[Scientific Reports via Xmol] Biological exposure experiments under near-space conditions remain limited by the high cost and low accessibility of spaceflight platforms, motivating low-cost analog approaches for initial screening.
stratosphere
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
The Genetic Determinants of Extreme UV Radiation and Desiccation Tolerance in a Bacterium Recovered from the Stratosphere
Microbes that survive transport to and in the stratosphere endure extremes of low temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity, as well as high fluxes in ultraviolet radiation (UVR).
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Neptune, Status Report
Latitudinal Variations In Neptune’s Temperature Profile Observed With ALMA
Despite the low solar irradiation it receives, Neptune shows a very active atmosphere with some of the most intense dynamics observed in Solar System atmospheres. Characterizing the atmospheric temperature profiles […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Status Report
Detection Of Propadiene (CH2CCH2), Propene (C3H6) And Non-detection Of Propane (C3H8) In Jupiter’s Northern Polar Stratosphere
We report the first detection of stratospheric propadiene (CH2CCH2) and propene (C3H6) at Jupiter’s mid-to-high northern latitudes using IRTF-TEXES measurements recorded on March 5-6, 2025.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
Active Responses Of Cyanobacterial Crusts Directly Exposed To The Extreme Stratospheric Environment
The stratosphere’s highly hostile environment offers a unique and relatively accessible setting to evaluate extremophilic adaptation for extraterrestrial colonization. The accelerating pace of the Martian project has underscored the need […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Cryobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Press Release, Radiation, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors
Responses of Cyanobacterial Crusts and Microbial Communities to Extreme Environments of the Stratosphere
How microbial communities respond to extreme conditions in the stratosphere remains unclear.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report
Energy Deposition By Galactic Cosmic Rays And Implications For Ozone Chemistry
We present a Monte Carlo study of galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) energy deposition and its implications for stratospheric chemistry, performed with the Geant4 toolkit.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Radiation, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
SAMPLE — Stratospheric Altitude Microbiology Probe for Life Existence — A Method of Collection of Stratospheric Samples Using Balloon-Borne Payload System
The Earth possesses many environmental extremes that mimic conditions on extraterrestrial worlds. The stratosphere at 30-40 km altitude closely resembles the surface of Mars in terms of pressure, temperature, and […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Near Space Microbiology: Curtobacterium aetherium Discovered In Earth’s Stratosphere
Although the high-altitude limit for microbial survival in the Earth–atmosphere system has remained a scientific curiosity and topic of study, the ecological significance of long-distance microbial dispersal in the atmosphere […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Impact events, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Press Release
Hunga Volcano Eruption Cooled, Rather Than Warmed, Earth’s Southern Hemisphere
When Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, an underwater volcano near Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean, erupted in 2022, scientists expected that it would spew enough water vapor into the stratosphere to […]