2026 Astrobiology Science Conference | 22 May 2026
How international policy gets made: History of Mars Planetary Protection
Concerns about contaminating other planets with Earth life began even before the Space Age. In the 1950s, scientists and international organizations warned that space missions...
2026 Astrobiology Science Conference | 21 May 2026
Optimizing GC-MS Life Detection Methods for Mars Using Icelandic Hydrothermal Analogues
On Mars, astrobiology-related missions focus on detecting and identifying biological signs, or biosignatures, from past or present life. One important class of biosignatures...
2026 Astrobiology Science Conference | 22 May 2026
The Microbiology Associated with Crewed Mars Missions and Paths to Planetary Protection Implementation
NASA, along with all spacefaring nations, is operating under the Outer Space Treaty that requires explorers of the solar system to conduct exploration of solar system targets...
2026 Astrobiology Science Conference | 18 May 2026
Mars missions to investigate Amazonian surface chemistry.
Previous missions to Mars have helped identify potential chemical cycles between the surface and atmosphere that may create molecules similar to those produced or used by...
2026 Astrobiology Science Conference | 18 May 2026
Searching for a Past Pyrophosphate World on Mars with Triple Oxygen Isotopes
Multiple lines of evidence suggest that earlier life on Earth, and potentially also on Mars, could have used pyrophosphate as a source of energy before the evolution of ATP...