Jun 21, 2007 | SCIENCE
The meaning of life
(SEED Magazine) - Science blogger Carl Zimmer addresses the past, present, and future of origins of life research and the intersection of science and philosophy in this field of study; as well as the scientific search for evidence of extraterrestrial life in the solar system; and scientific definitions of life, or the lack thereof. The work of philosophy professor Carol Cleland, a member of the NASA Astrobiology Institutes University of Colorado Center for Astrobiology team, is a prominent element of the story.

May 25, 2007 | SCIENCE
Fishing out New Species
(British Antarctic Survey) - Scientists have found hundreds of new marine creatures in the vast, dark deep-sea surrounding Antarctica. The discoveries shed new light on the evolution and diversity of ocean life.

May 25, 2007 | SCIENCE
Legendary origins of life researcher Stanley Miller
(University of California, San Diego) - Miller was a member of the first generation of researchers funded by NASAs exobiology research program, now a part of the Astrobiology Program, and remained active in exobiology/astrobiology research for decades. In recent years, Miller served as a member of the NASA Astrobiology Institutes Europa Focus Group.

Feb 28, 2007 |
Urey to Test for Life on Mars
(NASA) - NASA-funded researchers are refining a tool that could not only check for the faintest traces of life's molecular building blocks on Mars, but could also determine whether they have been produced by anything alive.

Dec 11, 2006 | SCIENCE
NASA Advisor on the Search for Life to Receive Medal of Freedom
(NASA HQ) - Dr. Joshua Lederberg, a Nobel-winning microbiolgist whose advice helped create NASA's early biology programs, will receive the Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor.

Jul 17, 2006 | MISSIONS
NASA Marks 30th Anniversary of Mars Viking Mission
(NASA) - It was thirty years ago that NASA's Viking spacecraft performed the first successful landing on Mars.

Jul 13, 2006 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA to Test Automated Drilling Rig in Mars Analog Mission
(NASA - ARC) - Scientists are testing an automated drilling rig that may one day aid in the search for water and signs of life on Mars.

Mar 28, 2006 | MISSIONS
NASA Reinstates Dawn Mission
(NASA) - NASA has reinstated the Dawn mission, which will visit a number of bodies in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Mar 15, 2006 | MISSIONS
Years of Observing Combined Into Best-Yet Look at Mars Canyon
(NASA - JPL) - By merging photos from Mars Odyssey, scientists now have a new view of Mars' giant canyon.

Mar 11, 2006 | MISSIONS
Robotic NASA Craft Begins Orbiting Mars for Most-Detailed Exam
(NASA - JPL) - NASA's new mission to Mars successfully entered into orbit around the red planet on Friday.

Mar 08, 2006 | MISSIONS
First Stardust Comet Sample Results
(NASA) - NASA will hold a news conference on March 13 to present the first studies of cometary samples returned to Earth by Stardust.

Mar 06, 2006 | MISSIONS
NASA Announces Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Coverage
(NASA) - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter prepares for one of the most critical moments in its flight, the spacecraft's arrival at Mars.

Feb 20, 2006 | MISSIONS
NASA Announces Mars Mission Briefing
(NASA) - NASA will brief media on the progress of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter this Friday.

Jan 13, 2006 | MISSIONS
Comet Hunter on Final Approach for Sunday Landing
(NASA) - NASA's Stardust mission return capsule will land Sunday at approximately 5:12 a.m. EST.

Dec 24, 2005 | MISSIONS
Possible Evidence Found for Beagle 2 Location
(ESA) - Researchers at ESA may have spotted the Beagle 2 landing site.

Dec 16, 2005 | MISSIONS
First Comet Sample Return to Earth
(NASA) - NASA will brief news media at 1 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Dec. 21, about the return of the Stardust capsule.

Dec 13, 2005 | MISSIONS
Opportunity Celebrates One Martian Year
(NASA - JPL) - Opportunity celebrated its 'One Martian Year' Anniversary on December 12.

Dec 01, 2005 | MISSIONS
Glimpses of Mars Subsurface
(University of Iowa) - A scientific instrument on Mars Express identifies hidden craters and thick layers of ice beneath the surface of Mars.

Oct 13, 2005 | SCIENCE
NASA Discovers Life's Building Blocks Are Common in Space
(NASA - ARC) - Organic chemicals that play a crucial role in the chemistry of life are shown to be common in space.

Oct 11, 2005 | SCIENCE
NASA Scientists Confirm Toxic Seas During Earth's Evolution
(NASA) - Earth's oceans were once rich in sulfides that would prevent advanced life forms from thriving.

Oct 06, 2005 | TECHNOLOGIES
Team Scores a Success in Protein Folding
(NSF) - Scientists create computer model to show how a complex protein folds.

Sep 28, 2005 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA to Show Intelligent Space Robots in Action
(NASA - ARC) - NASA will showcase two intelligent robots on Monday, October 3, in the outdoor 'Marscape' at NASA Ames Research Center.

Sep 23, 2005 | SCIENCE
Marine Microorganism Suspected to Play Role in Global Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles
(NSF) - Scientists successfully culture the first Archaea known to oxidize ammonia for energy and metabolize carbon dioxide.

Sep 21, 2005 | MISSIONS
Orbiter Helps Scientists Track Changes on Mars
(NASA) - New gullies that did not exist in mid-2002 have appeared on a Martian sand dune.

Sep 14, 2005 | MISSIONS
Mars Orbiter Looking Good
(NASA - JPL) - Three cameras on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter worked as expected in a recent test.

Sep 10, 2005 | MISSIONS
NASA's Spitzer and Deep Impact Build Recipe for Comet Soup
(NASA - JPL) - Using data from Deep Impact and Spitzer, scientists are beginning to understand the recipe for making planets and comets.

Aug 30, 2005 | MISSIONS
Mars Orbiter Makes Successful Course Correction
(NASA) - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) successfully tested its main engines.

Aug 10, 2005 | MISSIONS
Venus Express Arrives in Baikonur
(ESA) - ESA's Venus Express spacecraft has arrived at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Aug 10, 2005 | MISSIONS
NASA Announces Mars Orbiter Launch Delay
(NASA) - The launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been delayed until tomorrow.

Aug 05, 2005 | MISSIONS
Mars Express Radar Collects First Surface Data
(ESA) - Mars Express has collected its first surface data at Mars.

Aug 01, 2005 | MISSIONS
ELV Status Report
(NASA) - The MRO spacecraft has been mated with the Atlas V for the last phase of launch preparations.

Jul 29, 2005 | SCIENCE
Spitzer Finds Life Components in Young Universe
(NASA - JPL) - Spitzer has detected organic molecules in galaxies when our universe was one-fourth of its current age.

Jul 22, 2005 | MISSIONS
New Mars Orbiter Will Sharpen Vision of Exploration
(NASA) - Launch opportunities begin Aug. 10 for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Jul 15, 2005 | MISSIONS
Briefing Previews Next Step for Exploring Mars
(NASA) - NASA announced launch opportunities start Aug. 10, 2005, for the agency's next mission to Mars.

Jul 07, 2005 | MISSIONS
Hydrocarbon Lake on Titan?
(ESA) - Cassini has identified an intriguing surface feature on Titan.

Jul 05, 2005 | MISSIONS
XMM-Newton Detects Water on Tempel 1
(ESA) - Images of the Deep Impact collision taken by XMM-Newton show water on comet Tempel 1.

Jul 05, 2005 | MISSIONS
NASA's Deep Impact Generates Its Own Spectacular Photo Flash
(NASA) - The hyper-speed demise of NASA's Deep Impact probe generated an immense flash of light.

Jul 04, 2005 | MISSIONS
Deep Impact Kicks Off Fourth of July With Deep Space Fireworks
(NASA - JPL) - Deep Impact successfully impacted with comet Tempel 1.

Jun 23, 2005 | MISSIONS
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Status Report
(NASA) - The Launch Vehicle Readiness Test is under way for NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, scheduled to launch on August 10th.

Jun 21, 2005 | MISSIONS
Rosetta Monitors Deep Impact
(ESA) - ESA's Rosetta spacecraft will help monitor NASA's Deep Impact craft as it arrives at its target, comet Temple 1.

Jun 16, 2005 | MISSIONS
Smooth Deployment for Second MARSIS Antenna Boom
(ESA) - The second 20-meter antennae boom of the MARSIS instrument onboard ESA's Mars Express has been successfully deployed.

Jun 10, 2005 | SCIENCE
NASA Scientist Confirm Liquid Water on Early Earth
(NASA - ARC) - Research funded partly by NASA has confirmed the existence of liquid water on the Earth's surface more than 4 billion years ago.

Jun 09, 2005 | MISSIONS
Spectacular Day of the Comet
(NASA) - NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft will get up-close-and-personal with comet Tempel 1 on July 4.

May 24, 2005 | MISSIONS
Rovers Continue Martian Missions
(NASA - JPL) - Mars rover Opportunity tries to escape from a sand trap, while its twin, Spirit, is busy finding new clues to a wet and violent early Martian history.

May 18, 2005 | MISSIONS
Deep Impact Mission Status Report
(NASA) - NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft successfully executed the second trajectory correction maneuver of the mission.

May 17, 2005 | MISSIONS
First MARSIS Boom Successfully Deployed
(ESA) - Controllers for ESA's Mars Express have successfully deployed the first boom of the spacecraft's MARSIS radar.

May 07, 2005 | MISSIONS
Earth and Moon through Rosetta's Eyes
(ESA) - ESA's Rosetta spacecraft has returned infrared and visible images of Earth and the Moon.

May 03, 2005 | MISSIONS
NASA's Next Mars Spacecraft Arrives
(NASA) - The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has arrived in Florida and is being prepared for an August launch.

Apr 28, 2005 | EDUCATION
Gravity and Aging In Space To Be Discussed At NASA Lecture
(NASA - ARC) - "Space Exploration: Can Gravity Reverse Aging?" will be the title of a free public lecture at NASA Ames Research Center on May 4.

Apr 27, 2005 | MISSIONS
Deep Impact Spacecraft Spots Its Quarry
(NASA) - NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft successfully photographed its quarry, comet Tempel 1, at a distance of 39.7 million miles.

Apr 23, 2005 | SCIENCE
Yellowstone Discovery Bodes Well for Finding Evidence of Life on Mars
(NSF) - Research concerning organisms in Yellowstone's geothermal springs may help in the search for life on Mars.

Apr 13, 2005 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Testing Human-Robot Interactions in Utah Desert
(NASA - ARC) - Two NASA robots and two geologists are now simulating an expedition to another planet.

Apr 11, 2005 | MISSIONS
Cassini Continues Inspection of Smoggy Moon
(NASA - JPL) - Cassini's multiple instruments provided new views of Titan in a flyby of the moon on March 31st.

Apr 08, 2005 | MISSIONS
Europe Goes Back to Mars
(ESA) - Scientists in Europe have recommended that ESA's next mission to Mars include a rover for surface exploration.

Mar 31, 2005 | MISSIONS
Aurora: Mars Mission Options
(ESA) - On April 8, ESA will hold a press briefing to discuss the results of the upcoming Aurora workshop in Birmingham.

Mar 29, 2005 | MISSIONS
Deep Impact Mission Status Report
(NASA) - A special team is investigating why the spacecraft's High Resolution Instrument (HRI) has not yet come into perfect focus.

Mar 17, 2005 | MISSIONS
Robotic Astrobiology Expedition Yields Significant Science Findings
(NASA - ARC) - Scientists identified habitats and microbial life using a rover in Chile's arid Atacama desert, and their findings may bode well for future missions to Mars.

Mar 12, 2005 | MISSIONS
Rosetta Performs ESA's Closest-ever Earth Fly-By
(ESA) - Rosetta performed a fly-by of Earth, gaining a gravity assist on its way to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Feb 28, 2005 | TECHNOLOGIES
Nano Mechanism to Control Protein May Lead to New Protein Engineering
(UCLA) - Researchers at UCLA are working on a new tool to help control protein function externally.

Feb 24, 2005 | MISSIONS
ESA's Mars Express Sees Signs of a 'Frozen Sea'
(ESA) - Mars Express has imaged what appears to be a dust-covered sea of frozen ice near the equator of Mars.

Feb 21, 2005 | SCIENCE
NASA Statement on False Claim of Evidence of Life on Mars
(NASA) - News reports on February 16, 2005, that NASA scientists from Ames Research Center have found strong evidence that life may exist on Mars are incorrect.

Feb 18, 2005 | MISSIONS
Cassini's Radar Spots Giant Crater on Titan
(NASA - JPL) - Cassini spots giant impact crater the size of Iowa on Saturn's moon Titan.

Feb 17, 2005 | MISSIONS
Science from Mars Express after One Year in Orbit
(ESA) - Mars Express entered into orbit around the Red Planet a year ago and has returned an avalanche of valuable data.

Feb 14, 2005 | MISSIONS
Deep Impact Deep Space Burn
(NASA - JPL) - Deep Impact successfully completed its first trajectory correction maneuver last Friday.

Feb 11, 2005 | MISSIONS
Two Future Space Shuttle Crews Named
(NASA) - NASA has named Space Shuttle crews for missions to the International Space Station in 2006.

Feb 04, 2005 | TECHNOLOGIES
The Sands of Mars
(NASA) - Our understanding of granular physics will play an important role in digging, driving, and mining on Mars.

Feb 01, 2005 | SCIENCE
Moss Project Shows How Some Plants Grow Without Gravity
(NASA) - Experiments on moss grown aboard two Space Shuttle missions showed the plants didn't behave as scientists expected them to in the near-absence of gravity.

Jan 25, 2005 | MISSIONS
Opportunity Tracks Seen from Orbit
(NASA - JPL) - NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed on the red planet a year ago.

Jan 21, 2005 | MISSIONS
Seeing, Touching and Smelling the Extraordinarily Earth-like World of Titan
(ESA) - The first scientific assessments of Huygens' data were presented during a press conference at ESA head office in Paris on 21 January.

Jan 20, 2005 | MISSIONS
Opportunity Rover Finds an Iron Meteorite on Mars
(NASA - JPL) - Opportunity has found an iron meteorite, the first meteorite of any type ever identified on another planet.

Jan 18, 2005 | MISSIONS
Huygens Lands in Titanian Mud
(ESA) - Huygens landed on the surface of Titan on January 14, but scientists are continuing to analyze data that the probe sent back to Earth.

Jan 17, 2005 | MISSIONS
View from Ten Kilometers High
(ESA) - Huygens entered Titan's atmosphere on January 14, and has returned valuable data about the mysterious moon.

Jan 14, 2005 | MISSIONS
Radio Astronomers Confirm Hugyens Entry into Titan Atmosphere
(ESA) - A radio telescope involved in tracking Huygens has detected the probe's 'carrier' signal.

Jan 14, 2005 | MISSIONS
Huygens Probe Ready for Spectacular Mission to Titan
(NASA - JPL) - ESA's Huygens probe is on course for its descent to Saturn's mysterious moon Titan on Friday, Jan. 14.

Jan 12, 2005 | MISSIONS
NASA Launches Deep Impact on a Mission to a Comet
(NASA) - NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft launched successfully at at 1:47:08 p.m. EST.

Jan 07, 2005 | MISSIONS
NASA Sets Deep Impact Launch Date
(NASA) - NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft will launch on January 12, 2005.

Jan 04, 2005 | MISSIONS
NASA Rovers' Adventures on Mars Continue
(NASA) - The Spirit rover begins its second year on Mars investigating puzzling rocks unlike any found earlier.

Jan 03, 2005 | MISSIONS
Cassini Caps off 2004 With Flyby of Icy Moon Iapetus
(NASA - JPL) - On New Year's Eve, Cassini wrapped up 2004 with an encounter of Saturn's moon Iapetus.

Dec 30, 2004 | MISSIONS
NASA Events Commemorate Rover Anniversary on Mars
(NASA) - Events are to be held at JPL on January 3rd to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Mars Exploration Rovers mission.

Dec 28, 2004 | MISSIONS
Cassini Mission Status Report
(NASA - JPL) - Cassini has successfully performed a getaway maneuver to keep it from following the Huygens probe into Titan's atmosphere.

Dec 26, 2004 | MISSIONS
Huygens Begins its Final Journey into the Unknown
(ESA) - The European Space Agency's Huygens probe successfully detached from NASA's Cassini orbiter.

Dec 22, 2004 | MISSIONS
European Space Agency's Huygens Probe Set to Detach From Cassini Orbiter
(NASA - JPL) - The Cassini orbiter at Saturn is set to release the Huygens probe on Dec. 24, 2004, on a path toward Titan.

Dec 21, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Earn Journal's 'Best Science' Title
(NASA - JPL) - NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers' discovery of evidence of past water on Mars is named scientific "Breakthrough of the Year".

Dec 14, 2004 | MISSIONS
NASA Set to Launch First Comet Impact Probe
(NASA) - Deep Impact will deploy a probe that will be "run over" by the nucleus of comet Tempel 1.

Dec 13, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Spot Water-Clue Mineral, Frost, Clouds
(NASA - JPL) - Scientists have identified a water-signature mineral in bedrock examined by Spirit in the "Colombia Hills."

Dec 06, 2004 | MISSIONS
Reports Detail Rover Discoveries of Wet Martian History
(NASA - JPL) - Major research journal publishes findings from the Mars Exploration rovers.

Dec 02, 2004 | MISSIONS
Deep Impact Delay
(NASA - KSC) - The launch of the Deep Impact spacecraft will take place no earlier than January 8, 2005.

Nov 11, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Exploration Rover Mission Status
(NASA - JPL) - Operators for the Opportunity rover are choosing a path for exiting Endurance Crater.

Nov 05, 2004 | MISSIONS
Spirit Adds Clues about History of Rocks in Martian Hills
(NASA - JPL) - Ten months after Spirit's dramatic landing, all of the instruments on both of the Mars Exploration Rovers are still working well.

Oct 27, 2004 | MISSIONS
Cassini Successfully Flies by Titan
(NASA - JPL) - The Cassini spacecraft beamed back information and pictures after successfully skimming the hazy atmosphere of Titan.

Oct 20, 2004 | MISSIONS
Rim of Crater Huygens on Mars
(ESA) - Mars Express returns images of the Huygens impact crater on Mars.

Oct 19, 2004 | MISSIONS
Deep Impact Arrives in Florida to Prepare for Launch
(NASA - KSC) - NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft has arrived in Florida to begin final preparations for a launch on Dec. 30, 2004.

Oct 08, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Probing Water History at Two Sites
(NASA - JPL) - Mars Exploration Rover team members report new findings about the history of water on Mars.

Sep 29, 2004 | TECHNOLOGIES
Mars Drill Will Seek Knowledge and Resources
(NASA) - A futuristic drilling rig designed for use on the Moon or on Mars is now being tested in Canada.

Sep 27, 2004 | MISSIONS
Atacama Rover Helps NASA Learn to Search for Life on Mars
(NASA - ARC) - Scientists in the Atacama Desert are helping NASA learn more about the potential for primitive life on Mars.

Sep 22, 2004 | MISSIONS
Rover Missions Renewed as Mars Emerges from Behind Sun
(NASA - JPL) - The Mars Exploration Rovers are now active again, and NASA has decided to extend their mission for another six months.

Sep 20, 2004 | MISSIONS
Water and Methane Maps Overlap on Mars: a New Clue?
(ESA) - Mars Express data reveals that concentrations of water vapor and methane significantly overlap in the atmosphere of Mars.

Sep 17, 2004 | MISSIONS
Huygens Test Successful
(ESA) - Huygens is in good health and recently passed its fifteenth in-flight checkup.

Sep 07, 2004 | MISSIONS
Saturn's Moon Titan: Planet Wannabe
(NASA) - Astrobiology Magazine interviews Jonathan Lunine from the Huygens Probe interdisciplinary science team.

Sep 02, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Exploration Rover Mission Status
(NASA - JPL) - Opportunity has resumed using its rock abrasion tool.

Aug 26, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Odyssey Begins Overtime after Successful Mission
(NASA - JPL) - NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter will now begin working overtime after completing its prime mission.

Aug 23, 2004 | MISSIONS
Cooking on a Comet
(ESA) - An instrument on Rosetta will analyze samples from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko that have been 'cooked' in miniature ovens.

Aug 18, 2004 | MISSIONS
Bedrock in Mars' Gusev Crater Hints at Watery Past
(NASA - JPL) - Spirit has found evidence that water thoroughly altered some rocks in Mars' Gusev Crater.

Aug 11, 2004 | MISSIONS
Relays from Mars Show International Interplanetary Networking
(NASA - JPL) - Mars Express demonstrates its ability to serve as a communications link to Mars.

Aug 10, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission Status
(NASA - JPL) - The team preparing NASA's next mission to Mars has begun integrating and testing the spacecraft's versatile payload.

Aug 09, 2004 | MISSIONS
Rocks Tell Stories in Reports of Spirit's First 90 Martian Days
(NASA - JPL) - Scientific findings from Spirit's first three months on Mars were published last Friday.

Jul 29, 2004 | TECHNOLOGIES
ESA Awards Prime Contract for JWST
(ESA) - ESA has awarded the prime contract for construction of the Near-Infrared Spectrograph instrument on board the James Webb Space Telescope.

Jul 19, 2004 | TECHNOLOGIES
Engineers Test the First Engine for NASA's Return to Flight Mission
(NASA) - Engineers have successfully tested one of the engines that will carry the next Space Shuttle into orbit.

Jul 16, 2004 | TECHNOLOGIES
Space Tech Captures Toxic Microorganisms
(ESA) - Technology developed to ensure clean air for astronauts is now helping people on Earth.

Jun 29, 2004 | SCIENCE
The 2004 Perseid Meteor Shower
(NASA) - This summer's Perseid meteor shower promises to be a good one.

Jun 28, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rover Surprises Continue; Spirit, Too, Finds Hematite
(NASA - JPL) - Both Spirit and Opportunity have found new surprises for researchers back on Earth.

Jun 24, 2004 | MISSIONS
The True Shape of Phoebe
(NASA - JPL) - Imaging data from Cassini has been used to construct a digitally rendered shape model of Saturn's moon Phoebe.

Jun 21, 2004 | MISSIONS
NASA Spacecraft Reveals Surprising Anatomy of a Comet
(NASA) - NASA's Stardust spacecraft has revealed the surprisingly strange world of Comet Wild 2.

Jun 16, 2004 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Device Monitors Health of Scientists and Explorers
(NASA - ARC) - A lightweight, portable device developed by NASA scientists is enabling physicians to monitor the health and safety of explorers in remote locations.

Jun 15, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Going The Extra Mile
(NASA) - NASA's Mars rovers are delighting scientists with their extra credit assignments.

Jun 11, 2004 | TECHNOLOGIES
Bacterial Integrated Circuits
(NASA) - By interfacing bacteria to silicon chips, NASA-supported researchers have created a device that can sense almost anything.

Jun 10, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Continue Unique Exploration of Mars
(NASA – JPL) - Opportunity prepares to move forward into Endurance crater.

May 25, 2004 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Creates Its Own R2D2
(NASA – ARC) - NASA scientists and engineers are designing a volleyball-sized robot to assist astronauts.

May 17, 2004 | TECHNOLOGIES
The Electric Border Collie
(NASA) - NASA-supported researchers are learning to herd microbes using electric fields.

May 06, 2004 | SCIENCE
NASA Introduces The Next Generation Of Explorers
(NASA) - NASA's 2004 astronaut candidate class was introduced today.

Apr 16, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rover Finds Unique Rock on Mars
(NASA - JPL) - Opportunity examines Martian rock that resembles meteorites that fell to Earth.

Mar 15, 2004 | SCIENCE
Planet-Like Body Discovered at Fringes of Our Solar System
(NASA) - NASA-funded researchers have identified a planet-like body orbiting our Sun that is three times further from Earth than Pluto.

Mar 10, 2004 | SCIENCE
New Evidence Suggests Early Oceans Bereft of Oxygen for Eons
(NSF) - Geochemists find evidence that Earth's early oceans may have been very different than they are today.

Mar 09, 2004 | SCIENCE
New Information About Bone Loss
(NASA) - Research on the International Space Station shows that additional conditioning exercises and other countermeasures may be necessary to prevent bone mineral loss in astronauts.

Mar 02, 2004 | MISSIONS
Rosetta Begins its Ten Year Journey
(ESA) - Rosetta has successfully launched and is now in orbit around the Sun.

Mar 01, 2004 | MISSIONS
Cassini Captures Stunning View of Saturn
(NASA - JPL) - Four months before arriving at Saturn, Cassini sends back one of the best pictures of the ringed planet to date.

Feb 25, 2004 | MISSIONS
Rosetta Ready for Launch
(ESA) - The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft is scheduled to launch on February 26.

Dec 01, 2003 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Space: A Bad Influence on Microbes?
(NASA) - Gene expression in some microbes differs in microgravity, leading to a difference in behavior.

Nov 20, 2003 | TECHNOLOGIES
New Space Life Sciences Laboratory
(NASA) - NASA dedicates the new Space Life Sciences (SLS) Laboratory.

Nov 13, 2003 | MISSIONS
ESA's First Step Towards Mars Sample Return
(ESA) - ESA has announced winners of competitive contracts for their Aurora program of Solar System exploration.

Nov 10, 2003 | MISSIONS
NASA Names Crew Members for Shuttle Return to Flight Mission
(NASA) - The STS-114 crew, augmented by three new members, is in place for the Space Shuttle's Return to Flight mission.

Nov 04, 2003 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Testing K9 Rover in Granite Quarry
(NASA - ARC) - NASA scientists and engineers are testing new technologies using the K9 rover in a granite quarry near Watsonville, Calif., in preparation for future missions to Mars.

Aug 01, 2003 | SCIENCE
The 2003 Perseid Meteor Shower
(NASA) - The annual Perseid Meteor Shower is on its way.

Jun 27, 2003 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Biotechnology Enhancing the Quality of Life
(NASA - MSFC) - With help from industry and commercial companies, NASA is using biotechnology to improve life, both in space and on Earth.

Jun 25, 2003 | MISSIONS
Approaching Mars
(NASA) - Earth and Mars are speeding toward their closest encounter in 60,000 years.

May 28, 2003 | SCIENCE
Life Clues on Red Planet
(BBC News) - Researchers identify a potential place to search for life on Mars.

Apr 29, 2003 | EDUCATION
NASA Contest Explores Designs for Future Colonies in Space
(NASA - ARC) - Winners of the annual Space Settlement Contest have been announced.

Apr 23, 2003 | TECHNOLOGIES
The Physics of Space Gardens
(NASA Science) - Research aboard the International Space Station gives insights into gardening in space.

Mar 25, 2003 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Free-Fall Laboratory Aids in Microgravity Research
(ESA) - The European Space Agency prepares experiments and crew for microgravity.

Jan 13, 2003 | MISSIONS
CHIPS Satellite Lifts Off
(NASA) - The spacecraft will look for traces of a supernova that may have altered life on Earth.

Jan 06, 2003 | SCIENCE
Oldest Complex Life Form Found in Newfoundland
(CBC News) - Scientists have uncovered 570-million-year-old fossils of sea-floor creatures.

Dec 27, 2002 | SCIENCE
Evolution's Sweet Tooth
(Astrobiology Magazine) - How did intelligence evolve? A scientist studying differences between humans and great apes may have found a biochemical step in that direction.

Dec 17, 2002 | SCIENCE
Researchers Find Possible Precursors to Early Life on Earth in Meteorite
(NASA) - Meteorites may have delivered the cell membranes for the earliest life on Earth.

Dec 12, 2002 | SCIENCE
Goldmine yields clues for life on Mars
(Nature) - Bacteria that live on radiation exist deep within the Earth—and maybe elsewhere.

Dec 04, 2002 | SCIENCE
Are Aliens a Bunch of Smarty-Pants?
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Scientists debate how long it takes to grow a brain.

Nov 26, 2002 | SCIENCE
Life from Scratch?
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Scientists plan to create a microbe with the minimum number of genes necessary to sustain life.

Nov 21, 2002 | SCIENCE
Where on Earth is Mars?
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Scientists gather at the volcano Mt. Etna to discuss regions of Earth that resemble Mars

Nov 08, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Space Station's Second Anniversary
(NASA) - This week marks two years of science research aboard the International Space Station.

Nov 07, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mission Kicks off 3rd Year of Space Station Science
(NASA) - The Shuttle will head for the station with new experiments, a new station crew, and a 14-ton girder.

Nov 06, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Space Shuttle Returns First Soybeans Grown on Space Station
(NASA) - The soybeans may reveal whether microgravity alters the chemistry of plants.

Nov 04, 2002 | SCIENCE
Hot Springs High in the Andes
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Two members of the Licancabur expedition describe pockets of rich microbial life in the harsh desert.

Oct 30, 2002 | SCIENCE
The Tree of Life: Cold Start?
(Astrobiology Magazine) - A pair of scientists claim the earliest forms of life evolved in moderate temperatures, not high temperatures.

Oct 24, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Earth rocks on the Moon
(NASA) - At a recent conference, scientists discussed the possibility of finding ancient Earth rocks on the Moon, and what they may reveal about early life on Earth.

Oct 23, 2002 | SCIENCE
When Did Life Begin? Ask a Rock
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Ancient rocks in Greenland may provide important information about the earliest life on Earth.

Oct 21, 2002 | SCIENCE
What's Living in the World's Highest Lake?
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Astrobiologists have begun an expedition to a pond at the tip of a volcano.

Oct 15, 2002 | SCIENCE
Studying Evolution with Digital Organisms
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Digital organisms that exist only as computer code may lead to a new understanding of evolution.

Oct 11, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Boost for Life on Jupiter Moon
(BBC) - New observations made by the Galileo spacecraft may strengthen the argument for life on Europa.

Oct 04, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Space Medicine
(NASA) - In order for astronauts to safely travel to Mars and other planets, new technologies must be developed to dope with the ill effects of space.

Sep 26, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
ESA to Search for Life, but not as We Know It
(ESA) - Scientists consider what the European Space Agency’s Huygens mission to Titan and Venus Express mission could uncover.

Sep 24, 2002 | SCIENCE, EDUCATION
Search for Life at the Top of the World
(Space.com) - Scientists who study life in extreme environments prepare to take students on a virtual fieldtrip to the world’s highest lake.

Sep 17, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
One Small Step... but Only on a Hospitable Planet!
(ESA) - Robotic explorers in our solar system may pave the way for future human missions.

Sep 16, 2002 | SCIENCE
Tiny Camera Observes Worms Spinning at 100 Times Earth’s Gravity
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Tiny worms are being observed by NASA scientists to explore how life adapts to gravity beyond Earth.

Sep 12, 2002 | SCIENCE
Life Reached Land a Billion Years Ago
(Life Reached Land a Billion Years Ago) - Possible traces of the first organisms ever to inhabit the land have been identified in northwestern Scotland.

Sep 05, 2002 | MISSIONS
No Place for Life to Hide from Mars Express
(ESA) - ESA's first mission to Mars will also be the first in 26 years to search for life on the Red Planet.

Aug 29, 2002 | MISSIONS
No Bugs Please, This Is a Clean Planet!
(ESA) - ESA is making sure its robotic missions to bodies within our solar system are biologically ‘clean’.

Aug 26, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
The Search for the Missing Moon Trees
(NASA) - A NASA scientist is searching for trees grown from seeds that traveled to the Moon and back.

Aug 20, 2002 | SCIENCE
Microorganisms Grow at Low Pressures, Implying Possible Life on Mars
(Univ. of Arkansas) - Researchers have shown that microorganisms can grow at pressures similar to those found at the Martian surface.

Aug 15, 2002 | MISSIONS
Work Starts On Assembling Beagle 2
(Space Daily) - Assembly of the European Space Agency’s Beagle 2 lander has begun, and researchers hope it will be on the surface of Mars by late next year.

Aug 14, 2002 | SCIENCE
Continuing Search for Ancient Martian Life
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Researchers have published their latest evidence for ancient microbes in a meteorite from Mars.

Aug 12, 2002 | SCIENCE
Prospecting for Viruses
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Scientists are prospecting for viruses in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park to investigate how some organisms can endure extreme heat and acidity.

Aug 09, 2002 | MISSIONS
A Robotic Return to the Moon
(Space.com) - The National Research Council has released a report proposing a robotic mission to the Moon's South Pole.

Aug 08, 2002 | SCIENCE
End of the Bedrest Campaign
(ESA) - A study on the long-term effects of microgravity on the human body was recently completed in France.

Aug 07, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Moon Holds Earth's Ancient Secrets
(Space.com) - Researchers say that a return trip to the moon may yield valuable information about the origin of life on Earth.

Aug 06, 2002 | SCIENCE
Soybean Plants Thriving aboard Space Station
(NASA) - The Advanced Astroculture experiment will further our understanding of how Earth life reacts to conditions in space.

Jul 16, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mossy Space Spirals
(NASA) - Fire moss does something unexpected in weightlessness: it grows in a spiral.

Jul 11, 2002 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Ice Cube of Exotic Microbes
(Astrobiology Magazine) - A pocket of permafrost deep beneath Antarctica offers a chance to test sterile drilling techniques before exploring elsewhere for exotic microbes.

Jul 11, 2002 | SCIENCE
Antarctic Microbes Colonize under Mars-like Conditions
(Astrobiology Magazine) - In Antarctica's Dry Valleys, microbes and fungi survive in extremely cold, arid soils.

Jun 28, 2002 | SCIENCE
Curious Skeletons
(NASA) - Cytoskeletons, the support structures of cells, may influence how cells behave in space.

Jun 27, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Defining Life
(Astrobiology Magazine) - A clear definition of life is necessary if we're to recognize it elsewhere in the universe.

Jun 26, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Large Former Lake, Catastrophic Flood Identified on Mars
(Spaceflight Now) - The lake once covered an area the size of Texas and New Mexico combined.

Jun 07, 2002 | MISSIONS
Shuttle Arrives at Space Station
(NASA) - The shuttle brings with it a new crew for the station.

May 29, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Found it! Ice on Mars
(NASA) - Data from the Mars Odyssey orbiter reveal vast quantities of water ice in the Martian soil.

May 20, 2002 | SCIENCE
Mars Meteorite's Link to Life Questioned
(Space.com) - A pair of scientists argue that magnetite crystals in a Mars meteorite weren't produced by microorganisms.

May 16, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Nightwatch on Mars
(Space.com) - Two orbiting spacecraft are photographing Mars at night, looking for the heat signature of hot springs that might support life.

May 08, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Study Urges Caution about Possible Dangerous Martian Life
(Space.com) - The National Research Council has outlined planetary protection measures for a human trip to Mars.

May 01, 2002 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Biosphere 2: Scientists Transform One-Time Habitat into Experiment Lab
(NPR) - The simulated ecosystems of Biosphere 2 may help us understand how ecosystems respond to changes in the environment

Apr 29, 2002 | SCIENCE
Looking for Life in All the Right Places
(Space.com) - A report from the second Astrobiology Science Conference.

Apr 22, 2002 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Scientists Receive First Plant Images from Space Station
(NASA) - The video images will help scientists understand how weightlessness affects plant development.

Apr 18, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Shuttle Heads for Home
(NASA) - Space Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station yesterday, leaving behind new experiments and taking completed ones home.

Apr 17, 2002 | SCIENCE
A Fresh Start for Life?
(InScight) - The earliest living cells arose in fresh water rather than salt water, says a team of astrobiologists.

Apr 11, 2002 | SCIENCE
Audio: Developments in Astrobiology
(KQED-FM) - In conjunction with the second Astrobiology Science Conference, astrobiologists describe developments in the field.

Apr 08, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Plant Growth in Space
(NASA) - After several delays, the Space Shuttle is set to blast off this afternoon. It carries with it an apparatus to study how weightlessness affects plants.

Apr 04, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Bacteria in Zero-G
(NASA) - As it blasts off Sunday afternoon, the Space Shuttle will carry along an experiment to find out why bacteria grow better in space.

Apr 03, 2002 | SCIENCE
Hydrogen-Fed Bacteria May Exist beyond Earth
(NASA) - The rocky crusts of Earth and other planets may produce enough hydrogen to support plenty of hydrogen-eaters.

Mar 20, 2002 | SCIENCE
No Knockouts in Martian Meteorite Showdown
(Sky and Telescope) - Two teams of scientists argue that magnetite crystals in a Mars meteorite are not necessarily evidence of life.

Mar 04, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Vast Ice Fields Suggest Life on Mars Possible
(L.A. Times) - Scientists say they are 'blown away' by the Odyssey spacecraft's findings.

Feb 27, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Digital Data Puts Mars on Map
(BBC) - A new high-resolution atlas of Mars could help determine whether the planet is geologically active.

Feb 22, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Floods May Be Recent
(Univ. of Arizona) - New images suggest that water may have flowed over Mars just 10 million years ago.

Feb 19, 2002 | SCIENCE
Bugs from Hell
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Miles below Earth's surface, a community of microbes thrives.

Feb 14, 2002 | SCIENCE
Wrenching Tides on Europa Could Force Life to Evolve
(Space.com) - Ruptures in Europa's icy crust might permit photosynthesis and compel life to adapt rapidly.

Feb 13, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Profile: David Wynn-Williams
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - In frozen Antarctica, an astrobiologist studies how to hunt for life on Mars.

Feb 06, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Four Sites Considered for Landers
(Florida Today) - Isidis Planitia has replaced Athabasca Vallis as one of the candidate landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers.

Feb 04, 2002 | SCIENCE
Life without Volcanic Heat
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Spires on the ocean floor hint that habitats for life may be more common that previously thought.

Jan 29, 2002 | SCIENCE
Explorers to Study Ice Worms
(JASON Project) - Worms that thrive in glaciers and disintegrate at room temperature may be a model for life on Europa.

Jan 24, 2002 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Cell Wars
(NASA) - In space, immune cells don't work the way they do on the ground.

Jan 13, 2002 | SCIENCE
Evidence of Bacteria on Europa?
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Reddish streaks criss-crossing this icy moon of Jupiter might be a sign of life.

Jan 11, 2002 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Ice Explorer Conceived for Other Worlds Gets Arctic Test
(NASA) - NASA has successfully field-tested a prototype of a robot that may one day melt through ice on Mars or Europa to look for life.

Jan 09, 2002 | SCIENCE
Radiation from Space May Affect Biological Evolution
(UT Austin) - Bursts of radiation from the Sun, from supernovae, or from deep space might wipe out life on other planets. Then again, they might speed up life's evolution.

Jan 08, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Space Station Crew Completes Microgravity Experiments
(NASA) - The astronauts have conducted a number of experiments on the effects of spaceflight on cell biology and human health.

Jan 07, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Signs of Life: On the Lookout for Extraterrestrial Sweet Spots
(Space.com) - A new report reviews methods for detecting extraterrestrial life, and for preventing cross-contamination of planets.

Dec 28, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Ice Melter Could Find Europa's Warm Heart
(Space.com) - A future mission may melt through Europa's ice to look for life in the planet's hidden ocean.

Dec 26, 2001 | SCIENCE
The First Sulfur Eaters
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - In three-and-a-half-billion-year-old rocks, scientists have found indications of a type of bacteria that consumes sulfate—possibly one of the oldest known life forms on the planet.

Dec 19, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
All-Terrain Rovers May Scale Mars' Cliffs
(NASA) - The robots may search for signs of past or present life by exploring water seepage or exposed geologic layers

Dec 18, 2001 | SCIENCE
Test-tube RNA
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Scientists have produced evidence that life may have evolved from RNA.

Dec 13, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Where to Land on Mars? It's Not an Easy Choice
(NASA) - Scientists have selected four candidate landing sites for the twin Mars Exploration Rovers.

Dec 11, 2001 | SCIENCE
Café Methane
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Scientists have found life thriving at methane seeps on the cold, dark ocean floor. Similar environments on other planets might also provide a home for life.

Dec 07, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Europe Heads for Mars
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - The Beagle 2, a compact, lightweight lander carried on the European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Express orbiter, will search for signs of life on the Red Planet.

Dec 05, 2001 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Debate Rages on over Evidence of Mars Life in Meteorite
(Spaceflight Now) - Scientists argue the significance of magnetic crystals found inside Martian meteorite ALH 84001.

Dec 04, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Ocean Inside Jupiter's Moon Callisto May Have Cushioned Big Impact
(NASA) - A recent image from NASA's Galileo spacecraft adds evidence that Callisto may hold an underground ocean.

Nov 29, 2001 | MISSIONS
Today's Planned Shuttle Launch Postponed until Tomorrow
(NASA) - The launch was delayed due to problems with the docking of a Russian cargo ship at the International Space Station.

Nov 27, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Quail Eggs to Provide Clues to Effects of Microgravity
(NASA) - Equipment to study the effects of weightlessness on the development of bird embryos is set to fly into space this Thursday aboard the space shuttle.

Nov 26, 2001 | SCIENCE
Life in the Universe: Is It Just around the Corner?
(SpaceRef.com) - Astrobiologist Chris Chyba discusses the possibilities for life beyond Earth.

Nov 06, 2001 | SCIENCE
Hydrothermal Vents: Life's First Home?
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - The discovery of vent life in early 1977 began a dramatic shift in the study of the origin of life

Nov 05, 2001 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Good Vibrations
(NASA) - A new treatment under study by NASA-funded doctors could reverse bone loss experienced by astronauts in space.

Nov 05, 2001 | SCIENCE
Space Research Provides New Evidence on the Role of Gravity in Fertilization
(NASA) - Studies of sea urchins on Earth and in space indicate that gravity may have a significant impact on reproduction.

Nov 02, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Why Microbes Matter
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - A key question facing astrobiology is whether life has arisen independently elsewhere in our universe.

Oct 31, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Mars Odyssey's First Look at Mars Is All Treat, No Trick
(NASA) - NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey has given mission managers a real treat this Halloween with its first look at the Red Planet.

Oct 30, 2001 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Bulldozer Rovers Could Get the Scoop on Mars
(NASA) - Tiny bulldozer rovers may some day dish up the dirt and pack it in on Mars.

Oct 25, 2001 | SCIENCE
NASA Looks for Sleepy Volunteers
(NASA) - NASA researchers are soliciting volunteers to to stay in bed for one month in order to simulate the effects of microgravity on the human body.

Oct 24, 2001 | TECHNOLOGIES
Bee Vision: The Latest Buzz in Space Exploration
(NASA) - With their ability to see the unique patterns of flowers visible only in the ultraviolet range, bees have inspired NASA researchers to develop new technologies to search for life on other planets.

Oct 19, 2001 | MISSIONS
NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey Spacecraft Poised to Arrive at Mars
(NASA) - On Tuesday, October 23, the spacecraft reaches the critical moment of its mission as it enters orbit around Mars.

Oct 16, 2001 | SCIENCE
Space Bones
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Weightlessness sure looks like a lot of fun, but prolonged exposure to zero-g in space can have some negative side effects—like the weakening of human bones.

Oct 15, 2001 | TECHNOLOGIES
Space Technologies Aid in Preventing Infant Deaths
(European Space Agency) - Technologies used for understanding how Earth life responds to conditions in space may help protect life on Earth as well.

Oct 10, 2001 | SCIENCE
Bacteria with a 'Nose' for Water
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Researchers have discovered that bacterial communities in extreme environments are able to follow water.

Oct 03, 2001 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Surviving the Stress of Extreme Environments
(European Space Agency) - At a recent conference in Toulouse, France, researchers discussed the ways in which stress may affect future missions beyond Earth orbit.

Sep 10, 2001 | SCIENCE
Space Station Astronauts: Trip to Mars is Doable
(CNN) - The recently returned crew of the International Space Station believe humans would be able to adapt to Martian conditions despite the ill effects of spending months in microgravity.

Sep 05, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Makes Data from Mars Life Experiments Available to Scientists
(Washington Post) - Twenty-five years after the Viking mission tested for evidence of life on Mars, NASA has made the data available for reexamination by the scientific community.

Sep 04, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Wide Awake in Outer Space
(NASA) - Life in Earth orbit may upset astronauts' biological clocks, disturbing their sleep patterns.

Sep 04, 2001 | SCIENCE
Sleeping Soundly in Space
(Space.com) - New research shows that a few sleep disorders are actually reduced in space.

Aug 30, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
First Cells Being Grown on Space Station
(NASA) - The first cell culture experiments aboard the International Space Station are on the way to being completed by early next week.

Aug 24, 2001 | SCIENCE
Guerrero Negro
(NASA Astrobiology) - Near the seaside town of Guerrero Negro in Mexico's Baja Peninsula, microbial mats could tell us about the early Earth, and about finding life on other planets.

Aug 23, 2001 | SCIENCE
Advances in Our Understanding of Life
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Excerpts from testimony by astrobiologist Jack Farmer to the House Subcommiteee on Space and Aeronautics.

Aug 17, 2001 | SCIENCE
Life on Ice
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Psychrophiles, organisms that are able to survive in extremely low temperatures, may serve as analogues for possible life on other planets.

Aug 10, 2001 | SCIENCE
Mixed Up in Space
(NASA) - When moving from the surface of the Earth to zero gravity of space, the human body can become disoriented, causing symptoms ranging from mild headaches to vertigo and nausea.

Aug 09, 2001 | SCIENCE
NASA Scientists Propose New Theory of Earth's Early Evolution
(NASA) - NASA scientists recently proposed a new explanation for the rise of oxygen in Earth's early atmosphere—an event that may have jumpstarted the evolution of complex life.

Aug 08, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Shuttle Prepares for Launch
(NASA) - Space Shuttle Discovery is set to lift off Thursday.

Aug 08, 2001 | SCIENCE
Eating Right for Long-Duration Space Missions
(SpaceDaily) - A recent study of astronauts has validated a tool for measuring astronauts' dietary intake during long space flights.

Aug 06, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Next Space Station Crew Ready to Focus on Research
(Space.com) - The crew will set off for the International Space Station on Thursday. For four months they will study the effects of living in space.

Aug 06, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Astronauts' Bodies Suffer Without Gravity
(NASA) - The absence of gravity in space can cause serious problems for astronauts, including muscle and bone loss, when they return to the Earth’s surface.

Aug 03, 2001 | SCIENCE
Callisto's Watery Secret
(Nature) - New evidence has been put forth for an ocean of water on Jupiter's moon Callisto.

Aug 02, 2001 | SCIENCE
Did Tectonics Get an Early Start?
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - The conditions necessary for complex life may have arisen earlier than previously thought.

Aug 01, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Looking for Life at the Poles of Mars
(Space.com) - While most liquid water on Mars may lie deep underground, life might exist close to the surface of the polar ice caps.

Aug 01, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Waste Not, Want Not on the Road to Mars
(ESA) - An artificial ecosystem prepares to undergo its first tests.

Jul 31, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Is the Signature of life on Mars Present in Decades-old Data?
(University of Southern California) - A scientist claims that results from 25 years ago show evidence of life in a scoopful of Martian soil.

Jul 31, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Space Seeds Return to Earth
(Science@NASA) - Seed pods grown in space will help determine whether plants can complete normal life cycles while in orbit.

Jul 30, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Happy Anniversary, Viking Lander
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - On July 20, 1976, NASA's Viking 1 lander touched down safely on the surface of Mars, revealing an alien world that continues to puzzle scientists and tempt explorers.

Jul 27, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Eilene Theilig: Faith, by Jupiter
(CNN) - The manager of NASA’s Galileo mission to Jupiter discusses the 12-year-old spacecraft and what it has taught us so far.

Jul 26, 2001 | SCIENCE
Mars: Dead or Alive?
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Recent research on the planet has convinced some scientists that Mars may still be geologically active.

Jul 20, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Twenty-Five Years after Viking, Mars Life Debate Continues
(CNN) - On the anniversary of the first Viking landing on Mars, scientists disagree over what Viking found when it scooped up Martian soil.

Jul 17, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Zooming in on Mars
(Space.com) - Set for launch in 2005, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will be essential to selecting landing sites for future missions.

Jul 17, 2001 | SCIENCE
New Kind of Hydrothermal Vent Discovered
(Nature) - Hydrothermal vents and the ecosystems they support may be more common than previously thought.

Jul 16, 2001 | SCIENCE
Life Down Under
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Particles from Jupiter's magnetic field may make life possible in a subsurface ocean on Europa.

Jul 11, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Shuttle Launch Preparations Continue
(NASA) - The mission is scheduled to launch Thursday at 2:04 a.m. Pacific (5:04 a.m. Eastern/09:04 GMT).

Jul 11, 2001 | SCIENCE
How Small Can Life Be?
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - As advanced microscopes enable us to peer deeper into the realms of inner space, biologists have been faced with a vexing question: Is there a size limit on life?

Jul 05, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Space Station Sends Back First Radiation Data
(NASA) - The data, obtained by thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs), will help charactize the radiation environment aboard the International Space Station.

Jun 23, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Europa: Chewy or Crunchy?
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - For geophysicist William B. Moore, the question of whether life exists on Jupiter's moon Europa boils down to whether the moon's center is chewy or crunchy.

Jun 20, 2001 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Conference Addresses Effects of Space Travel
(NASA) - Can human beings endure the challenges of long-duration space travel?

Jun 19, 2001 | SCIENCE
Mars Meteorite Discovered in Oman Desert
(CNN) - The meteorite, known as SAU 094, could help determine if life ever existed on Mars.

Jun 18, 2001 | TECHNOLOGIES
A Pregnancy Test for Mars
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - The same antibody technology used in home pregnancy tests may one day search for find signs of past or present life on Mars.

Jun 05, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Jellyplants on Mars
(Science@NASA) - Scientists are creating a new breed of glowing plants —part mustard and part jellyfish—to help humans explore Mars.

May 30, 2001 | SCIENCE
Did Hades Freeze Over?
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Ice ages may have enveloped the Earth early in its history

May 23, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Canadian University Works to Sustain Life in Deep Space
(Space.com) - A new laboratory will help researchers design renewable life support systems for long-duration space missions.

May 08, 2001 | MISSIONS
Humans to Mars in 20 Years or Less, NASA Chief Says
(Space.com/Reuters) - According to NASA administrator Daniel Goldin, research conducted aboard the International Space Station will help make travel to Mars possible.

May 08, 2001 | SCIENCE
Researchers Modify Bacteria to Use 21st Amino Acid
(Space.com) - Previously, living things had used only 20 types of amino acids to build proteins. The research may help determine whether life on other planets could be based on different chemical processes.

May 04, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
The Phantom Torso
(Science@NASA) - An unusual space traveler named Fred is orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station. His job? To keep astronauts safe from space radiation.

Apr 30, 2001 | SCIENCE
Does the Famous Martian Meteorite Really Point to Life?
(NASA/Space.com) - Debate continues over whether Martian meteorite ALH84001 contains evidence of ancient life on Mars.

Apr 25, 2001 | SCIENCE
Life as we didn't know it
(NASA) - Biologists always thought life required the Sun's energy, until they found an ecosystem that thrives in complete darkness.

Apr 23, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Keeping "Cool" at Deep-Sea Vents
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Using a novel detector attached to a submarine, researchers study weird worms that inhabit deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites.

Apr 13, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Focus on Europa
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Scientists from a variety of disciplines met recently to consider the possibility of life on Europa, and to plan how to look for it.

Apr 09, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Life's chemical fingerprints
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Using a technique called Raman spectroscopy, researchers are developing instruments that may one day search for life on Mars, Europa, or Callisto.

Mar 28, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
The Lure of Hematite
(Science@NASA) - On rusty-red Mars, a curious deposit of gray-colored hematite (a mineral cousin of common household rust) could hold the key to the mystery of elusive Martian water.

Mar 27, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars or Europa: Where does life exist?
(Space.com) - Leading experts discuss where and how best to conduct the hunt for life elsewhere in our solar system.

Mar 21, 2001 | SCIENCE
Evo devo learns a larval lesson
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Scientists have studied the life history of animals, part of a field called development, for many decades. Other scientists have studied how life arose and evolved on Earth. For the first time since the early part of this century, the two fields are coming together, in a new discipline called "Evo Devo."

Mar 16, 2001 | TECHNOLOGIES
Ice probe reveals images deep within Antarctic ice
(NASA) - The technology may one day be used to explore other planets.

Mar 14, 2001 | SCIENCE
Looking for Signs of Life in Acid-Washed Rocks
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Extraordinary clues to the history of biological evolution on Earth often come from something as mundane as rocks. To better understand the close connection between life and geology -- and how one affects the other -- new laboratory methods are being developed to tease out the information that ancient rocks contain.

Mar 09, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Ganymede's liquid past
(NASA) - Long swaths of bright, flat terrain on the surface of Jupiter's icy moon Ganymede may testify that water or slush emerged there about a billion years ago, say planetary scientists.

Feb 26, 2001 | SCIENCE
New evidence of ancient life on Mars
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - New evidence from a Martian meteorite strengthens the case that microorganisms once existed on Mars.

Feb 19, 2001 | SCIENCE
Evolution: land plants divided and ruled
(Nature) - Two very different groups of plants used the same trick to get a foothold on land.

Feb 14, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Carbonated Mars
(NASA) - Here on Earth the only way to make carbonate rocks is with the aid of liquid water. Finding such rocks on Mars might prove, once and for all, that the barren Red Planet was once warm and wet.

Feb 08, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Possibilities for life on Europa
(Space.com) - Researchers met last week to consider the likelihood of life on Jupiter's moon Europa.

Feb 05, 2001 | SCIENCE
The oldest life on land
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Fossilized remnants of a microbial mat provide evidence that life existed on land as early as 2.6 to 2.7 billion years ago. The findings suggest that an oxygen atmosphere and a protective ozone layer were in place around Earth by that time.

Feb 02, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Jovian moons
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Jupiter's four largest moons were discovered by Galileo in 1610. Three of them might hold oceans of liquid water beneath their icy exteriors. Liquid water is a prerequisite for life.

Jan 18, 2001 | SCIENCE
Astrobiologists find evidence of early life on land
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Scientists with NASA's Astrobiology Institute have discovered evidence that microbial life emerged on land between 2.6 billion and 2.7 billion years ago, much earlier than previously thought.

Jan 11, 2001 | SCIENCE
Earth's oldest mineral grains suggest an early start for life
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - The hills of Western Australia are home to zircons nearly four-and-a-half billion years old. The tiny crystals may change our understanding of the newly-formed Earth.

Dec 26, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
The science of the International Space Station
(CNN) - The space station will allow scientists to study what can't be studied elsewhere: the effects of microgravity on Earth life.

Dec 26, 2000 | SCIENCE
Scientists investigate virus reactivation in astronauts
(Medscape [free registration req'd]) - NASA scientists are investigating whether dormant viruses in the body are likely to reactivate during spaceflight.

Dec 25, 2000 | SCIENCE
Researchers look to pedal power for astronauts' health
(CNN) - A bicycle-like centrifuge may counteract the health effects of long periods of weightlessness.

Dec 20, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Beagle 2 landing site on Mars selected
(ESA) - The region appears to be a sedimentary basin where traces of life could have been preserved.

Dec 13, 2000 | SCIENCE
New report offers evidence of primitive life on Mars
(NASA) - Tiny magnetite crystals, identical to those used by bacteria on Earth, have been found in the Martian meteorite ALH84001.

Dec 04, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Evidence of ancient lakes on Mars
(NASA) - If life once existed on Mars, sedimentary layers in the lake beds might be the place to look for fossils.

Nov 09, 2000 | MISSIONS
Space station crew alerted to solar storm
(Space.com) - The increased level of solar radiation will not threaten the astronauts.

Nov 07, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Group fears Mars sample return might contaminate Earth
(CNN) - Planetary protection is one of astrobiology's primary objectives.

Oct 18, 2000 | SCIENCE
Survival skills: Life in the hot pools of Yellowstone
(ABC News) - NASA astrobiologist Lynn Rothschild studies organisms that not only survive in boiling water, but thrive in it.

Oct 18, 2000 | SCIENCE
Bacteria brought back to life after 250 million years
(BBC) - Microbes dormant for 250 million years have been revived. The findings may have implications for the search for life on Mars and for the origin of life on Earth.

Oct 02, 2000 | SCIENCE
First salt-loving bug sequenced
(BBC) - Scientists have cracked the genetic code of a microbe that thrives in extremely salty water. The findings could help astrobiologists determine the limits that life can endure.

Sep 14, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
How deep to dig for life on Mars?
(NASA) - NASA researchers have simulated chemical processes in the Martian soil. Their findings will help determine how deep to dig to look for life on Mars.

Sep 12, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Astrobiology-related research gets underway aboard International Space Station
(NASA) - Astronauts will load a protein crystal growth experiment onto the station.

Aug 31, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Life thrives at edge of glaciers
(space.com) - The findings indicate that polar ice caps of Mars may be a prime location to look for life.

Aug 25, 2000 | SCIENCE
Hard evidence shows life could have evolved naturally
(UniSci) - According to geophysicists, the biochemistry necessary for primitive life to emerge could have occurred at hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor

Aug 25, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Strong evidence of ocean of water on Europa
(NASA) - Magnetic readings from the Galileo space probe provide the latest indication of liquid water under the thick ice of this moon of Jupiter.

Aug 21, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Liquid water on the surface of Mars?
(space.com) - A group of scientists disputes the consensus that liquid water can't exist on the Martian surface.

Aug 17, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Microscope to search for life on Mars
(space.com) - The microscope will be carried aboard the British Beagle 2 lander, set to land in 2003.

Aug 16, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES, EDUCATION
Making Mars bricks
(space.com) - A college student is developing a method for Mars astronauts to build radiation-proof structures from the soil around them.

Aug 16, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Possible ice mountains seen on Titan
(Spaceflight Now/University of Arizona) - A bright spot on this moon of Saturn may be mountains of water ice drenched in a rain of liquid methane.

Aug 12, 2000 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Going to the Arctic to look for life on Mars
(space.com) - In the Canadian Arctic, a researcher with the Haughton-Mars expedition is testing technologies that may one day search for DNA on Mars.

Aug 10, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA plans to send twin rovers to Mars in 2003
(Spaceflight Now/NASA) - The two rovers will study the history of water on Mars and search for evidence of life.

Jul 26, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Yellowstone microbes ride on NASA rocket
(CNN) - The flight is testing whether meteorites could have spread life from one planet to another.

Jul 06, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Galileo to crash into Jupiter
(space.com) - To avoid contaminating Jupiter's moons, NASA will deliberately crash land the aging spacecraft.

Jun 22, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Evidence of liquid water on Mars
(NASA) - Images show signs of water seeping from an underground aquifer. Where there is liquid water, there might be life.

Jun 16, 2000 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Scientists discover sugar molecules in space
(space.com) - The building blocks of life may be common throughout the universe.

Jun 14, 2000 | TECHNOLOGIES
Sensor webs to look for life
(Spaceflight Now) - In a garden in Southern California, NASA is testing a new generation of life-detection technology.

Jun 08, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Cracks in Europa's ice may create habitat for life
(space.com) - As icebergs slide past each other, friction may melt ice. The liquid water might provide a habitat for living organisms.

Jun 08, 2000 | SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES
Fossils of microbes found near undersea volcanoes
(SF Chronicle) - Scientists debate whether life began near vents of boiling water under the sea.

May 29, 2000 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES, EDUCATION
Shuttle returns to Earth
(NASA) - Atlantis' astronauts glided to a pre-dawn landing. Their mission included student experiments testing the effects of space on Earth life.

May 04, 2000 | TECHNOLOGIES
"Snakebots" in development at NASA
(space.com) - Serpent-like robots may one day wriggle through Martian crevices, looking for life.

May 03, 2000 | SCIENCE, EDUCATION
Astronauts hunt microbes and meteorites at the South Pole
(Science@NASA) - Astrobiologists and astronauts -- including Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 -- traveled to Antarctica in January to study microbial life there. Their findings will shed light on whether life may exist on frozen bodies such as Mars and Europa.

May 02, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Have we missed signs of life on Mars?
(Spaceflight Now) - The Viking landers may have overlooked traces of life on Mars because they were searching for the wrong chemicals.

Apr 27, 2000 | MISSIONS
Life detection technology gets room to grow
(space.com) - The postponement of missions to Mars gives scientists more time to hone technologies for searching for life.

Apr 20, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
New image of Europa
(Spaceflight Now) - The image suggests the presence materials conducive to life on Europa's icy surface.

Apr 13, 2000 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA and National Cancer Institute to develop nanoexplorers for human body
(NASA) - Microscopic sensors may one day travel through the bodies of astronauts to detect, diagnose, and treat disease.

Mar 01, 2000 | SCIENCE
Sulfur in meteorites offers no evidence of Mars life
(SpaceViews) - Scientists claim that that sulfur concentrations found in Martian meteorites are the result of atmospheric processes and not of life on Mars. Sulfur concentrations may not be an effective biomarker.

Jan 13, 2000 | SCIENCE
Panspermia theoretically possible, say scientists
(Yahoo!/AP) - A team of scientists has concluded that single-celled organisms from Mars could theoretically have seeded the Earth with life, or vice versa.

Dec 14, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Radiation-resistant microbe could play major role in Martian exploration
(Science@NASA) - The microbe can help scientists determine the best locations to seek life on Mars. Later, it may help keep astronauts healthy. Finally, it may reshape Mars for colonists.

Dec 13, 1999 | SCIENCE
Antarctic discovery supports possibility of life on Europa
(SpaceViews) - Scientists have found bacteria living in a lake three kilometers below the surface of Antarctica. The finding may shed light on whether life could exist on Jupiter's moon Europa.

Dec 10, 1999 | SCIENCE
Researchers suspect Mars had ocean
(Yahoo!/AP) - Scientists say they have found geologic features on Mars that resemble an ancient coastline.

Oct 25, 1999 | SCIENCE
Biologists raise caution about colonies in space
(San Franciso Chronicle) - A study suggests that children born in space might suffer permanent nervous-system damage unless exposed to earthlike gravity at key points during their early development.

Oct 20, 1999 | SCIENCE
Forum panelists offer views on other life in the universe
(Florida Today) - In this interview, scientists argue that the raw materials for life are widespread throughout the universe. Life, therefore, is likely to exist elsewhere in the universe.

Oct 20, 1999 | MISSIONS
Flying the vomit comet has its ups and downs
(space.com) - For passengers of the "vomit comet," the NASA aircraft used to simulate the effects of weightless in space, the plane lives up to its name.

Oct 01, 1999 | SCIENCE
Dating of meteorite mineral leaves Mars-life hypothesis alive
(space.com) - A team of NASA scientists has previously claimed that a meteorite from Mars holds fossils of microbes. Analysis now reveals that the chunk of Mars' surface was blown into space at a time when the planet may have been warm, wet, and more hospitable to life.

Sep 30, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Sulfuric acid found on Europa
(Science@NASA) - Sulfur from volcanoes on Io may be responsible for a battery acid chemical on Europa. The finding has implications for astrobiology.

Sep 14, 1999 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Space station glovebox ready for scientists to design experiments
(Science@NASA) - The glovebox will permit astronauts to conduct experiments on the effects of microgravity (weightlessness).

Sep 02, 1999 | SCIENCE
Mound on Mars may have been built by microbes
(New Scientist) - Researchers in Turkey and Scotland say that a huge rock within a Martian crater strongly resembles a stromatolite, a mound of minerals created by single-celled organisms called cyanobacteria.

Aug 30, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mir cosmonauts adapt to life on Earth
(Houston Chronicle) - Extended periods in weightlessness can lead to weakened muscles. Nevertheless, returning Mir cosmonauts are adjusting to Earth gravity.

Aug 24, 1999 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Hunt for life on Mars gets rehearsal in Egyptian Desert
(Houston Chronicle/AFP) - Radar for searching for life on Mars will be tested in Egypt. The technologies will be used aboard the Mars Express mission.

Aug 23, 1999 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Ideal domestic animal for Mars colonies: Rabbits?
(space.com) - One commentator believes small size, rapid breeding, low maintenance, and other characteristics make rabbits the choice for Mars colonists.

Aug 23, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Living off the land -- on an asteroid
(explorezone.com) - Nearly all the raw materials needed to build a self-sufficient space colony are available on a typical asteroid.

Aug 21, 1999 | EDUCATION
Astrobiology within her grasp
(L.A. Times) - Discouraged from studying science because she was female, a NASA geologist now develops technologies to look for life on Mars.

Aug 17, 1999 | EDUCATION
Students study weightlessness by experiencing the real thing
(Full coverage) - Students aboard a NASA plane undergo a moment of microgravity, and conduct experiments on its effects.

Aug 06, 1999 | SCIENCE
All green land plants may share common ancestor
(Science Daily) - Genetic research suggests that all green land plants may have descended from a single freshwater algae.

Jul 27, 1999 | SCIENCE
Astrobiologists to hunt for microbes in Siberia
(Science@NASA) - Cryophiles are single-celled organisms that thrive in cold conditions. They may hold clues to whether life could exist on other worlds, and to how to find it.

Jul 20, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Scientists debate implications of Mars pictures
(CNN) - At the Fifth International Conference on Mars, researchers differed over what the photos from Mars Global Surveyor tell us. They discussed the evidence of water and the possibility of life on past and present Mars.

Jun 07, 1999 | SCIENCE
Complex Europan life unlikely
(SpaceViews) - A team of scientists claims that, because of the few sources of energy available, any life on Europa would be limited to single-celled organisms.

Oct 23, 1998 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Signs of water on Callisto
(Science@NASA) - Scientists may have discovered a salty ocean and some ingredients for life on Jupiter's moon.