New definitions of “habitable worlds” could include planets with global oceans under a steamy hydrogen atmosphere or exclude ones that started out habitable but lost all their water.
The hunt for habitable worlds owes a debt to this moment in planetary science history.
It’s the 40th anniversary of the Voyager 2 flyby of Saturn, which has informed every NASA mission to the ringed gas giant since.
The James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled for launch on October 31. It will help scientists hunt for alien life on exoplanets and look to the beginning of time.
Some highly speculative ideas how life may spread in the galaxy, for more info see.
There is even more to the astrobiological potential of rogue planets, however. Not only could they hold microbial life bottled up in their subsurface, they may be able to distribute life throughout the galaxy. In our paper we suggest two ways that this kind of panspermia might occur.
If a wandering planet passes close to a habitable rocky planet within a solar system, the outer layer of the rogue planet might be torn apart by gravitational disturbances, and the resulting debris could end up on the habitable world. Dormant life that had been trapped in the icy shell of the rogue planet may become active again and establish a biosphere on the receiving planet.
Continue reading “The Astrobiological Potential of Rogue Planets” »
The European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos are preparing for the2022launch of the next mission in their joint ExoMars program, which is currently undergoing final testing before shipment to Kazakhstan for a launch in September next year.
The2022astrobiology mission will see the long-awaited Rosalind Franklin rover land on Mars with the help of the Russian Kazachok lander. The lander will also perform experiments on the Martian surface after deploying Rosalind Franklin as the two craft work together to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet.
Wed, Aug 25 at 9 AM PDT.
Please join us for a new episode with Dr. Alfonso Davila, an astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center! His research focuses on the biological and biosignature potential of terrestrial environments considered to be analogous to extraterrestrial environments, and using that knowledge to develop strategies to search for evidence of life beyond Earth.
This program is an interactive talk show where our guest will answer questions from our host, Dr. Graham Lau, as well as questions submitted via Twitter, Facebook, and SAGANet chat. For more information, visit the official website of Ask An Astrobiologist at astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist.
Scientists at NASA have adjusted their forecast of an Empire State Building-sized asteroid it predicts could potentially smash into the planet.
Have you ever heard of the phrase “life imitates art?” Well, two scientists are out to prove that science is not exempt. Or, at least, it shouldn’t be. Taking a cue from Star Trek, scientists Dr. Hal Fearn and Dr. Jim Woodward are attempting to build an “impulse engine” to make interstellar travel possible in a human lifetime.
Continue reading “Someone Is Trying to Build a STAR TREK Impulse Engine for Interstellar Travel” »
Sun, Jul 11
This event is part of Summer Science 2021.
The ExoMars rover is due to launch in 2,022 and will travel across Oxia Planum on Mars drilling for signs of life.
Continue reading “Engineering ExoMars — Summer Science 2021” »
NASA has selected two missions, dubbed DAVINCI+ and VERITAS, to study the “lost habitable” world of Venus. Each mission will receive approximately $500 million for development and both are expected to launch between 2,028 and 2030.
It had long been thought there was no life on Venus, due to its extremely high temperatures. But late last year, scientists studying the planet’s atmosphere announced the surprising (and somewhat controversial) discovery of phosphine. On Earth, this chemical is produced primarily by living organisms.
The news sparked renewed interest in Earth’s “twin,” prompting NASA to plan state-of-the-art missions to look more closely at the planetary environment of Venus—which could hint at life-bearing conditions.
Why an upcoming mission to Phobos may reveal something spectacular.
Both NASA and the European Space Agency are operating or planning major missions to — and back from — the Red Planet in a hunt for signs the once wet planet also hosted microbial life forms.
But it’s possible the best place to look for life on Mars isn’t on Mars at all.
Continue reading “Phobos: Why the largest Martian moon may reveal alien life” »
