[biorxiv.org] Current planetary protection approaches rely heavily on spore-based tests developed for Mars missions and may not adequately assess contamination risks for icy ocean worlds such as Europa.
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Posted inPlanetary Protection & Biosafety
NAS Committee On Planetary Protection Seeks Membership Suggestions
The National Academies are seeking suggestions for experts to be considered for membership or other engagement with the Committee on Planetary Protection (CoPP). Learn more and submit suggestions here by […]
Posted inMars
Martian Dust Storms May Ggenerate Atmospheric Electrical Conditions That Could Impact Mars Missions
[UAH] A new study by a doctoral researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, suggests global dust storms on Mars […]
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.
Posted inMars, Missions & Hardware, Policy, Press Release
NASA Announces Public-Private Partnership to Advance Mars Science
NASA Wednesday announced a new public‑private partnership to advance Mars science by combining the agency’s scientific leadership with commercial innovation. Under this model, NASA will provide the Aeolus atmospheric‑science instrument […]
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 inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: NASA’s Next-Gen Space Processor Undergoes Testing
Editor’s note: for more than half a century we have been learning how to use the viewpoint from space to study our home world. The instruments we have developed often […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering
Limits of Terrestrial Life and the Probability of Growth on Mars: Call for Speakers and Topics
The National Academies’ Committee on Planetary Protection is hosting a virtual meeting that will inform NASA’s efforts to develop a prioritized list of factors that contribute to the potential release […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Radiation, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Tricorder Tech: Developing Robust Electronics That Can Withstand Harsh Conditions on Cold Planetary Bodies
A NASA-sponsored team has developed electronics that can operate reliably in the harsh radiation and temperature conditions found on distant planetary bodies like Europa, an ocean world orbiting Jupiter. Not […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Ultra-low Noise Mid-infrared Detector Could Help Detect Biosignatures On Exoplanets
The mid-infrared (MIR) wavelength range, from 5 to 25 micrometers, is an important regime for astrophysics as it can be used to detect the biosignatures of life that may exist […]