[Springer Nature] Mössbauer analyses from MIMOS II data collected on Mars provided breakthrough insights into iron mineralogy of the planet’s surface. [Life] Resulting from limited measurement time, science operations were […]
regolith
Posted inUncategorized
NASA Viking Mission: A Perspective of the Labeled Release Biological Experiment on Mars
[Astrobiology (Journal)] The NASA Viking mission successfully landed three separate biological experiments on Mars in 1976 with a goal to detect microbial processes or materials in samples of the planet’s […]
![Geometrical and structural layout of the 12-km-thick Martian atmosphere and the 2-m-thick Martian regolith in GEANT4 simulations.-- [physics.ins-det]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Unveiling.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inMars
Unveiling Neutron And Gamma Spectrum At Martian Surface In Presence And Absence Of Hydrogen: A Computational Study Based On GEANT4 Simulations
[physics.ins-det] Motivated by the interactions of the GCR protons with the Martian atmosphere and regolith in the absence and presence of hydrogen, a series of GEANT4 simulations are employed in […]
Posted inMicrobiology & Virology
Methane Production On Mars-Relevant Clay Minerals And Simulant Regolith
[Microorganisms]. Over the course of Martian history, the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide and potential subsurface molecular hydrogen (H2), in addition to potential surface and subsurface liquid water, suggests that […]
Posted inMars
Survival and Detectability of Mars-Derived Organic Carbon in Phobos Regolith: A Quantitative Hardness Taxonomy for MMX Sample Analysis
[eartharxiv.org] The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission will return ≥ 10 g of Phobos regolith containing a small fraction of Mars-derived impact ejecta (Ramsley and Head, 2013; Chappaz et al., […]
Posted inIcy Worlds
Tracing The Source Of Carbon Oxides On The Large Moons Of Uranus
[astro-ph.EP] The Uranian moons Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon are enriched in CO2 mixed with CO, but the origin(s) of these carbon oxides, be they primarily native or radiolytic, remains […]
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 inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Intelligence & Language, Interstellar, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Sample Return, SETI & Technosignatures, Status Report
Some Thoughts on the Future of Technosignature Searches: Constraining the Fermi Paradox
This paper examines how future technosignature searches may constrain competing resolutions of the Fermi Paradox, with particular attention to the possibility that technologically capable entities (TCEs) are either intrinsically rare […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The Physical Nature of Regolith on Icy Moons
Estimating surface properties such as porosity and grain sizes is key for planning lander missions and landing site selection on icy moons.
Posted inAstronauts and Explorers, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Life Support Systems, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Space Life Science, Status Report
Weaving Life Into Regolith: Engineered Autotrophic-Heterotrophic Consortia For Autonomous Biofabrication From Granular Feedstocks
Long-duration human missions to Mars will require autonomous systems capable of converting in situ resources into structural materials, tools, and functional components. More broadly, such systems represent a class of […]