The key goals of the astrobiology community are to identify environments beyond Earth that may be habitable, and to search for signs of life in those environments. A fundamental aspect […]
astro-ph.IM
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
LOUPE: Observing Earth From The Moon To Prepare For Detecting life On Earth-like Exoplanets
LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of the Earth, is a small, robust spectro-polarimeter with a mission to observe the Earth as an exoplanet. Detecting Earth-like planets in stellar […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Exoplanets Sciences With Nulling Interferometers And A Single-Mode Fiber-Fed Spectrograph
Understanding the atmospheres of exoplanets is a milestone to decipher their formation history and potential habitability. High-contrast imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets is the major pathway towards the goal. Directly […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
Volatile Sample Return in the Solar System
We advocate for the realization of volatile sample return from various destinations including: small bodies, the Moon, Mars, ocean worlds/satellites, and plumes. As part of recent mission studies (e.g., Comet […]
Posted inIcy Worlds, Press Release
White Paper Towards a Fuller Understanding of Icy Satellite Seafloors, Interiors, and Habitability
Icy satellites represent compelling astrobiological targets, but their rocky interiors must be better characterized. Fundamental research programs and thematic workshops promoting ocean world interdisciplinarity are key. Future missions to icy […]
Posted inMars, Press Release
Nuclear Spectroscopy for the Exploration of Mars and Beyond
Nuclear spectroscopy is the only instrumentation that provides bulk geochemical constraints at depth (up to one meter in the surface). These instruments identify and quantify water and other key elements […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Exogeoscience and Its Role in Characterizing Exoplanet Habitability and the Detectability of Life
The search for exoplanetary life must encompass the complex geological processes reflected in an exoplanet’s atmosphere, or we risk reporting false positive and false negative detections. To do this, we […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Habitability Models for Planetary Sciences
Habitability has been generally defined as the capability of an environment to support life. Ecologists have been using Habitat Suitability Models (HSMs) for more than four decades to study the […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Terrestrial Planets Comparative Climatology (TPCC) Mission Concept
The authors and co-signers of the Terrestrial Planets Comparative Climatology (TPCC) mission concept white paper advocate that planetary science in the next decade would greatly benefit from comparatively studying the […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean Worlds Exploration and the Search for Life
This is a community draft white paper for submission to the Decadal Survey in Planetary Science and Astrobiology, reflecting the views of the NASA Astrobiology Program’s Research Coordination Network for […]