2003 - Astrobiology

During the one-year analog mission, crew members will participate in various activities, including sample collection and analysis utilizing a glovebox. Bill Stafford/NASA

Astrobiology Science Conference 2004 Call for Papers

by Keith CowingDecember 23, 2003June 23, 2024

It is with great pleasure and anticipation that we announce the call for abstracts forAstrobiology Science Conference 2004. The meeting is the third to be held at the NASA Research Park, NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Callifornia, and will take place 28 March to 1 April 2004. The meeting will consist of invited […]

News Summary Archives

Astrobiology News 19 August 2003

by Keith CowingAugust 19, 2003

(a) Galileo Solid State Imaging (SSI) false color data of Europa’s leading hemisphere and Tara Regio (credit: NASA, JPL/Caltech, PIA01295). (b) Illustration of chaos on Europa (credit: NASA, GSFC, PIA00840), showing hypothesized geologic communication between its subsurface ocean and surface (chaos formation mechanisms summarized in e.g., Daubar et al. 2024). (c) Spectral map showing the distribution of irradiated NaCl on Europa, highlighting its concentration in and around Tara Regio (modified from Trumbo et al. 2019). -- astro-ph.IM

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Plant Biology, Space Agriculture

Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse Crops Continue to Thrive on Devon Island

by Keith CowingAugust 18, 2003April 14, 2024

Phase-folded radial velocities of the planets in the L 98-59 system. (a): L 98-59.06. (b): L 98-59 b. (c): L 98-59 c. (d)t: L 98-59 d. (e): L 98-59 e. (f): L 98-59 f. -- astro-ph.EP

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Plant Biology, Space Agriculture

Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse Grows First Crop on Devon Island

by Keith CowingAugust 13, 2003April 14, 2024

Yes we had Tang. Lots of it. Of course we did. This was a NASA base after all. -- Keith Cowing

Polar / Alpine Expeditions

Keith Cowing’s Devon Island Journal 19 July 2003: Illness, Good Food, and Morale

by Keith CowingJuly 19, 2003July 15, 2025

Concentrations are shown in µg/kg. Black circles represent seawater sampling locations; red stars denote the shoreline position of microbialite sampling transects (coordinates listed in Supplementary Table 3). Black lines represent boundaries of provinces in Hamelin Pool as previously defined32. The map is overlaid on Copernicus Sentinel data (2025) accessed via Copernicus Browser (CC BY 4.0). -- Nature Communications

Astrobiology (general), NASA Astrobiology Program

NASA Astrobiology Institute Announces New Teams

by Keith CowingJune 24, 2003June 23, 2024

Astrobiology (general), NASA Astrobiology Program, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans

NASA Astrobiology 2003 Roadmap

by Keith CowingMay 21, 2003May 21, 2025

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains & Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

MARS-1 Humvee Rover Reaches Devon Island After Successful Crossing of Frozen Arctic Sea

by Keith CowingMay 20, 2003July 15, 2025

Pioneers 10 and 11 both carried small metal plaques identifying their time and place of origin for the benefit of any other spacefarers that might find them in the future. - NASA

Missions & Hardware

Pioneer 10 Sends Its Last Message Home

by Keith CowingFebruary 27, 2003January 21, 2026

Astrobiology (general), Conferences and Meetings

General Meeting of the NASA Astrobiology Institute 2003

by Keith CowingFebruary 10, 2003

Extreme Arabian Environments And Their Microbiomes: New Frontiers For Astrobiology And Biosignature Discovery

Astrobiology assesses the habitability of planetary bodies and the potential for extraterrestrial life. Analog environments on Earth serve as sites for studying extreme environments that resemble extraterrestrial conditions, aiding in validating life-detection methods, mission instrumentation, and biosignature preservation. These environments function as a source of model microorganisms and communities that define the habitability and biochemistry…

by Keith Cowing April 13, 2026April 13, 2026

From Early Earth to Enceladus – Mineral Electrochemistry Could Drive Organic Synthesis

At some point in Earth’s history, chemistry transitioned from abiotic organic synthesis—the building of more complicated organic molecules from smaller ones by nonbiological means—to biochemistry. Hydrothermal settings are compelling sites for the origins of this transition because they are natural chemical reactors. In this non-equilibrium setting; hot, reduced fluids continuously mix with cold, oxidized seawater…

by Keith Cowing April 13, 2026April 13, 2026

Chang’e Mission Samples Reveal How Exogenous Organic Matter Evolves On The Moon

Elements essential to life, such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur, were “delivered” to the Earth and Moon during the early stages of the Solar System via asteroids and comets impacting their surfaces. These exogenous materials may have provided the chemical building blocks necessary for the origin and early evolution of life on Earth.…

by Keith Cowing April 13, 2026April 13, 2026