Habitability is closely associated with the sustained presence of liquid water. The chemical reaction of water and rock represent a possible continuous supply of chemical energy for life on earth…

This is a $1,134,714.00 cooperative agreement awarded by NASA's Shared Services Center to the non-profit Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. The award supports research to characterize the habitability of low-temperature aqueous systems subject to water/rock reactions, with a focus on methanogenic metabolism. The research seeks to develop a thermodynamic-kinetic-bioenergetic model to understand how changing physicochemical properties of water and rock affect habitability, which will inform prioritization of targets for future planetary missions. This award is not set aside and is part of NASA's broader Environmental Assessments of Habitability Through Cell-Scale Reactive Transport Modeling program. Blue Marble Space has previously received numerous contract and grant awards from NASA and the National Science Foundation to support a range of research activities related to space exploration, astrobiology, and planetary science.

Habitability is closely associated with the sustained presence of liquid water. The chemical reaction of water and rock represent a possible continuous supply of chemical energy for life on earth and elsewhere. In contrast to traditional "follow the water" strategies to assess habitability, a variety of factors interact to determine whether aqueous systems are, in fact, habitable. The proposed research seeks to characterize, quantitatively, the habitability of lowtemperature aqueous systems subject to water/rock reactions, with an initial focus on methanogenic metabolism. We will use a ID (and develop a 2D) thermodynamic-kineticbioenergetic model to characterize how changing physicochemical properties of water and rock affect habitability. The tools developed will allow a deepened understanding of aqueous systems subject to water to rock reactions, and provide critical information for prioritizing targets in future planetary missions.