Astrobiology - NASA Science

The Astrobiology Strategy

Astrobiology research sponsored by NASA focuses on three basic questions: How does life begin and evolve? Does life exist elsewhere in the Universe? How do we search for life in the Universe? Over the past 50 years, astrobiologists have uncovered myriad clues to answering these Big Questions.

Europa

The Search for Life in the Universe

How did life begin on Earth? Does life exist beyond our home planet? How do we search for it? These are the really tough questions astrobiologists want to answer by studying life as we know it.

Astrobiology in the News

Webb Discovers Methane, Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere of K2-18 b

A new investigation with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope into K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide.

A black capsule sits in the desert surrounded by scattered plants.

NASA’s First Asteroid Sample Has Landed, Now Secure in Clean Room

After years of anticipation and hard work by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security – Regolith Explorer) team, a capsule of rocks and dust collected from asteroid Bennu finally is on Earth.

4 Panel Graphic: Four square panels appear in a horizontal strip. The first features a blue-and-white sphere against a black background, reminiscent of the “Blue Marble” picture of Earth. With fuzzy edges, this sphere has darker blue patches in the northern hemisphere and two large white patches in the southern hemisphere. Below it is the label: “Europa (NIRCam).” Each of the second, third, and fourth panels has a pixelated, roughly circular image of small, white, blue, or orange squares. The orange or blue squares appear in various shades. Several squares are a mix of both orange and blue. In each of these panels, there are slight variations in the arrangement of the colored squares. In the second panel, the label below the image reads: “Crystalline C O 2 ice at 2.7 microns.” In the third panel, the label below the image reads: “Crystalline C O 2 ice at 4.27 microns.” In the fourth panel, the label below the image reads: “Complex C O 2 ice at 4.25 microns.” See the extended description for more details.

NASA’s Webb Finds Carbon Source on Surface of Jupiter’s Moon Europa

Astronomers using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have identified carbon dioxide in a specific region on the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa.

NASA, Partners Study Ancient Life in Australia to Inform Mars Search

NASA's Mars Exploration Program leaders joined their counterparts from the Australian Space Agency, ESA, and the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and CSIRO on a field expedition to visit some of the oldest convincing evidence of life on Earth.

Close up of cracked, dry surface of Mars

Cracks in Ancient Martian Mud Surprise NASA’s Curiosity Rover Team

A new paper suggests the same conditions that created the cracks could have been favorable to the emergence of microscopic life.

Europa Clipper

Earth's first mission to conduct a detailed investigation of Jupiter's moon Europa, where scientists predict a salty ocean beneath its icy crust may hold the building blocks necessary to sustain life.

Mars 2020: Perseverance

This rover and its aerial sidekick Ingenuity were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial life, and collect samples of rock and soil for their possible return to Earth.

OSIRIS-REx

OSIRIS-REx delivered to Earth material from asteroid Bennu, which may offer clues to whether asteroids colliding with Earth billions of years ago brought water and other ingredients for life.

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