[Astrobiology (Journal) via PubMed] Humanity’s self-awareness drives the quest to understand the origins of life. Although Earth history has erased much of our planet’s early biological evidence, Mars preserves ancient […]
Mars Sample Return
Posted inPolicy
Possible News From The Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences Meeting
Editor’s note: The National Academy’s Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences Autumn 2026 Meeting is being held 6-8 October Tuesday – Thursday this week. According to the agenda there are […]
Posted inMars
Energy-Limited Radiolytic Habitability in the Shallow Martian Subsurface: Implications for ExoMars Rosalind Franklin and Tianwen-3
The surface of Mars is sterilized by ionizing radiation and pervasive oxidants; its shallow subsurface, shielded from ultraviolet light and the most reactive oxidation, may instead preserve habitable conditions.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Biocidal Conditions in Low-Mars-Orbit Can Inactivate Bioburden on External Mars Spacecraft Surfaces and Dust Particles Within a Few Sols
Mars Sample Return Program planning includes a series of spacecraft staged both on the Martian surface and in low-Mars-orbit (LMO).
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Novel Chemical Pathways For The Formation Of Nucleobase Precursors Via Benzene π-Bond Addition To HCN
We propose a simple and efficient pathway for the formation of precursors to core nucleobases in DNA and RNA using a suite of computational chemistry methods.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
DNA Fragments Could Survive In Martian Rocks For More Than 100 Million Years
The Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, has led a study published in Communications Earth and Environment, showing that if life had ever emerged on Mars, DNA fragments could be preserved […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Radiation, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Recent Production Rates Of Cosmogenic Nuclides In The Igneous Rocks of Jezero Crater Floor, Mars
The Perseverance rover has collected rock samples from the floor of Jezero crater, Mars, set to be returned to Earth through the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. These surface rocks […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving
Oxychlorine Species On Mars: A Review
Oxychlorine species (mainly perchlorate and chlorate) have been identified at multiple locations on the surface of Mars by both orbiter and in situ rovers. They have also been found in […]
Posted inMars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
Sample Science Traceability Matrix for Perseverance’s Mars Sample Return Collection
The Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign aims to retrieve a set of carefully selected and documented samples collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover in and around Jezero Crater on Mars and […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Mars Sample Return Sample Receiving Project Measurement Definition Team Final Report
The joint ESA-NASA Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign is slated to be one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of planetary exploration in that analyses in terrestrial laboratories […]