NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California has inaugurated its Rover Operations Center (ROC), a center of excellence for current and future surface missions to the Moon and Mars. During […]
Moon
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Life Support Systems, Mars, Moon, Status Report
Lava Tubes On Earth, the Moon, And Mars: Detection, Evolution, And Exploration Potential
Lava tubes, or subsurface conduits formed by volcanic activity, have emerged as critical geological features for understanding planetary evolution and for supporting future human space exploration.
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Career Opportunities, Comets and Asteroids, Courses, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Moon, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
ETMA: Extraterrestrial Materials Academy
The Extraterrestrial Materials Academy (ETMA) is scheduled for June 8–August 15, 2026, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas, in partnership with the University of Houston–Clear Lake […]
Posted inAriel, Astrogeology, Callisto, Ceres, Charon, Dione, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Iapetus, Ice Giant, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Mimas, Miranda, Missions & Hardware, Moon, Oberon, Phoebe, Pluto, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Rhea, Status Report, Tethys, Titan, Titania, Triton, Umbriel, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Icy Worlds: Moons And Dwarf Planets
In the outer solar system beyond Jupiter, water ice is a dominant component of planetary bodies, and most solid objects in this region are classified as icy bodies.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Icy Worlds, Life Support Systems, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Sample Return, Status Report
Desert Cyanobacteria Under Non-Earth Conditions: Implications For Astrobiology And Sustainable Life Support
The astonishing capability of life to adapt to extreme conditions provides a new perspective on what habitable means.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Tidally Torn: Why the Most Common Stars May Lack Large, Habitable-Zone Moons
Earth-like planets in the habitable zone (HZ) of M-dwarfs have recently been targeted in the search for exomoons.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Moon, Status Report
Onset Of Habitable Conditions On The Hadean Earth Set By Feedback Between Tides And Greenhouse Forcing
In the aftermath of the Moon-forming giant impact, the Hadean Earth’s mantle and surface crystallized from a global magma ocean blanketed by a dense volatile-rich atmosphere.
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Exploration Gear & Tech, Life Support Systems, Moon, Plant Biology, Press Release, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science
Towards Farming On The Moon
To stay long-term on the Moon humans will need to produce food there. Is it possible to grow plants in environments very different from earth? With support from the Discovery […]
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronauts and Explorers, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Moon, Press Release, Sample Return
Astrogeology and Astrochemistry: Apollo Samples From 1972 Reveal Exotic Sulfur Hidden In The Moon’s Mantle
When astronauts returned from NASA’s final Apollo Moon mission in 1972, some of the samples they collected were sealed and carefully stored away in the hope that future researchers using […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Moon, Press Release
Planet Earth In Reflected And Polarized light – III. Modeling And Analysis Of A Decade-long Catalog Of Earthshine Observations
Earthshine observations offer a unique opportunity to study Earth as an exoplanet seen from the Moon. As the Sun-Earth-Moon geometry changes, Earth can be observed as a spatially unresolved exoplanet […]