The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap.
The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap provides guidance for research and technology development across the NASA enterprises that encompass the space, Earth, and biological sciences. The ongoing development of astrobiology roadmaps embodies the contributions of diverse scientists and technologists from government, universities, and private institutions. The Roadmap addresses three basic questions: How does life begin and evolve, does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and what is the future of life on Earth and beyond? Seven Science Goals outline the following key domains of investigation: understanding the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the universe, exploring for habitable environments and life in our own solar system, understanding the emergence of life, determining how early life on Earth interacted and evolved with its changing environment, understanding the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life, determining the principles that will shape life in the future, and recognizing signatures of life on other worlds and on early Earth. For each of these goals, Science Objectives outline more specific high-priority efforts for the next 3-5 years. These 18 objectives are being integrated with NASA strategic planning.
Des Marais
David J
DJ
Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA. David.J.Desmarais@nasa.gov
Allamandola
Louis J
LJ
Benner
Steven A
SA
Boss
Alan P
AP
Deamer
David
D
Falkowski
Paul G
PG
Farmer
Jack D
JD
Hedges
S Blair
SB
Jakosky
Bruce M
BM
Knoll
Andrew H
AH
Liskowsky
David R
DR
Meadows
Victoria S
VS
Meyer
Michael A
MA
Pilcher
Carl B
CB
Nealson
Kenneth H
KH
Spormann
Alfred M
AM
Trent
Jonathan D
JD
Turner
William W
WW
Woolf
Neville J
NJ
Yorke
Harold W
HW
D018534:Earth, Planet; D018559:Exobiology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D016083:Planets; D014481:United States; D018557:United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration