Away Teams & Field Reports
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Deep-sea Species Discovered During Mining Test At 4,000 Meters

by Keith Cowing

There is a high demand globally of critical metals, and many countries want to try extracting these sought-after metals from the seabed. An international study, which has discovered large numbers […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astronauts and Explorers, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Sample Return

Caves On Earth As Proxies For Martian Subsurface Environments

by Keith Cowing

On planet Earth, the inner part of cave systems represents an extreme and isolated environment, characterized by relatively stable microclimatic conditions, nutrient limitation and protection from external stressors such as […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return

The Hidden Viral Network: How Viruses Shape Microbial Adaptability and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Polyextreme Mars-Analog Qaidam Basin Desert

by Keith Cowing

Viruses play essential roles in shaping the structure and function of microbial communities, including those inhabiting extreme environments.

Posted inAnalog Studies, Astronauts and Explorers, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, People Of Astrobiology, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Away Team Training: Tricorder Use During Cave Microbiology Assay

by Keith Cowing

MBRSC astronaut Mohammad AlMulla took pictures of NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli while she was conducting a microbiological investigation close to the underground base camp in Abel Cave.

Posted inAstrobiology (general), Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Search for Life Should Be Top Science Priority for First Human Landing on Mars, Says New Report

by Keith Cowing

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies the highest priority science objectives for the first human mission to Mars, and says searching for evidence […]

Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronauts and Explorers, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Life Support Systems, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors

A Science Strategy For The Human Exploration of Mars: Report Release Event

by Keith Cowing

December 9, 2025 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (ET) Register https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/DEPS-SSB-23-02/event/46072

Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report

Three eruptions At The Fagradalsfjall Volcano In Iceland Show Rapid And Predictable Microbial Community Establishment

by Keith Cowing

How natural environments transition from uninhabited to inhabited is an incompletely understood question in ecology.

Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Research Reveals Chemical Process That May Have Sparked Life On Earth

by Keith Cowing

University of Alberta geochemists have discovered a missing piece to one of the great mysteries of science — the origin of life on Earth.

Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Career Opportunities, Comets and Asteroids, Courses, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Moon, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report

ETMA: Extraterrestrial Materials Academy

by Keith Cowing

The Extraterrestrial Materials Academy (ETMA) is scheduled for June 8–August 15, 2026, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas, in partnership with the University of Houston–Clear Lake […]

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