[University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa] The Artemis missions will return human beings to the surface of the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. This next generation […]
Tricorders & Sensors
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Mineral Biosignature Identification From Raman Spectroscopy Using Machine Learning
[PNAS] Biosignature detection remains a key challenge in astrobiology, yet robust mineral biosignatures remain limited. Raman spectroscopy is increasingly applied in planetary exploration, but its high-dimensional spectral information has not […]
Posted inTricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Ground Truth For The DAVINCI Venus Mission
Checking the mineral composition of some weathered rocks with the ASD TerraSpec Halo Mineral Identifier which serves as a tricorder in this activity. These samples become the “ground truth” for […]
![(A) Sampling location at the origin of Río Tinto, Spain (modified from García-Moyano et al., 2007). (B) The iron microbialites (white arrow) grew horizontally on a northeast-facing wall. (C) -- [GSA Bulletin]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Iron-microbialites.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAnalog Studies
Iron Microbialites From An Acidic Martian Analog (Río Tinto, Spain)—Implications For Finding Life On Mars
[GSA Bulletin] The search for life on Mars requires identifying suitable biosignatures detectable by rover missions or in returned samples. To support the progressing astrobiological exploration of Mars, we investigated […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports
Offworld Away Team Training: Cave Surveys
A phase of cave surveying in which JAXA astronaut Ayu Yoneda photographs cross-sections of the cave using the Electronic FieldBook, with the assistance of ESA astronaut Rosemary Coogan and NASA […]
Posted inTricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Identifying Proteins, Molecule By Molecule
[Université de Genève] Proteins are responsible for most functions in the human body. However, their analysis, which is essential for understanding diseases, developing drugs, and discovering new biomarkers, remains highly […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
BioBloom, A Method For Barcoded Saturation Mutagenesis Of An Entire Bacterial Genome
Editor’s note: As we expand outward from Earth to other worlds we are almost certainly going to encounter things we did not expect to find – things that are unlikely […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Dual Use Technology – An Astrochemistry Spin Off
Editor’s note: many of the tools that are used in astronomy to conduct analyses of chemistry in space – astrochemistry – utilize technology that has had long-standing applications in a […]
Posted inWater/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
How Will We Monitor Life In Alien Oceans?
Editor’s note: when we start to explore the oceans on other worlds we will need to be ready to utilize a wide range of detection methods optical, auditory – and […]
Posted inMars
Curiosity Rover Takes a Close Look at Martian Sulfur Crystals
[NASA] These sulfur crystals were found inside a rock after NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover happened to drive over it and crush it on May 30, 2024, the 4,200th Martian day, […]