The Concordia Research Station provides a unique location for preparatory activities for future human journey to Mars, to explore microbial diversity at subzero temperatures, and monitor the dissemination of human-associated […]
Planetary Protection & Biosafety
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs
Perseverance Completes Its Mars Sample Depot
Ten sample tubes, capturing an amazing variety of Martian geology, have been deposited on Mars’ surface so they could be studied on Earth in the future.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
New Mars Sample Receiving Project Office Opening At NASA Johnson
NASA announced Thursday its new Mars Sample Receiving Project office, responsible for receiving and curating the first samples returned from the Red Planet, will be located at the agency’s Johnson […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Rare Opportunity To Study Short-lived Volcanic Island Reveals Sulfur-metabolizing Microbes
In 2015, a submarine volcano in the South Pacific erupted, forming the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai island, destined to a short, seven-year life.
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Tricorders & Sensors, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts
Away Team Tech: Self-Contained Device Isolates Biological Samples
Overview JSC is looking to interested parties to license and commercialize this patented technology. Innovators at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) developed a patented self-contained device for isolating deoxyribonucleic acid […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs
Science Priorities For The Extraction Of The Solid MSR Samples From Their Sample Tubes
Preservation of the chemical and structural integrity of samples that will be brought back from Mars is paramount to achieving the scientific objectives of MSR.
Posted inMars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Planetary Protection: Killing Bacteria Deep Inside a Spacecraft
Scientists supported by NASA have discovered a novel method for killing microbes deeply embedded in spacecraft components.
Posted inAstrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Map of Mars Perseverance Rover’s 21 Sample Sites
Shown here is a representation of the 21 sample tubes (containing rock, regolith, atmosphere, and witness materials) that have been sealed to date by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. Red dots […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Away Team Mission On Earth: Mapping Fungal Networks On Earth’s Most Remote Island
In the middle of the Pacific Ocean is an uninhabited atoll that houses underground mycorrhizal networks that may have evolved a unique ability to cycle nutrients between seabirds, rainforest trees, […]
Posted inMissions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Distributed Compact Plasma Reactor Sterilization for Planetary Protection in Space Missions
This paper presents a proof-of-concept study establishing effectiveness of the Active Plasma Sterilizer (APS) for sterilization in planetary protection.