Astrobiology: June 2007 Archives

Noted astrobiologist Imre Friedmann has died, SpaceRef

"Noted astrobiologist Imre Friedmann died yesterday morning. Friedmann's main interest was the microbial ecology of absolute extreme environments - how life adapts to some of the harshest locations on Earth - and what this says for the possibility that life can exist in similar locations on other worlds. This research required many field trips to some of the harshest locations on our planet. Also, of note, Friedmann guided the developing careers of many of today's leading astrobiologists."

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NASA DEPTHX Robot Completes Test Drive of Exploration Capabilities (plus extra photos)

"In late May, a NASA-funded robot successfully navigated one of the world's deepest sinkholes. The mission could be a prelude to a future mission to Jupiter's moon Europa, believed to contain a liquid water ocean. The Deep Phreatic Thermal Explorer (DEPTHX) is a 3,300-pound, computerized, underwater vehicle that makes its own decisions. With more than 100 sensors, 36 onboard computers, and 16 thrusters and actuators, it decides where to swim, which samples to collect and how to get home."