The data helped scientists determine the rock contained a potential biosignature, which is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin but requires more data or further study […]
Mars
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Press Release
How A Pyrite-oxidizing Microbe Helps Preserve Atmospheric Oxygen In Sulfate
Because oxygen-bearing sulfate minerals trap and preserve signals from Earth’s atmosphere, scientists closely study how they form. Sulfates are stable over billions of years, so their oxygen isotopes are seen […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
A SHERLOC Image From Mars Perseverance On Sol 1653
This photo was selected by public vote and featured as “Image of the Week” for Week 244 (Oct. 12 – 18, 2025) of the Perseverance rover mission on Mars.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Detection of Biogenicity Using Laboratory Specimens of Biologically and Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structures in a Controlled Experiment
The search for traces of life can be based on the detection of specific signatures produced by microorganisms on sedimentary rocks.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Mars Sample Return Sample Receiving Project Measurement Definition Team Final Report
The joint ESA-NASA Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign is slated to be one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of planetary exploration in that analyses in terrestrial laboratories […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Sample Science Traceability Matrix for Perseverance’s Mars Sample Return Collection
The Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign aims to retrieve a set of carefully selected and documented samples collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover in and around Jezero Crater on Mars and […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
The Abiotic Background as a Central Component of a Sample Safety Assessment Protocol for Sample Return
Martian rock and regolith samples are being collected and cached by NASA’s Perseverance rover, with the goal of returning them to Earth as soon as the mid-2030s.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Status Report
Deposits in Arsinoes Chaos – Possible Remnants Of An Ancient Lake On Mars
The objective of this observation is to examine a light-toned deposit in a region of chaos terrain. The deposit displays a rough surface, in contrast to the smoothness of the […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Desert Worlds, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Mars, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering
An Introduction To Mars Terraforming – 2025 Workshop Summary
Terraforming Mars is an age old science fiction concept now worth revisiting through the lens of modern science and technology. This document serves as a summary of contemporary ideas about […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Science Fiction
Mysterious Gullies On Mars Appear To Have Been Dug, But By Whom Or What?
Did life really exist on Mars after all? Unfortunately, there is no conclusive evidence for this yet. Nevertheless, it would seem that some form of life was the driving force […]