Announcements

Press Releases & Publications

• NASA / JSC Astrobiology Institute - List of peer-reviewed manuscripts from 1998 to July 2003 Full PDF - 07/09/2003
• Thomas-Keptra, K. et al. (2002) Magnetofossils from Ancient Mars: a Robust Biosignature in the Martian Meteorite ALH84001 Full PDF - 08/05/2002
• Thomas-Keptra, K. et al. (2001) Magnetofossils in Terrestrial Samples and Martian Meteorite ALH 84001 (abstract), Full PDF - 4/10/2001
• Thomas-Keptra, K. (2000) GSA 2000 Presentation Slides Full PDF - 3.96 MB - 4/10/2001
• Gibson, E.K. et al. (2001) Life On Mars: Evaluation of the Evidence Within Martian Meteorite ALH84001, Nakhla, and Shergotty, Precambrian Research, 106, 15-34. Full PDF - 3/2002/2001
• Thomas-Keprta, K. et al. (2001) Truncated hexa-octahedral magnetite crystals in ALH84001: Presumptive biosignatures, PNAS, 98, 5, 2164-2169. Full PDF - 2/28/2001 Supplemental Images - 4/6/2001 PDF
1. Related Information - The Telltale Truncated Hexa-Octahedron
• Thomas-Keprta, K. et al. (2000) Elongated prismatic magnetite crystals in ALH84001 carbonate globules: Potential Martian magnetofossils, Geochemica. et Cosmochemica Acta, 64, 23, 4049-4081. Full PDF - 2/28/2001
• Case for Life on Mars Withstands Criticism, Gains Scientific Support - JSC Press Release - 2/27/2001
• Study of Martian Meteorite Reveals Magnetic Fossils - K. Thomas-Keprta et al. - 2/27/2001
• Martian Life Debate Intensifies
• Two Important Announcements Regarding Life on Mars
• 4 years later... the case for life on Mars withstands criticism, gains support
• NASA Announces New Evidence Regarding Past Life on Mars
• Proceedings of the National Academy of Science - K. Thomas-Keprta et al. - 2/26/2001
• Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta - Elongated prismatic magnetite crystals in ALH84001 carbonate globules: Potential Martian magnetofossils - 2/23/2001
• Four Years Later - E.K. Gibson et al., Precambrian Research 106 - 2/23/2001

ASA has selected 11 academic and research institutions as the initial members of the agency's new Astrobiology Institute, thus launching a major component of NASA's Origins Program.

The selected institutions represent the best of 53 uniformly first-class proposals submitted, according to NASA officials.  Given that the institute members will remain at their home organizations, the partnership among the members and NASA will be carried out primarily via the Internet.  This electronic 'virtual' Institute will bring together astrophysicists, biologists, chemists, physicists, planetologists and geologists to conduct interdisciplinary research on the multifaceted issue of life in the Universe and its cosmic implications.  It will also help to train young scientists in this emerging field.

These initial members of NASA's Astrobiology Institute will be at the forefront of the increasingly important link between astronomy and biology, which has been a fundamental interest of mine for the past several years," said NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin.   "The 'office hallways' of this virtual institute will be the fiber optic cables of the Next Generation Internet, and the groundbreaking research that this group generates will help guide our space exploration priorities well into the 21st century.

The selected initial members of the Institute are:

  Universities

• Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of Boulder Colorado, Boulder
• Arizona State University, Tempe
• Pennsylvania State University, University Park

  Research Institutions

• Carnegie Institution, Washington, DC
• The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
• Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
• Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
• Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA

NASA has developed the Origins Program with its Office of Space Science to search for signs of life in the Universe, both in our Solar System and beyond.  The Astrobiology Institute will foster the interdisciplinary research and training necessary for future exploration of this theme.  Funding for the Institute will begin with $9 million in 1999 and $20 million in 2000.  This total is expected to grow as research directions are developed and the capabilities of the Next Generation Internet are expanded and fully utilized.