Astrobiology: Life in the Universe (A Great NASA Website)

I referenced this really interesting website in another thread, and I thought it deserved its own thread.

It is the NASA Astrobiology website:
NASA Astrobiology: Life in the Universe

NOTE: I noticed that the site is very slow (at least for me) so you need to be a bit patient after each click. However, I think it is well worth your patience.


The NASA Astrobiology website is a great resource for seeing all of the research NASA is either funding for others or doing on their own in the filed of the possibility of life elsewhere. It's extremely interesting to see the "Life in the Universe" studies NASA is doing/funding right now, and what kind of future things they are considering.

I was reading a story about early studies they are doing that may lead to a possible future mission to put a submersible probe in one of the methane lakes on Titan. Another article discussed the best places in the galaxy to find complex organic compounds, or how DNA components may be spontaneously made in space on meteors and comets. These are the kinds of interesting articles and researched on those pages

There is a lot of interesting research into alien life going on today.
Be sure to explore the whole site. There are links across the top to the following sub-pages:

NAI - NASA Astrobiology Institute
ASTEP - NASA’s Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets Program
ASTID - NASA Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development Program
EXO - NASA’s Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology Program


Have fun!

You lost me at - (A Great NASA Website)

I still look in the hopes that I will go back into the illusion that NASA would share all with us, but I usually feel nauseated every time I read any of their airbrushed publications for the public.

Once you've seen some of the technology flying around out there, you can't go back to believing NASA.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


I'm sorry (for you) that you feel that way.

The vast majority of all of the research done on the idea of "Life Elsewhere" involved NASA -- either done by NASA directly, or funded by NASA. There aren't that many other groups other than NASA (maybe the ESA and JAXA) that are really doing a lot in the field of understanding the potential biological nature of other life in the universe.

If you want to see the bulk of the research being done on the possibilities of life elsewhere, then this is a good website. NASA has been involved with gathering a lot of data on the subject, and this is a great resource to understand the research that is using all of that data.

I mean, who else is best positioned study the possibilities of DNA components being spontaneously synthesized in space?

Originally posted by JibbyJedi
You lost me at - (A Great NASA Website)

I still look in the hopes that I will go back into the illusion that NASA would share all with us, but I usually feel nauseated every time I read any of their airbrushed publications for the public.

Once you've seen some of the technology flying around out there, you can't go back to believing NASA.

100% agree, i cant stomach anything nasa has to say

reply to post by jazzguy


So you don't agree with NASA's findings on organic compounds found in space, or the possibility that components of DNA could may be found on asteroids. Do you not agree with NASA spending time researching the possibility of sending a probe into one of the methane lakes of Titan looking for signs of life?

What about the NASA astrobiologist who wrote a paper proposing that the clouds of Venus could harbor life? Do you think NASA is wrong about the potential for life in the clouds of Venus? Should NASA not waste money considering the potential for life in the clouds of Venus?

Or the findings by NASA that indicate there are liquid water oceans on Europa, and the research NASA is doing on the potential for life on Europa. Do you doubt those oceans exist? Do you think NASA is wasting their time thinking about life on Europa?

What about NASA's discoveries of liquid methane rain and lakes on Titan,and the research into the possibilities of organisms that may use the methane on Titan in biological functions? Or maybe NASA's findings of liquid saltwater under the surface of Enceladus and the possibilities of life there? Should those be ignored?

What parts of NASA's astrobiology research do you specifically disagree with? Almost all we know about the nature of potential ET life comes directly or indirectly from NASA (or NASA funded) research. If we ignore that research, then we know very little about the potential for ET life.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


Your link of the "GREAT" NASA don't work.

Very Great

And by the way, WHY Nasa search life in the UNIVERSE (a wastte of money or a stipid mirror for the public opinion with a website that don't work) and not right behind the corner of this Solar System?

Seems that Hubble has found signs of life on Pluto, recently.....
NASA Know this?

Originally posted by Arken
And by the way, WHY Nasa search life in the UNIVERSE (a wastte of money or a stipid mirror for the public opinion with a website that don't work) and not right behind the corner of this Solar System?

That's the ASTEP portion of the website.
ASTEP = "Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets" Program

From the ASTEP Introduction page:

Astrobiology is thus an increasing focus of planetary exploration missions. Astrobiology investigations require the development of biologically relevant, miniaturized instrumentation capable of extensive, autonomous operations on planetary surfaces – first Mars, then other Solar System bodies. To this end, and in collaboration with the other agencies, NASA’s Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program, an element of the Astrobiology Program in the Planetary Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate, supports investigations that focus on exploring Earth’s extreme environments to learn how best to search for life on other planets.

And, in part, the ASTID part of that website.
ASTID = "Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development" Program

From the ASTID Iintroduction page:

The NASA Astrobiology Program’s Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development (ASTID) Program supports the development of instrumentation that will help meet astrobiology science requirements on space flight missions as well as astrobiology science objectives on Earth. ASTID projects are expected to advance the development of scientific instruments or instrument components to the point where they appear to be ready for a flight opportunity. The ASTID Program does not, however, fund the building of flight-qualified hardware.

Seems that Hubble has found signs of life on Pluto, recently.....
NASA Know this?

They found the potential for complex organic compounds. That's not necessarily signs of life. Complex organic compounds don't always mean life...
...besides -- THAT'S NASA research at work. NASA's Hubble telescope is responsible for finding this potential sign of organics on Pluto (and, yes, that potential sign of life on Pluto).


Of course NASA knows about this Pluto research, because they are funding it. It is funded by the Space Telescope Science institute, which is funded by NASA.

Why, on one hand, do you seem to be saying NASA's Astrobiology research should be ignored, but on the other hand you cite this Astrobiology research regarding Pluto that was made possible by NASA?

The sites work and seem to load quite well for me, bookmaked and saved, thanks. Took nearly 3 seconds, I see they have Adobe connect, you might want to check your Flash Player version, update it.

Already found one of our guys affiliated there.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


Exactly.

I'm not sure why the same people who are quick to point out all of the evidence we have for the possibilities of life existing elsewhere want to ignore NASA's contributions to the field. They don't seem to realize that it is NASA that has led the effort to research the idea of life on other planets and moons. Much of the same evidence they point to about life elsewhere came from NASA, either from NASA research, raw data, or NASA funding. We would know far less about how alien life could exist if it wasn't for NASA.

You mentioned NASA's research going on concerning possible life in Europa's oceans and Titan's methane lakes, but there is also another exciting NASA mission that you didn't mention: The "Stardust" mission.

NASA's Stardust mission returned actual dust samples from Comet Wild 2 (pronounced "Vildt"). Analysis of those samples has found the presence of organic compounds containing biologically usable nitrogen, namely ethylamine and methylamine, plus aliphatic hydrocarbons.

These are all compounds that are useable by biological processes. Comets are the stuff that the solar system was made from. The idea that the planets were made of the same stuff in these comets - stuff that can be used in biological processes - is really mind blowing.

Again, this is NASA research that has discovered these building blocks of life associated with comets. People may want to ignore this research and other NASA research if you want as if it didn't happen, but I personally find NASA's "Life Elsewhere" research extremely exciting.



EDIT: I forgot...Thanks for the link in the OP to the Astrobiology Research website. I've surfed that website before, but it's a good site to bring to the attention of others.

reply to post by Box of Rain


Yes. Some of the most exciting research into the possibility of life existing elsewhere is being done by NASA. I didn't foget about the Stardust Comet sample return Mission -- I could list everything NASA is doing in the field of researching life elsewhere.

NASA is researching the possibilities of what kind of life may exist on Europa, Titan, Mars, Enceladus, Ganymede, the clouds of Venus, and even on exoplanets. They are investigating the presence of organic compounds in nebulae, Pluto, and -- as you pointed out -- comets in our own solar system.

However, the point of this thread was to highlight the Astrobiology Website I linked in my OP.:

Astrobiology: Life in the Universe

That website is a great resource for finding information on what scientists are doing to investigate all of the possibilities of finding life elsewhere in the Universe -- AND elsewhere in our own solar system.

Going to a Nasa site is like going to a libary with empty books.

Lies about everything do not sit well with me

Originally posted by paperface
Going to a Nasa site is like going to a libary with empty books.

Lies about everything do not sit well with me

So ignoring the research presented on that website, what research into life elsewhere seems interesting to you?

Do you not believe NASA when they say they think it is possible that life may exist in the clouds of Venus or the Oceans of Europa or the Methane lakes of Titan. Or maybe you don't believe the announcement made the other day by NASA-funded researchers that complex organic compounds may be present on Pluto.

For that matter, do you not believe NASA's data that tells us Europa even has water oceans, or maybe you don't believe NASA when they say Titan has methane lakes, or that Pluto's surface undergoes seasonal changes.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


they're not really interested in science & reality. They prefer fiction & fantasy