Summary: Orpheus is a Mars hopper mission concept to explore volcanic fissures and pit/cave vents in Cerberus Fossae that experienced recent eruptions and may still be active, to search for […]
Biosignatures
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Io, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Triton, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Active Moons In Our Solar System And Beyond — Io, Europa, Enceladus, Triton, and Exomoons
The outgassing signatures of Io, Europa, Enceladus, Triton, and Io-like exomoons are the focus of this review chapter. The rocky volcanic world of Io is unique in our Solar System, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Astrochemistry Update: SPHEREx Maps Vast Galactic Ice Regions
NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) mission has mapped interstellar ice at an unprecedented scale.
![[LEFT] Nano-FTIR measurement of Region 1 (belonging to the aliphatic-rich cluster). Color-coded nano-FTIR spectra (A) of spots shown in the SNOM topography (B), optical amplitude (C), and mechanical amplitude (D) images. [RIGHT] Region 2 (also belonging to the aliphatic-rich cluster). -- PNAS](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Nanoscale-infrared-spectroscopy.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Nanoscale Infrared Spectroscopy Reveals Complex Organic–mineral Assemblages In Asteroid Bennu
Asteroid Bennu preserves primitive material from the early solar system, and returned samples allow direct examination of how organics and minerals were assembled and altered. We applied nanoscale infrared spectroscopy […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
From Early Earth to Enceladus – Mineral Electrochemistry Could Drive Organic Synthesis
At some point in Earth’s history, chemistry transitioned from abiotic organic synthesis—the building of more complicated organic molecules from smaller ones by nonbiological means—to biochemistry.
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Moon, Press Release
Chang’e Mission Samples Reveal How Exogenous Organic Matter Evolves On The Moon
Elements essential to life, such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur, were “delivered” to the Earth and Moon during the early stages of the Solar System via asteroids and […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Mineral-facilitated Aqueous Synthesis Of Hydrogen Cyanide From Prebiotically Abundant Amino Acids For Chemical Evolution
Recent advances in prebiotic chemistry suggest that hydrogen cyanide (HCN) serves as a fundamental precursor for nearly all essential biomolecules and protometabolic processes for life’s emergence.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
A Ribozyme Mass Extinction At The RNA-cellular Boundary And Its Potential Imprint On The Genetic Code
The transition from the RNA world to cellular life remains one of the least understood events in the history of biology.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
Microstructural And Biochemical Constraints On Cryptoendolithic Life In Atacama Halite: Implications For Extreme Habitability
Halite pinnacles from the Yungay area in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert harbor cryptoendolithic microbial colonies.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
Evaluation Of The Bacterial Diversity In The World’s Deepest Cave—Veryovkina, Arabika Massif, Western Caucasus
Veryovkina Cave is the world’s deepest known cave (2212 m deep). It is located in the Arabika Massif of Gagra Mountain in the Western Caucasus. Its microbiome remains unknown because […]