"Is it true that the ancient Martian atmosphere may have been like Earth’s today?"
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AbSciCon 2010 First Announcement
Astrobiology Science Conference 2010
First Announcement Online Now!
The Astrobiology Science Conference 2010 will be held at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) April 26–29, 2010. Please submit the Indication of Intent form http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010/iofi/ by October 1, 2009, in order to be added to the mailing list to receive reminders and other pertinent information related to the conference.View the Announcement Now!!
August 7, 2009 / Posted by: Marco Boldt
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Planetary Science Decadal Survey: White Papers Posted for Comment
Comments are being solicited from members of the astrobiology community on the following paper(s) that will be submitted to the 2009-2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Papers will be revised based on community feedback. Additonal papers will be posted here as they become available.
- Astrobiology Research Priorities for Exoplanets (Last Updated: May 28, 2009)
- Astrobiology Research Priorities for Mercury, Venus, and the Moon (Added: June 8, 2009)
- Astrobiology Research Priorities for Mars (Added: June 10, 2009)
- Astrobiology Research Priorities for the Outer Solar System (Added June 15, 2009)
- Astrobiology Research Priorities for Primitive Asteroids (Added July 22,...
July 27, 2009 / Posted by: Marco Boldt
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Lead Astrobiology Civil Servant Position Now Available
The Planetary Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is now advertising for the senior Program Scientist for Astrobiology. In general, this civil servant will oversee the science content and execution of the Astrobiology Program. A detailed description of the position and how to apply for this opportunity can be found on http://www.usajobs.gov/ with a announcement number (or search number): HQ09B0156. This position opened on July 10 and will close August 10, 2009. I encourage anyone who is interested to apply.
James L. Green
Director Planetary Science DivisionJuly 10, 2009 / Written by: James Green
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Salt Discovered in Saturn's Outermost Ring
For the first time, scientists working on NASA’s Cassini mission have detected sodium salts in ice grains of Saturn’s outermost ring. Detecting salty ice indicates that Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which primarily replenishes the ring with material from discharging jets, could harbor a reservoir of liquid water — perhaps an ocean — beneath its surface.
Cassini discovered the water-ice jets in 2005 on Enceladus. These jets expel tiny ice grains and vapor, some of which escape the moon’s gravity and form Saturn’s outermost ring. Cassini’s cosmic dust analyzer has examined the composition of those grains and found salt within...
Source: [NASA Press Release]
June 24, 2009 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice
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NASA’s Weird and Wonderful Rovers
NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers have exceeded all expectations by surviving the rigors of exploring the red planet for five years – well beyond their intended lifespans. The rovers have returned a wealth of important data about Mars, but they’ve also taught NASA engineers important lessons about navigating the surface of an alien world. These lessons have inspired a new generation of weird and wonderful rovers that are capable of climbing, crawling and jumping almost any obstacle NASA can imagine. The technology could prove invaluable in the future exploration of our solar system.To view a recent article...
May 29, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal
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Outer Space Oreos
Scientists have previously exposed organisms and biomolecules to the many rigors of space, but those experiments only managed to take “before” and “after” pictures of their samples. A planned small satellite will monitor on a continuous basis the negative effects of space on biology. The upcoming O/OREOS mission will be the first demonstration flight of the ASTID small payloads initiative.
Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]
May 7, 2009 / Written by: Michael Schirber
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Planetary Science Decadal Survey
Dear Colleague:
This is the first of what will be a regular series of newsletters to the astrobiology community regarding the 2009-2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. We all get too much email, so I’ll try to keep these concise!
The key points in this newsletter are these:
1) The decadal survey will establish the priorities for planetary exploration in the U.S. for the coming decade.
2) Astrobiology is a major crosscutting theme of NASA’s planetary science activities and a central facet of the survey’s scientific scope.
3) The process is just getting started, and will...Source: [National Academies Space Studies Board]
April 24, 2009 / Written by: Steve Squyres
