#astrobiology

A new study argues that bacteria launched from Earth on dust grains could plausibly reach Europa and, in rare cases, survive long enough to matter.

Research on stromatolites found in South Korea’s Hapcheon impact crater suggests asteroid strikes may have created hydrothermal lakes that fostered oxygen-producing microbial blooms on early Earth.

A new astrobiology study argues that future missions may be just as vulnerable to overlooking life as they are to falsely claiming it, and that artificial intelligence could become a useful tool for catching subtle biosc

A new review argues that proteins built from a reduced set of amino acids can still fold and function, strengthening the case that early life may have started with much simpler biochemical parts than modern organisms use

NASA-funded scientists report evidence that life on Earth was already using molybdenum 3.3 to 3.7 billion years ago, despite the metal’s extreme scarcity in early oceans.

A study described by Universe Today says at least one fungal strain collected from NASA cleanrooms survived a battery of Mars-like stress tests, expanding planetary protection concerns beyond bacteria.

NASA’s Curiosity rover has identified more than 20 organic compounds in a clay-bearing Martian rock, including seven never before detected on Mars.

A new preprint examines 10 types of global technological civilizations to explore how governance, resource use and recovery dynamics may shape whether advanced societies endure or disappear

A new astrobiology paper argues that life may be easier to detect across patterns in groups of planets than through ambiguous biosignatures on any single world.

New Chandra observations suggest young stellar cousins of the Sun lose intense X-ray output more quickly than expected, a result that could improve the odds for life on planets orbiting them.

A proposed VTOL mission called Orpheus would target the Cerberus Fossae region on Mars, using hopper-style mobility to explore fissures, pits, and cave vents that may better preserve signs of life.

A study presented at the 2026 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference examines whether organic material ejected from Earth could seed temporary life in Venus’ clouds.

A new paper argues that conventional SETI research has been too narrowly focused on radio and microwave frequencies for decades, and that a broader search across the full electromagnetic spectrum could dramatically improve the odds of detecting alien signals.

Scientists analyzing material returned by Japan's Hayabusa2 from asteroid Ryugu have confirmed all five nucleobases that form the chemical alphabet of DNA and RNA, the strongest evidence yet for space-based origins of life's chemistry.

Scientists analyzing NASA InSight seismic data have identified what appears to be a substantial liquid water reservoir 10 to 20 kilometers beneath Mars's surface, potentially rewriting our understanding of Martian habitability.

New research suggests the Sun and thousands of similar stars may have made a dramatic journey from the galaxy's dense inner regions to the quieter outer disk billions of years ago—a migration that may have made life on Earth possible.

A new study suggests asteroid impacts could allow microbes to survive interplanetary transfer, raising the possibility that life on Earth began on Mars.

Scientists propose new chemistry-based methods to identify extraterrestrial life that may be fundamentally different from any organism found on Earth.

NASA's Curiosity rover has gathered its fourth rock sample from enigmatic boxwork ridge formations in Gale Crater, structures formed when water flowed through underground fissures billions of years ago. Previous samples have shown tantalizing hints that may point to ancient life on Mars.