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About

Gerda Horneck is a pioneering astrobiologist whose work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of life’s resilience in space and the ethical frameworks for exploring other worlds. Her research centers on microbial survival in extreme environments, planetary protection, and the long-term human exploration of Mars. Horneck’s most influential contributions include her visionary concept of a “Planetary Park system” for Mars, a groundbreaking proposal for wilderness preservation on planetary bodies that has garnered over 160 citations across two seminal papers. She also led the HUMEX study, a critical assessment of human adaptation to long-duration missions to Mars, cited over 65 times. Her experimental work is equally impactful: she directed the PROTECT experiment on the International Space Station, which exposed *Bacillus subtilis* spores to space and simulated Martian conditions for 1.5 years, revealing transcriptomic responses that are vital for understanding forward contamination risks. With over 50 citations, this study is a cornerstone of planetary protection research. Horneck has also contributed to European space strategy, co-authoring the ESSC position paper that shaped the Aurora Programme. Her career, marked by over 350 publications, has been instrumental in bridging the gap between astrobiology, space policy, and the search for life beyond Earth.