Research at the Center for Planetary Systems Habitability spans astronomy, geosciences, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and liberal arts. Proposed, or currently active research efforts include:

• Biosignatures based on Earth analogues including carbon-13 as a biomarker [participants from CNS and JSG]
• Drivers for life on the Earth’s seafloor and subseafloor biosphere [CNS and JSG]
• Caves and bugs – testing coevolution of life and geology [JSG and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI, external)]
• Co-evolution of exosphere and interior dynamics including volatile/carbon transport [JSG and CNS]
• Geo-signatures of nearby supernovae- testing effects on habitability [CNS and JSG]
• Methods of impact crater dating on Earth and neighboring planets for impact flux and comparative geologic timescale [JSG, CNS, and Johnson Space Center (JSC, external)]
• Co-evolution of habitable impact hydrothermal systems and planetary systems [JSG and Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI, external)]
• Thermal evolution & interior composition of rocky planets to ascertain habitability [CNS and JSG]
• Energy provided by reactions between water and deep planetary materials [CNS, CSE and JSG]
• Thermal and shock experiments on meteorites to test panspermia [CNS and JSG]
• Testing the plausibility of Mars tsunami deposits [JSG]
• Mars stratigraphy statistics in the search for biosignatures [JSG and SwRI]
• Internal heating by free giant planets [CNS and JSG]
• Experimental analogs for an Enceladus cryo-geyser plume [CNS, CSE and JSG]
• Brine dynamics of icy worlds [CNS, CSE, JSG, and SwRI]
• Circumplanetary disks as source of ExoMoons [CNS]
• Astrodynamics tool development to enable future habitability-related space missions [CSE, JSG]
• Habitability related questions that could be answered with small satellite platforms [CSE, JSG, CNS]
• Social implications of astrobiology search and discovery [CLA, CNS, and JSG]