Searching for Life: Early Earth, Mars and BeyondWe might be entering a golden age for exploring life throughout time and space. Rapid gene sequencing will better define our most distant ancestors. The earliest geologic evidence of life is now 3.8 billion years old. Organic matter and submicron-sized morphologies have been preserved in the martian crust for billions of years. Several new missions to Mars are planned, with a high priority on the search for life, past or present. The recent discovery of large extrasolar planets has heightened interest in spacecraft to detect small, earth-like planets. A recent workshop discussed strategies for life detection on such planets. There is much to anticipate in the near future.
Document ID
20020040875
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
DesMarais, David J. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)