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Titan First
Robert Shapiro (New York University) and Dirk Schulze-Makuch (Washington State University)
The Titan Saturn System Mission is planned to consist of a NASA orbiter, an ESA lander and a research balloon. Artist's image shows lander on one of Titan's hydrocarbon lakes with Saturn in the background.We have written a paper “The Search for Alien Life in Our Solar System: Strategies and Priorities” which is now on line http://www.liebertonline.com/toc/ast/0/0 and will soon appear in Issue #4 (2009) of Astrobiology. We argue that Titan should be given the highest priority in the search for existing alien life in our Solar System, followed by Mars and Europa in that order. In setting priorities, we assume that economic constraints may limit existing space agencies to only one new multi-billion dollar planetary exploration mission, comparable to...
May 13, 2009 / Posted by: Yael Kovo -
Comment on Titan First
Andrew Pohorille (NASA-Ames)
Membranous vesicles that self-assemble in water from soap-like molecules extracted from the Murchison carbonaceous meteorite (courtesy of David Deamer). Besides water only very few other liquids have some capabilities to promote the formation of boundary structures.In their recent, interesting paper, Robert Shapiro and Dirk Schulze-Makuch argue that Titan is the best target to search for indigenous alien life. The essence of their argument is that the environment on Titan is particularly conducive to rich organic, carbon-based chemistry. I agree that this, indeed, appears to be the case. Abundance of organic compounds, however, does not imply the existence of life or even a possibility of the emergence of life.
To become animated, organic matter has to separate itself from the environment and self-organize into functional structures capable of responding to environmental changes...
May 13, 2009 / Posted by: Yael Kovo -
Program Solicitation in Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a program solicitation for research in sedimentary geology and paleobiology. The program focuses on numerous areas of research that are significant to the science of astrobiology. Among the topics of interest cited by the NSF are: the use of fossils, plants, animals and microbes to study how life has changed over geologic time; the science of dating and measuring time and rates of processes in the Earth’s sedimentary and biological fossil record; and studying the pre-Holocene climate systems of Earth. Proposals that seek to link multiple disciplines such as...Source: [NSF]
May 12, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal -
NAI Team Seminars Recorded and Available Online
A series of virtual seminars highlighting the work of the NAI’s fourteen teams concluded on April 27, 2009. In successive seminars held two per week over a period of two months, each team presented their science, education and outreach and other activities. The seminars were open to all, and participants had the option of joining in by phone and web, or by videoconference. The seminars attracted audiences that ranged from ~50-80 people each, and were recorded and archived on the NAI website. The seminars may be downloaded as podcasts or viewed as web recordings that play...
Source: [Link]
May 8, 2009 / Posted by: Marco Boldt
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Outer Space Oreos
Scientists have previously exposed organisms and biomolecules to the many rigors of space, but those experiments only managed to take “before” and “after” pictures of their samples. A planned small satellite will monitor on a continuous basis the negative effects of space on biology. The upcoming O/OREOS mission will be the first demonstration flight of the ASTID small payloads initiative.
Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]
May 7, 2009 / Written by: Michael Schirber
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NAI Ames Research Center Team Launches New Website
The NAI Ames Research Center Team announces the launch of their new website at http://www.amesteam.arc.nasa.gov. The site contains news, highlights, a member directory, research overviews, E/PO information and more.
May 4, 2009 / Posted by: Marco Boldt
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Darwin in a Test Tube
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have discovered a way to make molecules evolve and compete according to the laws of Darwinian evolution. Using RNA, the researchers were able to demonstrate that only the fittest molecules survived in the presence of a limited resource. When resources were plentiful, molecules would become increasingly specialized through generations of replication.
This fascinating work is helping astrobiologists better understand the processes that underlie evolution. Additionally, the results could shed some light on how primitive molecules on Earth first gave live to living organisms.
The work was funded through NASA’s Exobiology & Evolutionary Biology...Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]
May 1, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal
Astrobiology Field Work
Rollover map to explore Astrobiology field sites around the world.
