60 https://www.uni-bremen.de/die-marsperspektive/martian-mindset-seminar The Martian Mindset Seminar is a regular Seminar Series covering all kind of topics of sustainable Mars Exploration for the benefit of humankind and Earth. de Universität Bremen Wed, 27 May 2026 18:12:48 +0200 Wed, 27 May 2026 18:12:48 +0200 Universität Bremen content-724760 Tue, 19 May 2026 13:36:15 +0200 https://www.uni-bremen.de/die-marsperspektive/martian-mindset-seminar#c724760 <p>Mars may have hosted habitable environments early in Solar System history, making it one of the most promising targets in the search for extraterrestrial life.<br />If life emerged early on Mars, rocks ejected from impacts may have transported microorganisms between Mars and Earth, meaning that life on both planets could share a common origin. This makes it crucial to search for Martian biosignatures before human exploration obscures the evidence and before future crewed missions face potential biological risks from related organisms. This talk explores where traces of life may still persist on Mars, with particular focus on salt-rich deposits as potential refuges for halophilic microorganisms.<br /><br />After earning a Master’s degree in Chemistry from TU Freiberg, including a year abroad in Concepción, Chile, <strong>Jacob Heinz</strong> completed his Doctorate in Astrobiology at TU Berlin in 2019. Since 2020, he has conducted postdoctoral research at IGB and TU Berlin, where he led the DFG-funded BRINES project, focusing on the formation of Martian brines and their microbial habitability. Since October 2025, Jacob has served as a Postdoc at ZARM, University of Bremen, directing the EXOSALT project to investigate hypersaline environments, such as the Atacama Desert, as potential Mars-analogue habitats.</p> <p><strong>Location: </strong><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">AIB (Hochschulring 40, Bremen)</span><br /><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"><strong>Online Participation possible. </strong>Please register via mail to </span><a class="e-mail-link" href="mailto:martianmindset-communication@uni-bremen.de?subject=Registration%20for%20Martian%20Mindset%20Seminar"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">martianmindset-communication(at)uni-bremen(dot)de</span></a></p> Content content-720274 Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:54:35 +0200 https://www.uni-bremen.de/die-marsperspektive/martian-mindset-seminar#c720274 <p>Mars remains fascinating to the public, scientists, and policymakers. The planet is not too far, and the environment is harsh but manageable. With the former missions to Mars, a lot is now known about the planet. Science still has much to discover about Mars, the solar system, and also the emergence of life on Earth. Then a new competition began between the United States and China to send human explorers to its surface. There are also new claims from organisations or private persons, to establish there permanent outposts and populations. Dreams and nightmares!</p> <p>After several years of practice as a veterinarian across France, <strong>Michel Viso</strong> was selected, in 1985, as a French cosmonaut by the French Space Agency. He worked on a project developed jointly by France and the United States to be embarked on space shuttle flights. The program was cancelled in 1993. Michel Viso did not fly into space. He became a programme scientist for general biology and animal physiology. In 1999, he was appointed CNES representative for planetary protection policy. Then he was named programme scientist of the Exobiology and Exoplanets programmes. In 2021 suffering from the incurable age limit disease, he retired from CNES. In 2023, he joined the European Space Science Committee.</p> Content