ABSTRACT

We use the spectacular underground landscapes of Earth caves as models for the subsurfaces of other planets. Some of the most chemically extreme caves on Earth are inhabited by an amazing array of microorganisms. Some eat their way through bedrock, some live in extreme acid conditions, some produce unusual biominerals and rare cave formations, and many produce compounds of potential pharmaceutical and industrial significance. These unique lifeforms and the physical and chemical traces they leave behind can provide us with a “Field Guide to Unknown Organisms” for developing life detection space missions. We are working with various teams of robotocists to develop concepts for exploration of these subsurface terrains. In addition, lavatube caves on Mars and the Moon can provide the basis for future human habitations on those planets.