Planetary Protection & Biosafety
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report

Tianwen-2 Target Asteroid (469219) Kamo’oalewa Probably Develops An Itokawa-compositional But Ultra-highly Space-weathered Surface

by Keith Cowing

China’s Tianwen-2 mission plans to return samples from a small, rapidly spinning Earth quasi-satellite (469219) Kamo’oalewa. Previous studies linked Kamo’oalewa to lunar composition and origin.

Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Missions & Hardware, Moon, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report

LEAG-ExMAG Artemis Sample Return SAT Reports Now Available

by Keith Cowing

The Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) and Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG), were requested and empowered by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Planetary Science Division (PSD) to establish a […]

Posted inHabitable Zones, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering

Limits of Terrestrial Life and the Probability of Growth on Mars: Call for Speakers and Topics

by Keith Cowing

The National Academies’ Committee on Planetary Protection is hosting a virtual meeting that will inform NASA’s efforts to develop a prioritized list of factors that contribute to the potential release […]

Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Editorial: Life Under Pressure: Microbial Adaptation And Survival In High Pressure Environments

by Keith Cowing

A quantitative overview of Earth’s biomass has long been lacking, despite its importance for understanding the biosphere. The first global estimate—approximately 550 gigatons of carbon (Gt C)—reveals stark disparities across […]

Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report

OSIRIS-REx Derived Sample Site Products Release

by Keith Cowing

This is the release of the OSIRIS-REx Derived Sample Site Products Bundle. This bundle contains detailed catalogs created during the Sample Site Selection Phase of the OSIRIS-REx mission.

Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Citizen Science / Open Science, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report

With Evo 2, AI Can Model And Design The Genetic Code For All Domains Of Life

by Keith Cowing

The DNA foundation model Evo 2, first released in February 2025 as a preprint, is now published in the journal Nature. Trained on the DNA of over 100,000 species across […]

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