thesearchforhabitableenvironmentsandlifeintheuniverse.docVIP

The Search for Habitable Environments and Life in the Universe The NASA Astrobiology Institute Habitability and Astronomical Biosignatures Focus Group Principal Authors: Victoria S. Meadows (Chair), University of Washington Astronomy Department Email: vsm@astro.washington.edu, Phone: 206-543-0206 Mark W. Claire, University of Washington Astronomy Department Shawn D. Domagal-Goldman, University of Washington Astronomy Department Mark Allen, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Earth and Planetary Atmospheres Ariel D. Anbar, Arizona State University School of Earth and Planetary Exploration Rory Barnes, University of Washington Astronomy Department Alan Boss, Carnegie Institution of Washington Department of Terrestrial Magnetism Jim Kasting, Penn State Department of Geosciences Nancy Kiang, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Center for Climate Systems Research Javier Martin-Torres, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Orbiting Carbon Observatory Tyler D. Robinson, University of Washington Astronomy Department Norm Sleep, Stanford University School of Earth Sciences Sanjoy Som, University of Washington Earth and Space Sciences Department William Sparks, Space Telescope Science Institute Darren M. Williams, Penn State Erie School of Science Introduction In the vast blackness of space, our home planet is a sparkling oasis of life. Whether the Universe harbors other worlds that can support even simple life is a question that has been pondered, yet remained unanswered, for over two thousand years. The next steps in answering this question are to detect planets outside our solar system, characterize their habitability, and ultimately examine their atmospheres and surfaces for evidence of life. The search for life beyond the Solar System is one of the fundamental areas of study in astrobiology. The goals and objectives of this science are given in Goals 1 and 7 of the 2008 NASA Astrobiology Roadmap (Des Marais et al., 2008). Goal 1 seeks to understand the nature and distr