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Astrobiology Science Conference

The Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) is organized by the astrobiology community. The conference brings together scientists from all over the world who work in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology. At AbSciCon, scientists report on research findings and plan future endeavors. AbSciCon also includes many opportunities for early career scientists, students, and the public to engage with astrobiologists working to understand the origin of life on Earth and the potential for life throughout the universe.

Quick Facts

The first AbSciCon was held in 2000 at NASA Ames Research Center with 650 participants.

The first AbSciCon was held in 2000 at NASA Ames Research Center with 650 participants.

The next AbSciCon will be held from May 17-22, 2026, in Madison, WI.

The next AbSciCon will be held from May 17-22, 2026, in Madison, WI.

Session and town hall proposals for AbSciCon 2026 are due on September 17, 2025 (23:59 EDT/03:59UTC).

Session and town hall proposals for AbSciCon 2026 are due on <strong>September</strong> <strong>17</strong>, <strong>2025</strong> (23:59 EDT/03:59UTC).

Session and Town Hall Proposals Now Open for AbSciCon 2026!

The next installment of the Astrobiology Science Conference will take place in Madison, Wisconsin, from May 17-22, 2026. Session and town hall proposals are now being accepted through the AbSciCon 2026 website. Proposals are due on Wednesday, 17 September (23:59 EDT/03:59 UTC).

Learn More about Session and Town Hall Proposals Now Open for AbSciCon 2026!
The backs of peoples' heads in the audience are seen in as they sit in their chairs watching the scientists on stage. One woman in a red jacket with dark hair stands behind a podium to the left. A man with dark hair and a brown suit jacket stands to her left speaking. Two women sit at a table to the right, one with dark hair and one with red hair, and both wearing black jackets.
Join the astrobiology community in Madison, Wisconsin

AbSciCon 2026

Visit the AbSciCon 2026 website for details about important dates and deadlines. Session and town hall proposals are currently open until September 17, 2025 (23:59 EDT/03:59 UTC). The AbSciCon site contains information on how to attend, scheduling, and resources such as a social media and graphics toolkit.

Learn More
The image shows the AbSciCon 2026 logo on a light purple background. It says AbSciCon in bold red letters above a dark purple circle dotted with stars. Floating above the circle are an Earth-like planet (left), a small Mars-like planet (bottom left), a purple gas giant (right), and a moon made of cheddar cheese (center). Floating (or 'jumping') over the moon is a dairy cow with an astronaut helmet and backpack on. Arching around the bottom of the logo are the words Investigate. Innovate. Inspire.
A.L. Gronstal / AbSciCon

Previous Conferences

The AbSciCon 2024 logo sits on a light blue circle with dark blue cracks (representing Encealdus). Various silhouettes in black can be seen. Top left outside of the blue circle is the shadow of Saturn. Sitting on top of the circle is a robotic lander. To the top right is an orbiting mission. Bottom right, inside of the circle, is a hydrothermal vent. The 'smokestacks' of the vent are releasing heated fluid plumes that lift up toward the center of the circle. Bottom left is a submersible robot heading toward the vent. A chord winds its way up from the submersible to the lander above. The chord also winds through and around "AbSciCon" in bold, white letters outlined in black. Underneath AbSciCon reads "2024" in wavy script as if it is underwater amidst the heated fluid plumes rising from the vent below.

AbSciCon 2024

AbSciCon 2024 was held from May 5-10, 2024, in Providence Rhode Island. The theme for AbSciCon 2024 was "Advancing the Search for Life."

AbSciCon 2022

AbSciCon 2022 was held in Atlanta, Georgia, from May 15 - 20, 2022. The theme for AbSciCon 2022 was "From Stars to Cells."

AbSciCon 2019 logo

AbSciCon 2019

AbSciCon 2019 was held from June 24-28, 2019, in Bellevue, Washington.<br>The theme for AbSciCon 2019 was “Understanding and Enabling the Search for Life on Worlds Near and Far.”

The foreground is a range of desert mountains. Rising from behind them to the left is a cactus that reaches all the way to the top of frame. Behind is a giant blue orb with dark blue cracks representing Enceladus and rising like a full moon. Over the top are the words AbSciCon 2017 in dark red. Below reads "Mesa, Arizona."

AbSciCon 2017

AbSciCon 2017 was held April 24–28, 2017, in Mesa, Arizona. The theme for AbSciCon 2017 was “Diverse Life and its Detection on Different Worlds.”

The logo appears as a skyline image of Chicago with the tallest building to the left in maroon. The buildings are reflected below at an angle as if in water and a washed out, lighter color. AbSciCon 2015 is in white across the base of the buildings. Behind the buildings from left to right and in descending size are the Earth (Blue with white continents - the Americas showing), Mars (red/orange), and Enceladus (light blue with darker blue 'cracks' on the surface). They are drawn as simple vector shapes. The logo is enclosed in a white circle on a grey background. White lines trace across the background and zigzag in parts resembling skylines. Superimposed on the lines in places are the white map outlines of planets and their surfaces. This represents spectra from extrasolar planets.

AbSciCon 2015

AbSciCon 2015 took place in Chicago, IL, from June 15-19, 2015. The theme of AbSciCon 2015 was "Habitability, Habitable Worlds, and Life." The conference also included communications training for early career scientists and a heat of the Astrobiology Program supported FameLab competition.

This poster says AbSciCon 2011, April 26-29, 2011. It is a mustard color backdrop with the words at an angle in the top right. The poster is divided into triangles with solid and dotted lines signifying origami folds. In the center right there are three column bands showing the surface of Mars, Earth, and Io. When folded, the poster forms a box representing one of those three bodies depending on the fold.

AbSciCon 2012

The seventh edition of AbSciCon was held from April 16-20, 2012, in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference was hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology. The theme for AbSciCon 2012 was “Exploring Life: Past and Present, Near and Far.” The finals for FameLab, a NASA Astrobiology Program supported communications training program, were also held at AbSciCon 2012. Eleven finalists from previous events in Houston, Denver, and Washington DC were chosen to present.

This logo reads Astrobiology in large red font. The A looks like a chemical molecule model with red balls connected by grey bars. Underneath reads 'science conference' in small grey letters. 2010 sits to the right of the text in large grey font. Beneath this is a red bar with white lettering that reads Evolution and life: Surviving Catastrophes and Extremes on Earth and Beyond." Below this in red lettering on white reads "April 26-29, 2010. League City, Texas."

AbSciCon 2010

AbSciCon 2010 was held held in League City, TX, from April 26–29, 2010, near NASA's Johnson Space Center. The theme of the conference was, "Evolution and life: Surviving Catastrophes and Extremes on Earth and Beyond." The program included the work of some 2500 researchers in disciplines related to Astrobiology.

This logo spells Ab, Sci, Con in small white boxes similar to those for elements on the periodic table. This is super imposed over an image of a galaxy blended with an illustration of DNA inside of single cell organisms.

AbSciCon 2008

The fifth AbSciCon was held from April 14 - 17, 2008. The conference was held in Santa Clara, California, roughly 10 miles away from NASA Ames. This was done in order to find a space large enough to accommodate the increasing number of attendees. Contributions to the conference included 647 abstracts involving 1,683 authors from 28 countries. Content was organized into 38 topical sessions and 6 plenary sessions. The three major themes of the conference were: 1. The astrophysical and planetary context for life; 2. The origin and evolution of life; and 3. The search for life in our Solar System and beyond.

The logo is shown in black and white. The background is a dark image of the surface of Mars to the left and computer renditions of cells interacting to the right. Above this sits a grey orb representing a planet with to light rings around it. Above this reads "AbSciCon 2006."

AbSciCon 2006

AbSciCon 2006 was held from March 26-30, 2006. For the first time, the conference took place outside of NASA Ames and was held in Washington, D.C. The expanded conference included events such as a poster competition for early career participants with 37 entries. The event also included special breakout sessions, including the second meeting of the Origins of Life (OoL) Focus Group.

The

AbSciCon 2004

The third AbSciCon was held at NASA Ames from March 28 to April 1, 2004.

The logo for AbSciCon 2002 is an image of a partial planet (bottom left). DNA can be seen behind it flowing out into space. A ghostly image of a microscope appears to the right. Everything is tinted blue. The outline text says 'astro' along the left side of the frame and 'biology' across the top. Other text in white in the center reads, "NASA Ames Research Center & the NASA Astrobiology Institute proudly presents: Astrobiology Science Conference 2002.

AbSciCon 2002

The second AbSciCon was also held at NASA Ames and expanded upon the original conference in size and number of attendees.

An aerial view of the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. It shows a collection of buildings and sweeping roads between them. The grass is quite brown, indicating it is the dry season.

AbSciCon 2000

The first Astrobiology Science Conference was held at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, from April 3-5, 2000. The conference brought together over 650 participants from a dozen countries. The purpose of the conference was to bring together scientists working in disciplines that contribute to astrobiology in a way that will facilitate interdisciplinary interaction and communication.

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