Science offers the privilege of following evidence, not prejudice. The first interstellar object discovered near Earth, Oumuamua, showed half a dozen anomalies relative to comets or asteroids in the Solar […]
Comets and Asteroids
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Neutral-Neutral Synthesis of Organic Molecules in Cometary Comae
Remote and in-situ observations of cometary gases have revealed the presence of a wealth of complex organic molecules, including carbon chains, alcohols, imines and the amino acid glycine. Such chemical […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Comets and Asteroids, Commercial & Private Sector, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations
BioAsteroid Payload On Orbit
Inside one of the containers of this 40-cm-across miniature laboratory in orbit, a battle is set to start between asteroid-like fragments and rock-hungry microbes, to probe their use for space […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Comets and Asteroids, Commercial & Private Sector, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations
Microbes To Demonstrate Biomining Of Asteroid Material Aboard The Space Station
As humanity moves closer to the possibility of living and working millions of miles from Earth on planets like Mars, scientists are looking beyond our planet at how to acquire […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Infrared Detection Of Aliphatic Organics On A Cometary Nucleus
The ESA Rosetta mission has acquired unprecedented measurements of comet 67/P-Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P) nucleus surface, whose composition, as determined by in situ and remote sensing instruments including VIRTIS (Visible, InfraRed […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Sample Return
Cryogenic Cometary Sample Return
Comets likely formed in the outer regions of the protosolar nebula where they incorporated and preserved primitive presolar materials, volatiles resident in the outer disk, and more refractory materials from […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
Volatile Sample Return in the Solar System
We advocate for the realization of volatile sample return from various destinations including: small bodies, the Moon, Mars, ocean worlds/satellites, and plumes. As part of recent mission studies (e.g., Comet […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Cometary Ions Detected By The Cassini Spacecraft 6.5 au Downstream Of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang
During March-April 2002, while between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft detected a significant enhancement in pickup proton flux. The most likely explanation for this enhancement was […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Swift Mission Observed Water from Interstellar Comet Borisov
For the first time, NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory tracked water loss from an interstellar comet as it approached and rounded the Sun. The object, 2I/Borisov, traveled through the solar […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
The Carbon Monoxide-rich Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov
Interstellar comets offer direct samples of volatiles from distant protoplanetary disks. 2I/Borisov is the first notably active interstellar comet discovered in our solar system[1]. Comets are condensed samples of the […]