii.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: NASA Goddard Instrument Field Team Tests Astrobiology Instrumentation
We’re the Goddard Instrument Field Team (and friends), and we study Earth’s most otherworldly places. This week we’re in Hawaii working to answer questions about our solar system’s history and […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Perseverance Makes New Discoveries
Scientists got a surprise when NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover began examining rocks on the floor of Jezero Crater in spring of 2021: Because the crater held a lake billions of […]
Posted inCaves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Microbial ´Dark Matter´: Centuries-old Lava Caves Of Hawaiʻi Island Contain Thousands Of Unknown Bacterial Species
The lava caves, lava tubes and geothermal vents on the big island of Hawaiʻi have higher bacterial diversity than scientists expected, reports a new study in Frontiers in Microbiology. These […]
Posted inCaves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Metagenome-assembled Genomes From Monte Cristo Cave (Diamantina, Brazil) Reveal Prokaryotic Lineages As Functional Models For Life On Mars
Although several studies have explored microbial communities in different terrestrial subsurface ecosystems, little is known about the diversity of their metabolic processes and survival strategies.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware
Raman Spectroscopy And Planetary Exploration: Testing The ExoMars/RLS System At The Tabernas Desert (Spain)
ExoFit trials are field campaigns financed by ESA to test the Rosalind Franklin rover and to enhance collaboration practices between ExoMars working groups. During the first trial, a replicate of […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Sample Return
Astrobiologist Kennda Lynch Uses Analogs On Earth to Find Life On Mars
If we find life on the Red Planet, we’ll have astrobiologists like Dr. Kennda Lynch to thank. Lynch is an astrobiologist and geomicrobiologist studying life in extreme environments on Earth […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Citizen Science / Open Science, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Ultra-small Microbes Exhibit Extreme Survival Skills In Ethiopia's Mars-like Wonderland
The first study of ultra-small bacteria living in the extreme environment of Ethiopia’s Dallol hot springs shows that life can thrive in conditions similar to those thought to have been […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Education and Outreach, Exploration Gear & Tech, Missions & Hardware, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans
Expeditionary Astronauts Wanted
As NASA returns humans to the Moon and then heads out to Mars, a new type of astronaut will be required to explore these worlds. Let’s called them “expeditionary astronauts”.