NASA DARES to Establish an Astrobiology-Specific Technology Development Program
Posted inAstrobiology Life on Mars Mars NASA Single Scoops

NASA DARES to Establish an Astrobiology-Specific Technology Development Program

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Planetary Science Division, Space Technology Mission Directorate, and Astrobiology Program are recommended by the Agnostic Life Finding Association (ALFA) to establish a competitive, highly-focused, science-requirements-driven technology development program to advance astrobiological instrumentation towards and beyond Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6.
March 21, 2025Posted inAstrobiology, Life on Mars, Mars, NASA, Single ScoopsNo Comments
Searching for Unambiguous Signs of Extant Life on Mars with the Agnostic Life Finder (ALF)
Posted inAstrobiology Life on Mars Mars NASA Single Scoops

Searching for Unambiguous Signs of Extant Life on Mars with the Agnostic Life Finder (ALF)

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Mars Exploration Program (MEP) are recommended by the Agnostic Life Finding Association (ALFA) to produce a focused investigation to seek unambiguous signs of extant life within the Martian subsurface ice, in this decade, by deploying the Agnostic Life Finder (ALF) in concordance with planned water-mining operations on Mars.
March 17, 2025Posted inAstrobiology, Life on Mars, Mars, NASA, Single ScoopsNo Comments
How to Search for Unambiguous Signs of Extant Life on Mars with NASA-DARES 2025
Posted inAstrobiology Life on Mars Mars NASA Single Scoops

How to Search for Unambiguous Signs of Extant Life on Mars with NASA-DARES 2025

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Mars Exploration Program (MEP) are recommended by Agnostic Life Finding Association (ALFA) to produce a focused investigation to seek unambiguous signs of extant life within the Martian subsurface ice, in this decade, as a Discovery-class mission or by deploying an astrobiology payload in concordance with planned water-mining operations on Mars.
March 11, 2025Posted inAstrobiology, Life on Mars, Mars, NASA, Single ScoopsNo Comments
Prioritize the Search for Extant Life on Mars with NASA-DARES 2025
Posted inAstrobiology Life on Mars Mars NASA Single Scoops

Prioritize the Search for Extant Life on Mars with NASA-DARES 2025

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Mars Exploration Program (MEP) are hereby recommended by Christopher Temby and Agnostic Life Finding Association to ensure that the highest priority science objective in the coming decade for the 2025 Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (NASA-DARES 2025) is a search for an extant Martian biosphere before human arrival.
February 10, 2025Posted inAstrobiology, Life on Mars, Mars, NASA, Single ScoopsNo Comments
The BARSOOM Model for Life on Mars
Posted inLife on Mars Single Scoops

The BARSOOM Model for Life on Mars

Many different metabolic strategies might let life survive on Mars where Viking landed. One in particular explains all of the observations made by Viking. In addition, it is consistent with chemical principles, and "clever" natural selection likely evolved these Bacterial Autotrophs Respiring with Stored Oxygen in Overnight Metabolism as fit solutions to the challenges of living on the Martian surface.
November 18, 2023Posted inLife on Mars, Single ScoopsNo Comments
Why does the NASA Culture Still Get Viking 1976 Wrong?
Posted inLife on Mars Single Scoops

Why does the NASA Culture Still Get Viking 1976 Wrong?

Because one item of data from the 1976 Viking mission to Mars was misinterpreted, the NASA "consensus" has for a half century held that no life exists today on the surface of Mars. As is frequently seen in science, facts and logic have failed to dislodge this cultural belief. If we are ever to meet our neighbors, we must take matters into our own hands.
November 13, 2023Posted inLife on Mars, Single ScoopsNo Comments
Science, Hype, and Prebiotic Chemistry
Posted inAstrobiology Life Origin of Life Single Scoops

Science, Hype, and Prebiotic Chemistry

Commenting on our report that basalt glass catalyzes formation of polyribonucleic acid, Jack Szostak found it "very frustrating that the authors have made an interesting initial findings but then decided to go with the hype rather than the science". This offers an opportunity to discuss classical chemical structure proof, and the timing of scientific publications.
June 18, 2022Posted inAstrobiology, Life, Origin of Life, Single Scoops6 Comments
Ribonucleic acid is formed by percolating ribonucleoside triphosphates through basalt glass
Posted inLife on Mars Origin of Life Single Scoops

Ribonucleic acid is formed by percolating ribonucleoside triphosphates through basalt glass

This simple reaction is the last step in a modeled "discontinuous" process that moves from sulfite- and borate-stabilized carbohydrates, a post-impact atmosphere, and rock species delivered from basalt glass, all of the way to what might be the process forming what might have been the first genetic molecules on Earth ... and Mars.
June 4, 2022Posted inLife on Mars, Origin of Life, Single Scoops1 Comment