Dr. Mitch Schulte is Principal Science Adviser of the New Zealand Astrobiology Network and a long time supporter of astrobiology in Aotearoa.
At NASA, Mitch is the Mars mission science lead, overseeing scientific content for multiple landmark missions: the Perseverance (Mars 2020) rover, Opportunity, and the U.S. contribution (MOMA instrument) to the ExoMars rover.
His field research spans hydrothermal systems (deep-sea vents, Yellowstone, Iceland, Californian ophiolites) and ancient microfossil sites in Western Australia, focusing on geochemistry, biosignatures, and strategies for life detection on other worlds.
Mitch leads NASA’s Mars Data Analysis and Habitable Worlds Programs, edits the Astrobiology journal, and advises on interagency ocean exploration and scientific drilling initiatives. With experience bridging extreme Earth environments to rover instruments, Mitch embodies the whole arc of life-detection science.
