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Using Science-Driven Analog Research to Investigate Extravehicular Activity Science Operations Concepts and Capabilities for Human Planetary Exploration

Brady, Allyson L.; Kobs Nawotniak, Shannon E.; Hughes, Scott S. +7 more

Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) is a science-driven exploration program seeking to determine the best tools, techniques, training requirements, and execution strategies for conducting Mars-relevant field science under spaceflight mission conditions. BASALT encompasses Science, Science Operations, and Technology objec…

Strategic Planning Insights for Future Science-Driven Extravehicular Activity on Mars

Brady, Allyson L.; Kobs Nawotniak, Shannon E.; Hughes, Scott S. +8 more

Short-term and long-term science plans were developed as part of the strategic planning process used by the Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) science team to conduct two Mars-simulation missions investigating basalt habitability at terrestrial volcanic analog sites in 2016. A multidisciplinary team of scientists genera…

Assessing the Acceptability of Science Operations Concepts and the Level of Mission Enhancement of Capabilities for Human Mars Exploration Extravehicular Activity

Beaton, K. H.; Chappell, S. P.; Abercromby, A. F. J. +7 more

The Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) research project is investigating tools, techniques, and strategies for conducting Mars scientific exploration extravehicular activity (EVA). This has been accomplished through three science-driven terrestrial field tests (BASALT-1, BASALT-2, and BASALT-3) during which the iterativ…

The Habitability of Proxima Centauri b: Environmental States and Observational Discriminants

Lustig-Yaeger, Jacob; Meadows, Victoria S.; Arney, Giada N. +11 more

Proxima Centauri b provides an unprecedented opportunity to understand the evolution and nature of terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarfs. Although Proxima Cen b orbits within its star's habitable zone, multiple plausible evolutionary paths could have generated different environments that may or may not be habitable. Here, we use 1-D coupled climat…

Methane on Mars and Habitability: Challenges and Responses

Hu, Renyu; Forget, Francois; Lefèvre, Franck +35 more

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence in Earth's Solar Transit Zone

Heller, René; Pudritz, Ralph E.

Over the past few years, astronomers have detected thousands of planets and candidate planets by observing their periodic transits in front of their host stars. A related method, called transit spectroscopy, might soon allow studies of the chemical imprints of life in extrasolar planetary atmospheres. Here, we address the reciprocal question, name…

Transient Sulfate Aerosols as a Signature of Exoplanet Volcanism

Krissansen-Totton, Joshua; Sholes, Steven; Misra, Amit +1 more

Geological activity is thought to be important for the origin of life and for maintaining planetary habitability. We show that transient sulfate aerosols could be a signature of exoplanet volcanism, and therefore a geologically active world. A detection of transient aerosols, if linked to volcanism, could thus aid in habitability evaluations of th…

Spectral Fingerprints of Earth-like Planets Around FGK Stars

Sasselov, Dimitar; Kaltenegger, Lisa; Rugheimer, Sarah +2 more

We present model atmospheres for an Earth-like planet orbiting the entire grid of main sequence FGK stars with effective temperatures ranging from Teff = 4250K to Teff = 7000K in 250K intervals. We model the remotely detectable spectra of Earth-like planets for clear and cloudy atmospheres at the 1AU equivalent distance from the VIS to IR (0.4 {\m…

The Effect of a Strong Stellar Flare on the Atmospheric Chemistry of an Earth-like Planet Orbiting an M Dwarf

Walkowicz, Lucianne M.; Segura, Antígona; Hawley, Suzanne +2 more

Main sequence M stars pose an interesting problem for astrobiology: their abundance in our galaxy makes them likely targets in the hunt for habitable planets, but their strong chromospheric activity produces high-energy radiation and charged particles that may be detrimental to life. We studied the impact of the 1985 April 12 flare from the M dwar…

The Mawrth Vallis Region of Mars: A Potential Landing Site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission

Mangold, Nicolas; Bibring, Jean-Pierre; Poulet, François +11 more

The primary objective of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, which will launch in 2011, is to characterize the habitability of a site on Mars through detailed analyses of the composition and geological context of surface materials. Within the framework of established mission goals, we have evaluated the value of a possible landing site i…