NASA Johnson Space Center Archives - Astrobiology

Juliane Gross examines lunar samples returned by Apollo 17 in Johnson Space Center’s Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility. -- NASA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, People Of Astrobiology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Sample Return

Meet Dr. Juliane Gross, Artemis Campaign Sample Curation Lead

by Keith CowingApril 3, 2025April 3, 2025

Based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, or ARES, curates the most extensive collection of extraterrestrial materials on Earth, ranging from microscopic […]

A microscope image of a dark Bennu particle, about a millimeter long, with a crust of bright phosphate. To the right is a smaller fragment that broke off. Credits: From Lauretta & Connolly et al. (2024) Meteoritics & Planetary Science, doi:10.1111/maps.14227.

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Sample Return

An OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Has Surprising Phosphate Content

by Keith CowingJune 27, 2024June 27, 2024

Scientists have eagerly awaited the opportunity to dig into the 4.3-ounce (121.6-gram) pristine asteroid Bennu sample collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) […]

NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas are serving as the crewmembers and wearing mockup spacesuit systems as they traverse through the desert, completing a variety of technology demonstrations, hardware checkouts and Artemis science-related operations.

Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Moon, People Of Astrobiology, Press Release, Sample Return

NASA Offworld Away Team Training In Arizona

by Keith CowingMay 15, 2024May 15, 2024

To prepare for exploring the Moon during NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency is conducting a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona […]

A small team of participants in the Geology 101 field training gather on a large pile of rocks from a lava flow. NASA/Robert Markowitz

Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Moon, People Of Astrobiology, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors

Away Team Practice: NASA Field Geology Training Prepares Artemis Mission Support Teams

by Keith CowingMay 10, 2024May 10, 2024

NASA engineers, managers, and flight directors recently traded their cubicles and conference rooms for an ancient volcanic field in the northern Arizona desert to participate in a field geology course […]