Planetary protection guidance for martian exploration has become a notable point of discussion over the last decade.
Planetary Protection & Biosafety
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Effects Of Simulated Space Environmental Conditions On Cleanroom Microbes
Microorganisms can have major impacts on the success of NASA’s missions, including the integrity of materials, the protection of extraterrestrial environments, the reliability of scientific results, and maintenance of crew […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Characterizing Microbial Communities in >7000- and >180,000-Year-Old Antarctic Permafrost Using a Low-Biomass Decontamination Protocol
The McMurdo Dry Valleys may harbor diverse surface microbial communities, yet little is known about subsurface microorganisms in permafrost and their potential for paleoecological reconstruction.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Century-Scale Effect Of Climate Change On Meteorite Falls
Climate change is inducing a global atmospheric contraction above the tropopause (~10 km), leading to systematic decrease in neutral air density.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Stable Nitrogen Isotope Analysis of Amino Acids by Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry: Application for Extraterrestrial Samples
Background Obtaining isotopic data on soluble organic compounds, such as amino acids, in extraterrestrial samples is crucial for understanding their origins, prebiotic chemistry, and potential contamination. Conventional GC‐IRMS requires grams […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return
NASA’s Bennu Samples Reveal Complex Origins, Dramatic Transformation
Asteroid Bennu, sampled by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission in 2020, is a mixture of dust that formed in our solar system, organic matter from interstellar space, and pre-solar system stardust. Its […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Tersicoccus phoenicis Microbes Found In A Spacecraft Clean Room Exhibits Dormancy
Space missions or spacecraft equipment destined for sensitive environments, such as Mars, Europa, or Enceladus, are required to be designed to avoid forward contamination.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astrobiology (general), Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Intelligence & Language, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Astrovirology, Astrobiology, Artificial Intelligence: Extra-Solar System Investigations
This chapter attempts to encompass and tackle a large problem in Astrovirology and Astrobiology. There is a huge anthropomorphic prejudice that although life is unlikely, the just-right Goldilocks terrestrial conditions […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Comets and Asteroids, Conferences and Meetings, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Meeting (Request for Input and Updated Agenda)
The Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) meeting is scheduled for September 15–19, 2025, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
The 33 Sample Tubes Collected by Mars Perseverance
Shown here is an annotated composite image of the interiors of the 33 tubes NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has used to collect samples as of July 24, 2025, the 1,574th […]