A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) micrograph of a SiGe transistor for use on ocean worlds. This SiGe IC is built from large numbers of micron-sized (10^-6 m) SiGe transistors to enable electronic functionalities such as communications, sensing, and control. The entire SiGe IC is 5x5 mm^2 and the X-band (8-12 GHz) SiGe RF communications link is shown in the lower right. Image credit: John D. Cressler, Georgia Tech

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Radiation, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Tricorder Tech: Developing Robust Electronics That Can Withstand Harsh Conditions on Cold Planetary Bodies

by Keith CowingMarch 17, 2026March 17, 2026

A NASA-sponsored team has developed electronics that can operate reliably in the harsh radiation and temperature conditions found on distant planetary bodies like Europa, an ocean world orbiting Jupiter. Not […]

Qualitative projections of the best-fit three-dimensional spherical-harmonic model to the jointly decomposed first spatial mode, u(1), derived from three viewing geometries of Europa’s leading hemisphere. (e) Water-ice 3.1 µm Fresnel peak (ℓmax = 6). (g) CO2 absorption doublet near 4.25 µm (ℓmax = 7). Shaded outlines mark Tara, Powys, and the leading-hemisphere part of Annwn Regiones. The left panels show jointly decomposed spectral modes (v(0) and v(1) in gray and black, respectively) and spectra from the spaxels where the joint spatial mode peaks (blue) and reaches its minimum (red). -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report

Spectral Decomposition Reveals Surface Processes on Europa

by Keith CowingMarch 16, 2026March 16, 2026

Competing processes shape Europa’s surface: geological activity replenishes material through resurfacing, while bombardment by charged particles alters surface chemical composition. Each process leaves distinct spectral signatures.

Transmission electron microscope image at low and high magnifications of a cell grown under 20 MP -- Frontiers

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Microbes From Ambient-pressure Analogues Offer Insights Into Possible Life In Europa’s High-pressure Subsurface Ocean

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2026March 3, 2026

Under its thick ice layer, Europa contains a shielded liquid water ocean where habitable conditions may exist. To effectively assess the habitability of this environment and the implications on putative […]

We investigated the survival of the yeast Rhodotorula frigidalcoholis and analysed its RNA after exposure to icy moon conditions. Our results show how the yeast can tolerate the extreme conditions and performs metabolic functions under the exposure conditions; for example, by halting the cell cycle in order to repair. Created in BioRender. Zaccaria (2026): https://BioRender.com/h5uzc5g. -- Environmental Microbiology via PubMed

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Status Report

Exploring The Habitability Of The Outer Solar System Icy Moons For The Extremotolerant Yeast Rhodotorula frigidalcoholis

by Keith CowingFebruary 26, 2026February 26, 2026

Psychrophilic and psychrotolerant microorganisms have the unique ability to grow below 0°C, which makes them ideal candidates for studying how life could survive on the icy moons of the solar […]

New research conducted by SwRI, Aix-Marseille University and the Institute for Advanced Studies demonstrated how complex organic molecules (COMs) could have formed in the protoplanetary disk represented here. Interstellar ultraviolet particles (orange arrows) irradiate the disk of materials, providing a range of conditions that could trigger the organic chemistry essential to COM creation as the icy grains migrate radially and vertically in the disk. A similar transport and irradiation process operates within Jupiter’s circumplanetary disk. -- SwRI

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Io, Jupiter, Press Release

New Insights Into The Potential For Life In The Jovian System

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2026February 23, 2026

Southwest Research Institute was part of an international team that demonstrated how complex organic molecules (COMs), key chemical precursors to life, could have been incorporated into Jupiter’s Galilean moons during […]

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report, Titan

Planetary Protection For Sustainable Space Exploration – Philosophical Transactions A Theme Issue: (open access)

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2026February 23, 2026

Royal Society Publishing has recently published an OPEN ACCESS theme issue of Philosophical Transactions A: Planetary Protection for sustainable space exploration compiled and edited by Karen Olsson-Francis, Athena Coustenis, Peter […]

Two-dimensional temperature map of the disk after 280 kyr of evolution. The averaged trajectories of particles over this period, plotted along the 𝑟 and 𝑧 axes, are shown in white. The panels present the trajectories of particles with sizes of 1 cm and 1 𝜇m, released at initial disk temperatures of 20 K (panels a and b) and 80 K (panels c and d). Green triangles indicate the initial positions of the particles, while green crosses mark their final positions. In each panel, the detailed trajectory of an individual particle is highlighted within the square on the right. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Jupiter, Status Report

Delivery Of Complex Organic Molecules To The System Of Jupiter

by Keith CowingFebruary 20, 2026February 20, 2026

Complex organic molecules are key markers of molecular diversity, and their formation conditions in protoplanetary disks remain an active area of research. These molecules have been detected on a variety […]

Temperature profiles of the CPD at t = 50, 100, 150, and 200 kyr of its evolution. The formation of COMs by thermal processing occurs in the temperature range from 80 K (blue dashed line) to 260 K (red dashed line). At 150 kyr of evolution, a cold region appears in the model, with temperatures too low to support COM formation by thermal processing. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Callisto, Cryobiology, Europa, Ganymede, Habitable Zones, Ice Giant, Io, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Status Report

Formation and Survival of Complex Organic Molecules in the Jovian Circumplanetary Disk

by Keith CowingFebruary 19, 2026February 19, 2026

Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are key targets in the search for habitability due to the potential presence of subsurface oceans. Detecting complex organic molecules (COMs), essential for prebiotic chemistry, is […]

This image was taken near the closest approach point, at a range of 560 kilometers (335 miles) and is the highest resolution picture of Europa that will be obtained by Galileo North is to the right of the picture, and the sun illuminates the surface from that direction. This image, centered at approximately 13 degrees south latitude and 235 degrees west longitude, is approximately 1.8 kilometers (1 mile) wide. The resolution is 6 meters (19 feet) per picture element. This image was taken on December 16, 1997 by the solid state imaging system camera on NASA's Galileo spacecraft. Larger image

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Survival Limits Of Psychrotolerant Microorganisms With Relevance For Planetary Protection Of The Icy Moons

by Keith CowingFebruary 17, 2026February 17, 2026

Investigating the survival limits of extremophilic microorganisms exposed to simulated space conditions can shed light on the ability of terrestrial microorganisms to survive and propagate on other planetary bodies.

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Crossovers In Ice Planet Exploration – Earth, Europa, And Beyond

by Keith CowingFebruary 12, 2026February 12, 2026

Keith’s note: On 11 February 2026 NOVA PBS Host / NewsHour reporter Miles O’Brien conducted a live broadcast from a ship in the southern ocean around Antarctica where Thwaites glacier […]

Europa

Tricorder Tech: Developing Robust Electronics That Can Withstand Harsh Conditions on Cold Planetary Bodies

Spectral Decomposition Reveals Surface Processes on Europa

Microbes From Ambient-pressure Analogues Offer Insights Into Possible Life In Europa’s High-pressure Subsurface Ocean

Exploring The Habitability Of The Outer Solar System Icy Moons For The Extremotolerant Yeast Rhodotorula frigidalcoholis

New Insights Into The Potential For Life In The Jovian System

Planetary Protection For Sustainable Space Exploration – Philosophical Transactions A Theme Issue: (open access)

Delivery Of Complex Organic Molecules To The System Of Jupiter

Formation and Survival of Complex Organic Molecules in the Jovian Circumplanetary Disk

Survival Limits Of Psychrotolerant Microorganisms With Relevance For Planetary Protection Of The Icy Moons

Crossovers In Ice Planet Exploration – Earth, Europa, And Beyond

NASA Establishes Mars Forward Operational Risk and Contamination Evaluation (M-FORCE) Tiger Team to Shape Mars Planetary Protection Protocols

Opportunity to Contribute to NASA DARES Community White Paper on Phototrophic Biosignatures

The Search For Life Elsewhere: Avoiding Hype and Fostering Public Understanding

Panchromatic Spectra of Nearby Low-mass and Sun-like Stars with Directly Imageable Habitable Zones

Alfred: A Flexible, User-Friendly Python Package for Exoplanet Confirmation

77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026)

Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences Autumn 2026 Meeting

Introduction to Planetary Protection

Mars and the Earthlings: Can we, and should we, go to Mars?

Where Skies Meet: Multidisciplinary Views of Planet and Exoplanet Atmospheres