The Space Microbial Culture Collection (SMCC) has been awarded a grant from NASA’s Planetary Science Division through the Planetary Protection Research (PPR) program to serve as the official repository for […]
Planetary Protection & Biosafety
Posted inMissions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Exploring Seismic Signal Detection and Source Identification of Atmospheric Entries: The Hayabusa2 Sample Return Capsule as a Benchmark
This exploratory study investigates whether seismic signals can be used to infer fragmentation during a fireball event. Re-entry objects, particularly sample return capsules (SRCs) such as the one from the […]
Posted inExploration Gear & Tech, Missions & Hardware, NASA Astrobiology Program, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Sample Return, Status Report
NASA TPS Capability for Astrobiology Missions – NASA-DARES 2025 White Paper
Topic 2 Response to 2025 NASA DARES RFI Jonathan Morgan, NASA Ames Research Center (ARC-TSM)Peter Marshall, NASA Ames Research Center (ARC-TSM) The two kinds of science missions that support Astrobiology […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Extremotolerant Bacteria Identified In The NASA Mars Phoenix Cleanroom
Abstract Background Human-designed oligotrophic environments, such as cleanrooms, harbor unique microbial communities shaped by selective pressures like temperature, humidity, nutrient availability, cleaning reagents, and radiation. Maintaining the biological cleanliness of […]
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Identification of Bacillus Species Isolated From Cleanrooms at NASA Johnson Space Center
Bacteria are frequently isolated from surfaces in cleanrooms, where astromaterials are curated, at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC). Bacillus species are of particular interest because endospores can endure […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Life Support Systems, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Status Update Of NASA’s Assessment Of The Biological Contamination Threat Of Crewed Mars Surface Missions
As we prepare for a future first mission to Mars with a human crew, the United States, under the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, has an obligation to protect against […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Planetary Protection Protocols On Earth: Non-native Terrestrial Species In Antarctica
Antarctica has been subject to direct human activity for a little over 200 years. In recent decades, the combination of sharp increases in human activity and regional climate change, particularly […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Antarctic Biosecurity Policy Effectively Manages The Rates Of Alien Introductions
Reducing the rates and impacts of biological invasions is a major policy goal of international biodiversity agreements.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
NASA Astromaterials: OSIRIS-REx News April 2025
The OSIRIS-REx curation team has continued to expand and enrich the NASA OSIRIS-REx catalog – this newsletter includes the second update of the catalog since its initial publication in March […]
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Moon, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
A Microbial Survival Model For The permanently Shadowed Regions Of The Moon Shows Long-Term Survival of Terrestrial Microbe Forward Contamination
Based on previous models of microbial survival there are regions in the solar system which have high preservation potential for terrestrial spore-forming microbes such as Bacillus subtilis.