This paper examines how future technosignature searches may constrain competing resolutions of the Fermi Paradox, with particular attention to the possibility that technologically capable entities (TCEs) are either intrinsically rare […]
Sample Return
Posted inMars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Sample Return
Mars Sample Return Campaign: Biological Risk And A Proposed Sample Safety Assessment Protocol
Returning surface samples from Mars to Earth has been a major planetary science objective, with the potential for the detection of microbiological life and the possibility of improving our understanding […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean Planet Recon: MBARI and Monterey Bay Aquarium Complete Expedition to Guide Seamount
Editor’s note: When we start to mount Astrobiology missions to explore ocean worlds we’ll need ways for our robotic submersibles to observe and interact with whatever life forms they may […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Charge-Selective Adsorption Of Organic Molecules In Microfluidic Mg(OH)2 Precipitate Membranes
The porous mineral structures of alkaline hydrothermal vent chimneys have been proposed as natural concentrators of dissolved organic molecules, potentially addressing the longstanding dilution problem in deep-sea origin-of-life hypotheses.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astronauts and Explorers, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Space Physiology & Medicine, Status Report
Highlighting A Science Strategy For Human Exploration Of Mars
A Science Strategy for Human Exploration of Mars, charts a bold, scientifically based blueprint for humanity’s greatest cosmic adventure—sending explorers to Mars to answer the universe’s most profound questions: Is […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Microfossils interpreted as animal traces were actually algae and bactéria
A reexamination of microfossils found in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul shows that the marks previously interpreted as traces of worms or other small oceanic animals are […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Asteroid Sample Return Missions Are Critical For Understanding Our Solar System
Studying asteroids addresses a number of unknowns in planetary science. Investigating them makes use of asteroidal meteorites, remote observations and space-based missions.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
Innovative Mars Rovers Swim Through The Sand
Some animals can move efficiently beneath granular surfaces. These include the sandfish (Scincus scincus), a lizard native to the Sahara: it can burrow into the sand and then literally ‘swim’ […]
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
A Cloud-Based Tool For Meteorite Recovery Using Drones And Machine Learning
We present a cloud-based tool that uses drones and machine learning to help recover instrumentally observed meteorite falls.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Asteroid Impact Site Reveals Possible Traces Of Early Life
A discovery by a South Korean research team suggests that impact-generated lakes may have fostered early oxygen-producing life.