Just a little personal project. Not sanctioned by #JAXA. Animated in Adobe AfterEffects, Lander built in Lightwave3d, rendered in Adobe Dimension. No AI used in this animation. #Phobos #Samplereturn #Mars #Deimos

Seminar advertisement: The Billion $$$ Samples: Managing Data for NASA's Sample-Return Missions and Samples from Earth. Special guest: Dr. Kerstin Lehnert, January 22nd, 2026, 1 pm; KWGL room 100. Picture of Kerstin with text "Senior Research Scientist, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory"

Join Dr. Kerstin Lehnert, Senior Research Scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, TOMORROW, for a talk titled "The Billion $$$ Samples: Managing Data for #NASA's #SampleReturn Missions and Samples from Earth".

🗓️ Jan 22nd @ 1 pm
📍KWGL, Room 100

#RiceEEPS

The Bennu samples revealed magnetite (iron oxide) crystals less than 1 micrometer in size. The individual crystals included hexahedra (six-sided cubes) and octahedra (eight-sided polyhedra). Rob Wardell/Tim Gooding/Tim McCoy/Smithsonian Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/29/science/asteroid-bennu-building-blocks-of-life

4/4 Spherules returned by OSIRIS-REx from asteroid Bennu

Published on: January 29, 2025
Credit: Rob Wardell/Tim Gooding/Tim McCoy/Smithsonian

🗳️ vote link 1 posts down

#NASA #TeamAsteroid #SampleReturn

NASA Perseverance discovers ancient Martian riverbed rocks, returning samples for life search The space rover Perseverance has sent back some truly exciting news from Mars. On September 10, 2025, NASA announced it found intriguing rock layers in what

NASA Perseverance discovers ancient Martian riverbed rocks, returning samples for life search

#Ancientmicrobiallife #Ancientriverbed #Mars #NASA #Samplereturn

The Nature paper is interestingly structured. No mention of life in the title No mention of life or biosignatures in the abstract.

At the end of the discussion after chemical explanations fail (allegedly), biochemistry gets invoked, what Nicky Fox called bacteria poo, as the cause.
#SampleReturn

NASA Genesis Solar Wind Sample Collection Update - Astrobiology After careful consideration and thorough evaluation of our current work priorities, resources, and budget constraints, we have decided to transition the Genesis collection from an active collection in...

NASA Genesis Solar Wind Sample Collection Update
astrobiology.com/2025/07/nasa... #astrobiology #spaceweather #samplereturn

A Comprehensive Mini-Review on Culturable and Non-Culturable Microbial Diversity from Deep Sea - Astrobiology Microorganisms are essential players in Earth’s ecosystems, demonstrating remarkable adaptability to harsh conditions including arctic ice caps, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and high-pressure oceanic ...

A Comprehensive Mini-Review on Culturable and Non-Culturable Microbial Diversity from Deep Sea
astrobiology.com/2025/07/a-co... #astrobiology #genomics #microbiology #oceanography #samplereturn

Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Meeting - Astrobiology The Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) meeting

Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Meeting
astrobiology.com/2025/07/extr... #astrobiology #astrochemistry #astrogeology #samplereturn

Planetary Protection: Technology For Ultra-clean Mini-lab To Contain Extraterrestrial Samples - Astrobiology Work has begun to design and build a Double-Walled Isolator (DWI), akin to an ultra-clean miniature laboratory to safely store and analyse extra-terrestrial materials, such as the first material from ...

Planetary Protection: Technology For Ultra-clean Mini-lab To Contain Extraterrestrial Samples
astrobiology.com/2025/07/plan... #Astrobiology #PlanetaryProtection #SampleReturn

3/11 Tianwen-3 will launch via two Long March 5 rockets from Hainan Island in late 2028.

One carries the lander, the other an orbiter that doubles as Earth-return vehicle.

The mission aims to collect at least 500 grams of Martian rock and soil for Earth delivery. #Tianwen3 #SampleReturn

China will probably win the race simply by getting into it. As we, likely, will be absent. #Mars #SampleReturn

Ocean Planet Research: Freshened Water Under Earth's Ocean Floor - Astrobiology Seventy percent of the Earth's surface is covered with water, but water also flows beneath its surface.

Ocean Planet Research: Freshened Water Under Earth's Ocean Floor
astrobiology.com/2025/06/ocea... #astrobiology #oceanography #samplereturn #geophysics

China Launches Tianwen 2 Asteroid Sample Return Mission China joins the asteroid sample return game, with the ambitious Tianwen 2 mission, which launched successfully on Thursday (local time).

China joins the asteroid sample return game, with the ambitious Tianwen 2 mission.
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#astronomy #asteroid #tianwen2 #samplereturn

China extends its reach into the Solar System with launch of asteroid mission https://arstechni.ca #samplereturn #longmarch3b #solarsystem #asteroids #tianwen2 #Science #tianwen #launch #Space #china

Perseverance Astrobiology Droid Cores 'Main River' On Mars - Astrobiology The sample was taken from a rock the rover science team named "Broom Point" at a location near the rim of Jezero Crater called "Witch Hazel Hill."

Perseverance Astrobiology Droid Cores 'Main River' On Mars
astrobiology.com/2025/05/pers... #astrobiology #Mars #samplereturn

Ocean Planet Exploration: Alvin Crew Witnesses Seafloor Eruption On The East Pacific Rise - Astrobiology Scientists diving in the human-occupied vehicle Alvin recently witnessed a rare but predicted seafloor eruption along the mid-ocean ridge axis at 9°50’N on the East Pacific Rise.

Ocean Planet Exploration: Alvin Crew Witnesses Seafloor Eruption On The East Pacific Rise
astrobiology.com/2025/05/ocea... #astrobiology #oceanography #submersible #samplereturn

My first scientific paper reaching one thousand citations is the product of a huge team effort on the only comet from which we brought samples
#Comet #81P #Wild2 #Stardust
Lead by Don Brownlee, we published it in #ScienceMagazine nineteen years ago...
#CongratsStardustTeam #SampleReturn
#PlanetSci

China opens 2028 Mars sample return mission to international cooperation  HELSINKI — China is inviting interested parties to submit proposals to join the country’s pioneering Mars sample return mission, due to launch in late 2028. The China National Space Administration …

Interesting to see this announcement from China's Mars sample return mission.

China opens 2028 Mars sample return mission to international cooperation  - SpaceNews spacenews.com/china-opens-2028-mars-sa...

#mars #samplereturn #space #china

HELSINKI — China is inviting interested parties to submit proposals to join the country’s pioneering Mars sample return mission, due to launch in late 2028. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) published an announcement of opportunities March 11, officially opening the Tianwen-3 Mars mission to international cooperation. Tianwen-3 aims to collect samples from Mars and, for the first time ever, deliver them to Earth. The primary scientific goal is the detection of potential biosignatures and answering a fundamental question: has life ever existed on Mars? “This opportunity is open to the global community. International partners are welcome to collaborate with the TW-3 Mission at the system or payload level,” the CNSA statement reads. The call offers new insights into the mission in terms of mission scheduling and domestic payloads. Teams can propose piggyback payloads requiring support from the Tianwen-3 spacecraft or independent scientific instruments. CNSA has made up to 15 kilograms of mass available for international collaboration projects on the mission’s Earth return orbiter (ERO) spacecraft and a further 5 kg on the Mars orbiter (MO). Proposals must align with the mission’s overarching scientific objectives or provide complementary or extended value, with strong innovation in science and engineering. Expressions of interest are to be submitted to CNSA by June 30, 2025. Shortlisted teams will then be invited to submit full proposals, with final selection scheduled for October. Flight models of selected payloads will need to be delivered in 2027. The call for collaboration comes as NASA’s own Mars Sample Return program faces delays, cost overruns, and budget uncertainties, raising questions about the future of international Mars sample return efforts, as well as the possibility for wider cuts to the agency’s science and other programs. ## **Tianwen-3 overview** The Tianwen-3 mission will consist of two separate launches from Earth. Two Long March 5 rocket launches will carry a lander and ascent vehicle and the Mars orbiter and Earth return orbiter respectively. Launches are scheduled for a once-every-26-months optimal Mars launch window which is due to open for a few weeks spanning late 2028 to early 2029. Samples would be delivered to Earth around 2030 or 2031. Mars Entry, descent and landing will build on technology used for the Tianwen-1 rover landing. China has already conducted two lunar sample return missions, Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6, and will launch the Tianwen-2 near-Earth asteroid sample return mission around May this year. The lander spacecraft aims to collect and launch samples with the help of an ascent vehicle. The Mars orbiter will support communication and science, with the Earth return orbiter tasked with rendezvousing with the ascender in Mars orbit and returning samples to Earth. Mission objectives are investigating potential traces of life on Mars, studying Martian geology, the planet’s internal structure, and the atmospheric circulation and escape processes, and contributing to understanding planetary habitability. The spacecraft will carry science payloads to aid these goals, revealed by the CNSA announcement of opportunities. The lander will carry a Mars Subsurface Penetrating Radar (MSPR) to probe subsurface layers of the Red Planet, and a Raman and Fluorescence Analyzer for Mars (RaFAM) to detect organic materials and minerals, key to astrobiology, similar in function to NASA Perseverance rover’s SHERLOC payload. The Mars orbiter will carry the Precipitating Energetic Neutral Atom and Aurora Detector (PENAAA) payload to study atmospheric escape processes, and the Mars Orbiter Vector Magnetometer (MOVMag) designed to measure Mars’ magnetic environment. The ERO will carry the Mid-Infrared Hyperspectral Imager (MIHI) to map Mars’ surface composition, and the Mars Martian Multispectral Camera (MMC) for capturing high-resolution imagery. The mission may also include a helicopter and a six-legged crawling robot for collecting samples away from the landing site, according to earlier reports, though CNSA has not confirmed these technologies as part of the final mission architecture. ## **Landing site selection, search for biosignatures** Researchers have identified three preselected landing zones for Tianwen-3. These are Amazonis Planitia, Utopia Planitia—the area within which the Zhurong Tianwen-1 rover landed—and Chryse Planitia. The mission science group has proposed 86 potential landing sites, according to a 2024 National Science Review paper, focusing on areas that maximize the likelihood of preserving biosignatures, such as locations with ancient deltas, lakes, and water-related landforms, while meeting engineering constraints. Landing site constraints include an altitude of at least 3 kilometers below the global average to ensure greater atmospheric density for deceleration. Suitable latitudes range from 17° to 30°N, balancing scientific interest with engineering safety factors such as solar illumination, and surface and atmospheric conditions. Sampling is likely to consist of both surface sampling and drilling. The former will focus on fine-grained sedimentary rocks and clay minerals, which are more likely to contain preserved organics, while the latter approach is designed to reach deeper layers, avoiding the oxidizing effects of Mars’ surface environment. The mission is highly focused on astrobiology and will also include contamination control and planetary protection measures. Tianwen-3 could mark a significant breakthrough both scientifically and for China’s space leadership. If successful, Tianwen-3 would establish China as a leader in planetary exploration. The returned samples could be the key to answering one of the most profound scientific questions—whether life ever existed on Mars. ### _Related_

Interesting to see this announcement from China's Mars sample return mission.

China opens 2028 Mars sample return mission to international cooperation - SpaceNews spacenews.com/china-opens-2028-mars-sa...

#mars #samplereturn #space #china

Yay! Can't wait!
On Friday doing interview with amazing JAXA Astrophysicist Dr Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social
and finding all about the complexity and success of Hayabusa2 #samplereturn mission (& others like the #Mars #MMX Mission)

Documenting The First Mars Mission Soil Samples - Astrobiology A new paper released today documents the first soil, airfall dust, and rock fragment samples collected by NASA for return from Mars.

Documenting The First Mars Mission Soil Samples
astrobiology.com/2025/02/docu... #astrobiology #Mars #samplereturn

Organic Matter And Biomarkers: Why Are Samples Required? - Astrobiology The search for evidence of past prebiotic or biotic activity on Mars will be enhanced by the return of samples to Earth laboratories.

Organic Matter And Biomarkers: Why Are Samples Required?
astrobiology.com/2025/02/orga... #astrobiology #Mars #SampleReturn

Geochemical Context for Hydrothermal Organic Molecules In Mars-analogue Samples From Earth - Astrobiology Hydrothermal environments—where chemical interactions between heated water and rock take place—are of great interest for astrobiology as they may create habitable environments and preserve signs of li...

Geochemical Context for Hydrothermal Organic Molecules In Mars-analogue Samples From Earth
astrobiology.com/2025/01/geoc... #astrobiology #Mars #SampleReturn

NASA's New Plans For Returning Samples from Mars As Perseverance continues to explore Mars, the NASA and ESA agencies are deciding how best to retrieve the samples it has been collecting.

NASA lays out two possible paths forward for the first part of a Mars Sample Return initiative.
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#astronomy #mars #redplanet #NASA #samplereturn #spacemission #marsmission

Venus Cloud Catcher As A Proof Of Concept Aerosol Collection Instrument - Astrobiology We report on the proof-of-concept of a low-mass, low-power method for collecting micron-sized sulfuric acid aerosols in bulk from the atmosphere of Venus.

Venus Cloud Catcher As A Proof Of Concept Aerosol Collection Instrument
astrobiology.com/2024/12/venu... #astrobiology #Venus #atmosphere #samplereturn

NASA’s Office of Planetary Protection Has A New Logo - Astrobiology Editor's note: According to a LinkedIn post by James Benardini, Planetary Protection Officer at NASA:

NASA’s Office of Planetary Protection Has A New Logo
astrobiology.com/2024/12/nasa...
#astrobiology #PlanetaryProtection #SampleReturn #NASA

Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Call for Applications for 2025 Membership - Astrobiology The Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) is seeking applications for open volunteer service positions starting in 2025.

Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Call for Applications for 2025 Membership
astrobiology.com/2024/11/extr... #astrobiology #biosignature #Samplereturn #PlanetaryProtection #meteorites #Mars

1 Komet Wild 2 aus Entfernung 500 km NASA/JPL 2 Kapsel der Sonde kurz nach der Landung Gemeinfrei 3 Kometenpartikel Durchmesser ca. 2 Mikrometer Bild Stardust Team NASA 4 Paul Wild Astronom + Klassischer Wissenschaftler an Universität Bern um 2006 Bild Valérie Chételat, CC3.0

Astronom mit ERFOLG zu Lebzeiten
Sein Objekt Wild2 (1 )wurde für eine Mission ausgewählt

Archiv Happen
Pauls 81P Komet
1
Missionsziel von NASA's #Stardust (Raumsonde)
Startdatum 1999
Enddatum 2011
WILD 2
2
#SampleReturn Kapsel
3
Material Form
4
Paul Wild (5.10.1925 Kanton #Zürich - † 2014 #Schweiz)

Design, Development, And Operation Of An ISO Class 5 Cleanroom For Planetary Instrumentation And Planetary Protection Protocols - Astrobiology Cleanrooms are controlled environments where the number of airborne particles is reduced to a level defined by an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard.

Design, Development, And Operation Of An ISO Class 5 Cleanroom For Planetary Instrumentation And Planetary Protection Protocols
astrobiology.com/2024/09/desi... #astrobiology #microbiology #planetaryprotection #samplereturn #Mars

Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA): an Apollo Participating Scientist Program to Prepare the Lunar Sample Community for Artemis - Astrobiology As a first step in preparing for the return of samples from the Moon by the Artemis Program, NASA initiated the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program (ANGSA).

Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA): an Apollo Participating Scientist Program to Prepare the Lunar Sample Community for Artemis
astrobiology.com/2024/08/apol... #astrobiology #Artemis #Moon #AwayTeam #SampleReturn