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1 The Search for Life in the Universe: Past, Present, and Future
Pages 8-16

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From page 8...
... The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents and their associated ecosystems, powered by chemical reactions, suggested new venues for life's origins and novel habitable zones in Earth's subsurface, while advances in biotechnology provided new approaches to life detection.
From page 9...
... At about the same time as the planetary science community was developing its own distinct identity, Joshua Lederberg and other like-minded researchers interested in the search for life beyond Earth soon banded together to establish the new scientific discipline of exobiology. NASA funded its first exobiology project in 1959 and established an Exobiology Program the following year.
From page 10...
... , its nature, and detectability. 2010 New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics One of the report's three primary scientific objectives is seeking hahabitable planets 2011 Vision and Voyages for the Planetary Sciences in the One of the report's three scientific themes is exploring Decade 2013-2022 planetary habitats.
From page 11...
... Although subsequent scientific analyses did not substantiate this claim, the wave of public interest in topics relating to the possibility of life beyond Earth reached to the highest levels. Most notably, President Clinton responded by supporting a congressional call for a "Space Summit." Such a summit would Allow the Administration to work with congressional leadership to develop a broad consensus on a balanced NASA program for the future .
From page 12...
... . Unlike the preceding astrobiology roadmaps, the 2015 Astrobiology Strategy was organized around a series of major research themes spanning astrobiology, as follows: • Identifying abiotic sources of organic compounds; • Synthesis and function of macromolecules in the origin of life; • Early life and increasing complexity; • Coevolution of life and the physical environment; • Identifying, exploring, and characterizing environments for habitability and biosignatures; and • Constructing habitable worlds.
From page 13...
... • How can we identify habitable planets and search for life beyond the solar system? Constructing Habitable Worlds The key research areas identified within the 2015 Astrobiology Strategy's thematic area on constructing habitable worlds are as follows: • What are the fundamental ingredients and processes that define a habitable environment?
From page 14...
... Similarly, strong seasonal variations in the trace amounts of methane observed in the martian atmosphere provide tantalizing hints about possible biological or geologic activity on Mars. While on Earth, the studies of the noble gas components in subsurface waters has demonstrated that such aqueous environments can be preserved on a billion-year timescale.
From page 15...
... For the study of the origin of life, this approach derives information from preexisting conditions, the interplay of the planetary and chemical environment, and the subsequent coevolution of life and the environment. For the exploration of planets, systems science approaches offer the chance to better select landing sites by, for instance, evaluating how an environment may have sustained life over long timescales and concentrated evidence of that life in the rock record.
From page 16...
... . • Outline key scientific questions and technology challenges in astrobiology, particularly as they pertain to the search for life in the solar system and extrasolar planetary systems (see Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5)


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