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.
Planetary Protection & Biosafety
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.
Posted inMars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return
NASA Invites Public Comment on Plans for Mars Sample Return Campaign
NASA is seeking public comments on a draft environmental impact statement for the agency’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign. Comments are due by Monday, Dec. 19.
Posted inMars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return
National Environmental Policy Act – NASA Mars Sample Return Campaign
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 213 (Friday, November 4, 2022)] [Notices] [Pages 66751-66754] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2022-24065]
Posted inMars, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Radiation, Sample Return
Microbial Survivability Of Ionizing Radiation On Mars: Considerations For Sample Return
As the goals of Mars exploration expand to include sample return, it becomes important to protect Earth from potential extraterrestrial sources of contamination.