Extraterrestrial Life
The official U.S. government position on extraterrestrial life and the three major efforts to search for it. Clockwise from top left: The development and testing of hypotheses on extraterrestrial life is known as "exobiology" or "astrobiology", although astrobiology also considers Earth-based life in its astronomical context. On 13 February 2015, scientists (including Geoffrey Marcy, Seth Shostak, Frank Drake, Elon Musk and David Brin) at a convention of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, discussed Active SETI and whether transmitting a message to possible intelligent extraterrestrials in the Cosmos was a good idea;[5][6] one result was a statement, signed by many, that a "worldwide scientific, political and humanitarian discussion must occur before any message is sent".[7] §Background §Possible basis §Biochemistry All life on Earth is based upon 26 chemical elements. Life on Earth requires water as its solvent in which biochemical reactions take place.
The Moon is a KREEPy place
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla Topics: NASA lunar missions before 2005, the Moon, explaining science If you go to a conference about lunar geology, sooner or later you'll hear the term "KREEP" bandied about. (And almost as soon as KREEP is mentioned, a bad pun will be made. The simple definition is that KREEP is an acronym for potassium (chemical symbol K), rare earth elements (the ones that are always cut out of the periodic table and drawn in two separate rows of their own, abbreviated REE), and phosphorus (chemical symbol P). Potassium, rare earths, and phosphorus are lumped together in the term KREEP because they tend to occur together in the lunar crust. Rufus Gefangenen Forming the Moon The molten moon had a bulk composition of rock; more specifically, its bulk composition is of a mafic rock, one that's rich in iron and magnesium. But the way it solidifies is a bit strange. Some elements just can't squeeze in to the crystal lattices. OK, so that's what KREEP is.
Future Space-based Habitats
Lunar Pioneer
NOVA | Finding Life Beyond Earth
PBS Airdate: October 19, 2011 NARRATOR: Is Earth the only planet of its kind in the universe, or is there somewhere else like this out there? Is there life beyond Earth? The search for alien life is one of humankind's greatest technological challenges. And scientists are seeking new ways to find answers. JIM GREEN (Director, Planetary Science Division, NASA): We're pushing the boundary of information of where life can exist, past the earth and out into the solar system. NARRATOR: Leading the search are sophisticated telescopes that scan the sky and an armada of robotic probes exploring the outer reaches of our solar system, all revealing the planets, moons, asteroids and comets like never before. AMY MAINZER: We can go places and see things that there's no other way we could've ever seen. JIM GREEN: The pace of discovery, just in the last couple of years, is just mindboggling. NARRATOR: Finding Life Beyond Earth, up now on NOVA. NARRATOR: But what exactly is this liquid?
Moon Express Announces Dr. Alan Stern as Chief Scientist | Hosts Gala Celebration Of New Space Era Tonight | Portal to the Universe
moonandback21 Jul 2011, 21:53 UTC (200 words excerpt, click title or image to see full post) MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Moon Express, a Google Lunar X PRIZE contender, revealed Wednesday that internationally recognized planetary scientist Dr. Alan Stern will be the Chief Scientist and Mission Architect for the company. The announcement was made as lunar scientists from around the world gather at the NASA Ames Research Park for their annual Lunar Science Forum, convened by the NASA Lunar Science Institute. Dr. Dr. Note: All formatting and links have been removed - click title or image to see full article.
NASA Astrobiology: Life in the Universe
How We'll Get Back to the Moon
How We'll Get Back to the Moon Before the end of the next decade, NASA astronauts will again explore the surface of the moon. And this time, we're going to stay, building outposts and paving the way for eventual journeys to Mars and beyond. There are echoes of the iconic images of the past, but it won't be your grandfather's moon shot. Image left: NASA's new Crew Exploration Vehicle and lander head for lunar orbit. Click to enlarge. This journey begins soon, with development of a new spaceship. The centerpiece of this system is a new spacecraft designed to carry four astronauts to and from the moon, support up to six crewmembers on future missions to Mars, and deliver crew and supplies to the International Space Station. The new crew vehicle will be shaped like an Apollo capsule, but it will be three times larger, allowing four astronauts to travel to the moon at a time. The new ship can be reused up to 10 times. Safe and reliable The Flight Plan + View More Detailed Graphic
Why the USA and NASA need astrobiology
I am an astrobiologist, for 50 years an astronomer, and before that a physicist. With my colleague and friend Roger Angel, we started the process of learning how to detect Earth-like planets in 1985. I am a co-author of the NASA booklet The Terrestrial Planet Finder. I have served with scientific and technical teams to develop that mission since 1995. I have been a professor of astronomy at U. Arizona for the last 30 years, and I became P.I. for the Arizona team (LAPLACE, Life And PLanets Astrobiology CEnter) in 2003. As a professional who has moved my research area around many times, I have both been depressed and concerned about the difficulty my colleagues have in pulling together material that crosses many fields. There are many complex issues that face our country and our world today. The first activity of my Astrobiology team was to hold a graduate student conference. Neville J. Professor of Astronomy Director LAPLACE
