Considerations on instruments for astrobiological investigations in a Moon/Mars laboratory

Abstract

Mankind may be only decades away from establishing a long-term presence on our moon and on Mars. With the right equipment, this presence can lead to immense advances in diverse scientific fields. We here discuss how laboratories on the Moon and Mars could be equipped to answer astrobiological questions pertaining (among others) to: i) the limits for life beyond Earth, ii) the search for extraterrestrial life, iii) the origins and early development of life, iv) biological life-support systems (BLSS), and v) microbiome evolution and containment.