[Biogeosciences via ESS Open Archive] In the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica, microbial mats are responsible for primary productivity in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; yet their influence on soil […]
soil
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Plant Biology, Space Agriculture, Status Report
May Antarctic Plants Grow On Martian And Lunar Soil Simulants Under Terrestrial Conditions?
Extremophile organisms have been largely studied in Astrobiology. Among them, two antarctic plants emerge as good candidates to become colonizers of other celestial bodies, such as Mars and the Moon.
Posted inLife Support Systems, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Plant Biology, Space Agriculture, Status Report
Offworld Agriculture: Intercropping On Mars
Future colonists on Mars will need to produce fresh food locally to acquire key nutrients lost in food dehydration, the primary technique for sending food to space. In this study […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Why Is Methane Seeping on Mars? NASA Scientists Have New Ideas
A recent paper may help explain why a portable chemistry lab on NASA’s Curiosity rover has continually sniffed out traces of the gas near the surface of Gale Crater.