Solving a riddle that has confounded biologists since bacterial spores — inert, sleeping bacteria — were first described more than 150 years ago, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered […]
Planetary Protection & Biosafety
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
NASA DRAFT Cooperative Agreement Notice Released for Comment Support for Planetary Sample Science (SPSS)
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has released a draft Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) entitled “Support for Planetary Sample Science (SPSS)” for public comment.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
NASA Seeks Members For The Mars Sample Receiving Project Measurement Definition Team
NASA and ESA are planning to charter a Measurement Definition Team (MDT) to assess the measurement and instrumentation needs for the high-containment Mars Sample Return Sample Receiving Project facility to […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
NASA Prepares For OSIRIS-REx Sample Delivery From Asteroid Bennu
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is cruising back to Earth with a sample it collected from the rocky surface of asteroid Bennu. When its sample capsule parachutes down into the Utah desert […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release
Away Team Issues: Humans Are Leaving Behind A Frozen Signature Of Microbes On Mount Everest
Almost 5 miles above sea level in the Himalayan mountains, the rocky dip between Mount Everest and its sister peak, Lhotse, lies windswept, free of snow. It is here at […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Away Team Update: DLR TRIPLE-IceCraft Expedition To Antarctica Part 3
The seventh day of our Antarctic expedition to test the TRIPLE-IceCraft melting probe begins for me and all the new arrivals in our segregated living area: our joint COVID-19 test […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Away Team Update: DLR TRIPLE-IceCraft Expedition To Antarctica Part 2
At the time of our arrival at Neumayer Station III. Technically it is morning, but the long journey has messed up my internal clock.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Away Team Update: DLR TRIPLE-IceCraft Expedition To Antarctica Part 1
Some regions on Earth are as mysterious as distant celestial bodies – but equally explored. These include subglacial lakes in Antarctica. These lakes lie under a permanent layer of ice, […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Removing Traces of Life in Lab Helps NASA Scientists Study Its Origins
In the Origins and Habitability Lab at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, you can find a world in a test tube – specifically, a simplified simulation of early Earth.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Away Team Tech: The BASALT Research Program
The articles associated with this Special Collection focus on the NASA BASALT (Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains) Research Program, which aims at answering the question, “How do we […]