[Astrobiology] This article outlines engineering challenges that were involved in the design innovations required to successfully deliver not one but two landers for Viking.
Mars
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, […]
Posted inMars
ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Astrobiology Mission Heat Shield Enters Integration Phase
[ArianeGroup] Following a successful vibration test campaign designed to validate its mechanical resistance to the stresses of launch and the journey to Mars, the Front Shield for Rosalind Franklin has […]
Posted inMars
Mars Perseverance Image of the Week for Week 280 (June 21 – 27, 2026)
[NASA] This photo was selected by public vote and featured as “Image of the Week” for Week 280 (June 21 – 27, 2026) of the Perseverance rover mission on Mars.
Posted inMagnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,
The Strongest Evidence To Date Of A Magnetic Field On An Exoplanet
[IAC] The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is taking part in an international study, published in the journal “Science”, which provides the first conclusive evidence of a planet’s influence […]
Posted inMars
Fifty Years after Viking: The Promise of Solar System Microbiology and Microbial Ecology
[Astrobiology via PubMed] The ambiguity of the Viking lander life-detection experiments left microbiology and microbial ecology out of space missions for 50 years. However, this was largely because the scientific […]
Posted inUncategorized
Perseverance Astrobiology Droid Has Completed A Martian Marathon
[NASA] On June 14, 2026, Mars Perseverance rover completed a Martian “marathon” by surpassing 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers) of travel. The day before, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped this view […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware
Organic Carbon Detected In The Bright Angel Formation On Mars
In September of last year, NASA announced that its Perseverance rover discovered a potential biosignature, which is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return
Lipid Biomarkers In Microbialites From A Maar Lake: An Astrobiological Study Of Biomarker Preservation under Mars Analog Conditions
Lipids constitute resistant biomarkers that have been proposed as pacemakers in the search for possible microbial life-forms in Mars’ past.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics
Astrobiology In The Time of Artificial Intelligence
The Viking missions showcased multiple spaceflight technologies representing state-of-the-art capabilities: from digital line-scan imaging to the operation of complex onboard laboratories and software-controlled process autonomy.