Editor’s note: Many astrobiologists think that there is a chance that extant life could be found underneath the surface of Mars where conditions could be more favorable than they currently […]
Life Support Systems
Posted inLife Support Systems
Integrating Resource Utilization And Bioregenerative Life Support Systems For Sustainable Space Exploration
[Frontiers] The long-term presence of humans in space depends on reducing reliance on Earth’s resupply of materials and resources. In situ resource utilization (ISRU) represents a sustainable approach to support […]
Posted inIcy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Life Support Systems, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report, Titan
Titan’s Resources and their Utilization
Saturn’s moon Titan is a unique environment in the solar system. It is the only moon with an atmosphere, composed primarily of the gases N2 and CH4. It is also […]
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Life Support Systems, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Moon, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return
Protecting Earth From Extraterrestrial Contamination: The Case For A Lunar Biocontainment Facility
The advancement of space exploration into an era of sample return missions from Mars, asteroids, and icy moons raises the potential for biological contamination either to or from Earth.
Posted inAstronauts and Explorers, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Conferences and Meetings, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Life Support Systems, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Plant Biology, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering
Limits of Terrestrial Life and the Probability of Growth on Mars (Virtual Meeting)
Committee on Planetary Protection (CoPP) (Virtual Meeting June 1-2, 2026)June 1 – 2, 2026 This meeting is to provide information to NASA so it can develop a prioritized list of […]
Posted inAstronauts and Explorers, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Life Support Systems, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Space Life Science, Status Report
Weaving Life Into Regolith: Engineered Autotrophic-Heterotrophic Consortia For Autonomous Biofabrication From Granular Feedstocks
Long-duration human missions to Mars will require autonomous systems capable of converting in situ resources into structural materials, tools, and functional components. More broadly, such systems represent a class of […]
Posted inBiophysics, Gravitational Biology, Life Support Systems, Press Release, Space Life Science
Fruit flies Adapt And Recover After Hypergravity Exposure
Expose an animal to extreme physical stress, and the expectation is simple: It will break down.
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Life Support Systems, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars
Full report Exploration as a scientific endeavor exemplifies great American innovation. The first human steps on Mars will be a watershed moment for humanity and for science. The endeavor to […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Life Support Systems, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Quantifying Building Blocks of Life in Planetary Analog Materials: Implications for Prebiotic Chemistry and Biosignature Identification
Building blocks of life such as amino acids, nucleobases, and fatty acids are central to prebiotic chemistry and represent key targets in the search for planetary biosignatures. In planetary materials, […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Gravitational Biology, Life Support Systems, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Space Stations, Status Report
Primary Stress Factors and Adaptive Mechanisms of Microalgae in Space Environments and Their Applications in Space Life Support Systems
Cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microalgae (collectively referred to here as ‘microalgae’) represent early-evolving oxygenic phototrophs and are widely considered ideal candidates for bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) due to their high […]