Life in Space - Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Probing the Red Planet: Finding past life at Jezero Crater

By Leonard David published 10 August 22

Perseverance Mars rover is gathering up samples of Martian rock and soil that could help tease out an answer concerning past life on Mars.

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance collected its 12th Red Planet rock sample on Aug. 3, 2022.

Perseverance Mars rover bags 12th Red Planet rock sample

By Mike Wall published 5 August 22

NASA's car-sized Perseverance Mars rover drilled out and sealed up its 12th rock sample on Wednesday (Aug. 3), its fourth such operation in less than a month.

The Curiosity rover has been exploring Mars for 10 years. Here's what we've learned.

By Stefanie Waldek published 5 August 22

Curiosity landed on Mars on Aug. 5, 2012, with one main goal: to determine whether the planet was once habitable. In 10 years, it has answered that question and many others.

Martian panorama showing the view back down Mount Sharp at the center of the image and rounded hills in the distance.

Celebrate 10 years of NASA's Curiosity rover with these incredible images (gallery)

By Daisy Dobrijevic published 4 August 22

NASA's Curiosity rover has been exploring Mars for 10 years, taking incredible photos as it goes. We take a look at some of its best images here.

Just how big can a super-Earth get while staying 'habitable'?

By Paul Sutter published 4 August 22

But could these giant, rocky planets actually sustain the conditions for life? Or is life limited to smaller planets like our own?

Super-Earth planet zips through the habitable zone of red dwarf star

By Robert Lea published 3 August 22

Low mass and dim red dwarf stars account for 75% of stars in the Milky Way and astronomers are attempting to discover planets that orbit them.

Curiosity rover on the rusty red rugged surface of Mars covered with rocks and a hazy red sky.

Curiosity rover: The ultimate guide

By Elizabeth Howell, Daisy Dobrijevic published 2 August 22

Reference NASA's Curiosity rover is still exploring the Martian surface and looking for signs of life on Mars. We explore the rover in more detail here.

Reference

An artist's impression of the early Earth.

Early life on Earth and beyond may have been ocean dwellers

By Keith Cooper published 28 July 22

The genetic tree of life suggests that the first life on Earth may have lived underwater, shielded from harmful ultraviolet light from the sun.

Artist's conception of the vehicles that would participate in a Mars sample return by NASA and the European Space Agency.

Mars sample return mission adds 2 helicopters, scraps 'fetch' rover

By Elizabeth Howell published 27 July 22

The redesigned NASA-European campaign will task the Perseverance rover with delivering Red Planet samples to a rocket, with the drones as backup retrieval options.

This photo shows several cities in the American Midwest at night as seen by an astronaut on the International Space Station on Sept. 29, 2011. The artificial light from human settlements appears with a characteristic yellow tinge. The green light of the aurora borealis also shines brightly in this view—even seeming to reflect off Earth's surface in Canada. Part of the ISS appears across the top of the image. \

Alien hunters should look for city lights from 'urbanized planets,' study suggests

By Leonard David published 26 July 22

Scientists searching for signs of extraterrestrial technology should keep an eye out for city lights on exoplanets, a new study suggests.

An artist's depiction of a Sample Retrieval Lander.

Mars sample return details coming next week, NASA and European Space Agency promise

By Elizabeth Howell published 21 July 22

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have new details to share on how they will bring pieces of Mars to Earth, and they'll share their plans next week.

To search for alien life, astronomers will look for clues in the atmospheres of distant planets — and the James Webb Space Telescope just proved it's possible to do so

By Chris Impey, Daniel Apai published 20 July 22

Scientists who study exoplanets explain how the James Webb Space Telescope will study exoplanet atmospheres.

U.S. Navy videos of alleged UFO sightings were previously available but had not been officially declassified.

How big a deal is NASA's new UFO study?

By Leonard David published 18 July 22

Space.com reached out to UFO groups and leading experts in the field to get their thoughts on NASA's new endeavor.

gravitational lensing communication diagram

Could we eavesdrop on aliens by detecting signals relayed around the sun?

By Stefanie Waldek published 17 July 22

Researchers suggest we may be able to use gravitational lensing to amplify radio waves, allowing us to listen in on communication signals passing through our solar system.

An artist's impression of the Rosalind Franklin rover, which is testing its life-detection capabilities using samples of microbes from Lost Hammer Spring.

Europe ending cooperation with Russia on life-hunting Mars rover

By Mike Wall published 13 July 22

It's official: Russia will no longer be a partner on Europe's life-hunting Mars rover mission, which is scheduled to launch in the late 2020s.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, seen here in an artist's illustration, deployed its final primary mirror segment on Jan. 8, 2022, a critical milestone for its mission to study the universe.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is ready to begin its epic science mission

By Mike Wall published 11 July 22

The powerful eyes of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are now fully open and ready to observe the cosmos.

Artist's illustration of Mars against the backdrop of space.

Mars: Everything you need to know about the Red Planet

By Charles Q. Choi published 11 July 22

Reference Mars, the fourth planet from the sun is famed for its rusty red appearance. Here we explore the Red Planet in more detail and see why scientists find it so intriguing.

Reference

A general engineering model of NASA's proposed Mars Life Explorer spacecraft, with solar panels, drill and science payload on the lander deck.

NASA's Mars Life Explorer mission would dig deep to hunt for Red Planet life

By Leonard David published 11 July 22

A NASA concept mission called Mars Life Explorer would dig into Red Planet ice, hunting for signs of living organisms.

Mars spacecraft may have to dig deeper than thought to find traces of life

By Robert Lea published 9 July 22

New research shows that certain protein-building amino acids that could be evidence of ancient life on Mars are more susceptible to radiation than scientists thought.

NASA's Europa Clipper may crash into Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, at mission's end

By Stefanie Waldek published 29 June 22

The Europa Clipper mission, due to launch in 2024, was originally supposed to crash into Jupiter, but there's been a change of plans.

Search for Life

Latest