Lydia Sam
Papers
2
Total Citations
11
H-Index
2
About
Lydia Sam is a visionary astrobiologist and planetary scientist whose work centers on the search for life in the most extreme and inaccessible environments on Mars. Her primary research focuses on Martian lava tubes as prime astrobiological targets, subsurface habitability, and the development of autonomous robotic missions for cave exploration. Sam’s most notable contribution is the conception and design of the **Mars Astrobiological Cave and Internal habitability Explorer (MACIE)**, a New Frontiers-class mission concept that proposes to explore Martian lava tube caves without the need for drilling—a revolutionary approach to subsurface sampling. The MACIE concept directly addresses key goals of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey and the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG), advancing autonomous navigation, in situ sample selection, and robotic architectures for extreme environments. With over 11 combined citations, her work is gaining traction as a foundational blueprint for future cave-exploration missions. Notably, Sam named the mission after Macie Roberts, one of NASA’s early “human computers,” honoring the legacy of women in space science while pushing the frontier of astrobiology. Her research is shaping how we will one day search for life beneath the Martian surface.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2