Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Is there life on other planets? What exactly is a “habitable environment” and what conditions on Earth led to the origin of life here? Understanding the basic requirements for life and the prebiotic chemistry that led to the emergence of life on Earth will help guide our search for life beyond Earth. NASA astrobiologist Daniel Glavin will give an overview of these concepts, as well as the Mars Exploration Program and future plans for sending instrumentation to Mars to explore habitable environments.
The possibility for extraterrestrial life in our solar system is not limited only to Mars, but other “habitable” worlds might exist, including the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn — Europa and Enceladus — that may have large sub-surface oceans capable of supporting life. The challenge for scientists and engineers in the next couple of decades will be to design miniaturized instruments and technologies capable of detecting the signatures of life in our own solar system and beyond.
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