nasa’s astrobiology program · 2018-11-08 · • research areas include, but are not limited to,...

NASA’s Astrobiology Program

Credit: Aaron Gronstal

Dr. Lindsay E. HaysDeputy Program Scientist

NASA Astrobiology Program

Astrobiology Program Background

11/7/18 Space Life Sciences Symposium 2018 2

Astrobiology at NASA

(1963-present)

Astrobiology is the interdisciplinary study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.


National Aeronautics and Space Act20102. Congressional declaration of policy and purpose

Objectives of Aeronautical and Space Activities.—The aeronautical and space activities of the United States shall be conducted so as to contribute materially to one or more of the following objectives:1. The expansion of human knowledge of the Earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space.

2. The improvement of the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aeronautical and space vehicles.3. The development and operation of vehicles capable of carrying instruments, equipment, supplies, and living organisms through space.

4. The establishment of long-range studies of the potential benefits to be gained from, the opportunities for, and the problems involved in the utilization of aeronautical and space activities for peaceful and scientific purposes.

5. The preservation of the role of the United States as a leader in aeronautical and space science and technology and in the application thereof to the conduct of peaceful activities within and outside the atmosphere.

6. The making available to agencies directly concerned with national defense of discoveries that have military value or significance, and the furnishing by such agencies, to the civilian agency established to direct and control nonmilitary aeronautical and space activities, of information as to discoveries which have value or significance to that agency.

7. Cooperation by the United States with other nations and groups of nations in work done pursuant to this chapter and in the peaceful application of the results thereof.

8. The most effective utilization of the scientific and engineering resources of the United States, with close cooperation among all interested agencies of the United States in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, facilities, and equipment.

9. The preservation of the United States preeminent position in aeronautics and space through research and technology development related to associated manufacturing processes.

10. The search for life's origin, evolution, distribution, and future in the universe.


11/7/18 NASA and the Origins of Life 5

Astrobiology Program Familiar Faces

Mary VoytekSenior Scientist, NASA Astrobiology Program

Michael NewActing Deputy Associate Administrator for Research

Astrobiology Program Elements



Planetary Sciences Division

Astrobiology Program

Exobiology Habitable Worlds

NAI

NExSSPICASSO/MatISSE

PSTAR

Astrobiology & Society

Program Outreach& Communication

ProfessionalDevelopment

Joint Agency Activities

CAPS & NAS Studies

Astrobiology Databases

Early Career (NPP, NESSF)

Astrophysics Division

Heliophysics Division

Earth SciencesDivision

Ongoing and Future Mission Support

Science Mission Directorate

NASA Astrobiology Program Elements


Scientific Research (PSD): Exobiology

Scientific Research/Cross Divisional (APD): NAI à RCNs(NASA Astrobiology Institute) (Research Coordination Networks)

Cross Divisional Initiative (SMD): NExSS(NASA Exoplanet System Science)

Analog Research (PSD): PSTAR(Planetary Science & Technology in Analogue Research)

Scientific Research/Cross Divisional (APD): Habitable Worlds

Instruments (PSD): PICASSO and MatISSE(Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations & Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration)

Scientific and Technical Events (SMD): TWSC(Topical Workshops, Symposia, and Conferences)

Early Career Scientific Research (SMD): NPP and NESSF(NASA Postdoctoral Program & NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship)

Scientific Research (NSF): IDEAS Lab

Scientific Research (PSD): Emerging Worlds

Habitable Worlds• Aim is to use knowledge of the history of the Earth and the life upon it as a guide for determining the processes

and conditions that create and maintain habitable environments and to search for ancient and contemporary habitable environments and explore the possibility of extant life beyond the Earth.

• Research areas include, but are not limited to, the presence of water and/or exotic solvents, sources of energy for life, presence of organics and their reactivity, and water body physics and chemistry as they pertain to habitability and habitability over time, as well as space weather signatures that may be indicative of impacts to planetary habitability.

• Prebiotic chemistry and reactions that lead to biomolecules, and preservation of organic compounds go to Exobiology. Delivery of organic material goes to Emerging Worlds. Genetic changes and how terrestrial organisms function outside Earth is Space Biology (HEOMD). Use of organic compounds as energy source, source of carbon is ok.

• Bottom line: What aspects of the planet make it habitable and how? Work must directly address how the aspect is related to habitability (and not just presence of a particular feature like liquid water).


Emerging Worlds

• Aim is to answer the fundamental science question of how the Solar System formed and evolved.

• Early evolution of the Solar System:• For studies of the dynamical evolution of the Solar System….• For studies of the chemistry and physics of collisions and impacts in the Solar System, Emerging Worlds

focuses on those processes that occurred and were most prominent during the dynamical evolution of the Solar System up to the time that large planetary bodies were in or near their modern orbital configuration, and which had significant effect on the structure of the target body or its planetary system.

• For studies of the large planetary bodies themselves….• For studies of processes that occurred on small bodies, the intent is to cover processes that can be

reasonably inferred to have occurred and were most prominent up to the time that large planetary bodies were in or near their modern configuration.

• Bottom line: What is the origin and delivery of elements and compounds relevant for life processes to Earth and other potentially habitable bodies in the solar system?


Exobiology• Aim is to understand the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the Universe. Research

is centered on the origin and early evolution of life, the potential of life to adapt to different environments, and the implications for life elsewhere.

• The areas of research emphases in this solicitation are as follows:• Prebiotic Evolution• Early Evolution of Life and the Biosphere• Evolution of Advanced Life• Large scale environmental change and Macro-evolution • Biosignatures and Life Elsewhere

• Survival of living organisms in space, applied synthetic biology (particularly in the context of ISRU) are part of the Space Biology Program in HEOMD.

• Bottom line: Understand life in the universe in the context of life on the Earth.


TWSC

• This program element solicits proposals for topical workshops, symposia, conferences, and other scientific/technical meetings that advance the goals and objectives of the SMD Divisions.

• Proposals are not limited to traditional in-person meetings of scientists, but may also include requests for support of other methods of bringing together members of the scientific communities relevant to NASA, such as online discussion forums and web-based collaboration portals, especially in support of a traditional event.

• This program element is directed at and strictly limited to scientific and technical events of interest to SMD, not education, public outreach, or administrative conferences.

• Bottom Line: TWSC can support any costs related to a domestic WSC except food. For international meetings can support travel. Favor funds to support student or under-represented group attendance.


Early Career Scientists

• NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF): Graduate students working towards a Masters or PhD and interested in Astrobiology research fields (including the goal from NASA’s 2014 Strategic Plan to ascertain the content, origin, and evolution of the solar system and the potential for life elsewhere) can apply to the NESSF program.• NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP): The Astrobiology NPP is available for

applicants working with PIs funded by any program under the Astrobiology Program. This includes Exobiology, Habitable Worlds, PSTAR, PICASSO, and MatISSE awards.

• Early Career Awards (ECA): The Planetary Science Division’s ECA program (formerly Early Career Fellowship, ECF) is currently being revised, and therefore was not solicited as part of Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) in 2018. When the revised program is solicited, it will provide support for researchers in the first stage of their career to set up a research program.


Ideas Lab: What is it?


Inputs: Grand Challenge Topic, Creative People, Money

Creative Environment: “Ideas Lab”

Outputs: Potentially Transformative, Novel, Adventurous, Innovative, Interdisciplinary Ideas “Wow Factor”

The Process


Who is involved?• Mentors

focus on the topic

• Facilitatorsfocus on the process

• Participants

InteractClarify

IdeateDevelop

ImplementFive day residential sandpit

2 months Real time peer review

Select project ideas

Submit full proposals

Program Funding level

Exobiology $16MEmerging Worlds $2MHabitable Worlds $7.5MPlanetary Science and Technology through Analogue Research (PSTAR) $13MNAI $20M ($1.3M)NASA Astrobiology Postdoc Program $1.5MNASA Earth and Space Science Fellowships $700kNSF CCE $1MNSF Ideas Lab (OOL) $4.3MAstrobiology Workshops $750KAstrobiology Technology (PSD, STMD) $3-20M

Notional Astrobiology Funding 2017


0"

10,000,000"

20,000,000"

30,000,000"

40,000,000"

50,000,000"

60,000,000"

70,000,000"

FY05" FY06" FY07" FY08" FY09" FY10" FY11" FY12" FY13" FY14" FY15" FY16" FY17"

Real%Year%D

ollars%

Prebio5c"Evolu5on"

Planetary"Condi5ons"for"Life"

Exobiology"for"Solar"System"Explora5on"

Early"Evolu5on"of"Life"and"the"Planet"

Evolu5on"of"Advanced"Life"

AstrobiologyResearch Portfolio

Astrobiology Missions


• OriginsReturn and analyze a sample of pristine carbonaceous asteroid regolith

• Spectral InterpretationProvide ground truth for telescopic data of the entire asteroid population

• Resource IdentificationMap the chemistry and mineralogy of a primitive carbonaceous asteroid

• SecurityMeasure the Yarkovsky effect on a potentially hazardous asteroid

• Regolith ExplorerDocument the regolith at the sampling site at scales down to the sub-cm

New Frontiers: OSIRIS-REx:

Space Life Sciences Symposium 2018

New Frontiers: DragonflyDragonfly is a dual-quadcopter rotorcraft lander to explore prebiotic chemistry and habitability

at dozens of sites on Saturn’s moon Titan

Aerial mobility provides access to Titan's diverse materials in different geologic settings, tens to hundreds of kilometers apart

Dragonfly takes advantage of Titan's unique organic laboratory to understand how far chemistry can progress in environments that provide key ingredients for life

11/7/18 Space Life Sciences Symposium 2018 20Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only. Proposal selected for further study

New Frontiers: Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return (CAESAR)

CAESAR will collect and return to Earth the first samplefrom the surface of a comet nucleus. Analysis of thesample in worldwide laboratories will help answerquestions regarding the nature of Solar System startingmaterials, and how these primitive components cametogether to form planets and give rise to life.

11/7/18 Space Life Sciences Symposium 2018 21Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only. Proposal selected for further study

Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only. * Conceptual

*

*

Exploration of Ocean Worlds

Earth Ice-covered moons

Exploration of Ocean Worlds

30x Earth’s water volume!

EuropaFocus of Future Astrobiological Study

Exoplanets: Next GenerationSpace Telescopes

LUVIOR

Credit: Aaron GronstalSpace Life Sciences Symposium 2018

JWST

Ladder of Life detection

Neveu et al. (2018), Astrobiology 28

Neveu et al. (2018), Astrobiology

National Academies Studies


Exoplanet Science StrategyStatement of TaskIn preparation for and as an input to the upcoming decadal surveys in astronomy and astrophysics and planetary science, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine will appoint an ad hoc committee to perform a study with the following objectives:

• Survey the status of the field of exoplanet science, including the use of current and planned facilities such as Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, the James Webb Space Telescope, the Wide Field InfraRed Survey Telescope, and any other telescope, spacecraft, or instrument, as appropriate;

• Recommend an Exoplanet Science Strategy that outlines the key scientific questions for exoplanet science and research and related near-, medium-, and far-term measurement and technology goals. The Strategy will include the search for life in the universe as well as cross-discipline opportunities in Earth science, astrophysics, heliophysics, and planetary science.

• Discuss which of the key goals of the committee's Strategy could be addressed via current decadal survey recommended priority activities and also identify opportunities for coordination with international partners, commercial partners, and not-for-profit partners;

• In the course of conducting this study, the committee will consider and regularly consult with the concurrent study “State of the Science of Astrobiology,” in the area of assessing habitability, searching for signs of life, and other relevant areas of scientific overlap. Also the committee will not revisit or redefine the scientific priorities or mission recommendations from previous decadal surveys.

Recommendations Highlights (cross-divisional opportunities)

TIME FRAME RECOMMENDATIONS

Near Term Ø NASA should create a mechanism for community-driven legacy surveys of exoplanet atmospheres early in the JWST mission.

Ø Building on the NExSS model, NASA should support a cross-divisional exoplanet research coordination network that includes additional membership opportunities via dedicated proposal calls for interdisciplinary research.

Ø NASA should support a robust individual investigator program that includes grants for theoretical, laboratory, and ground-based telescopic investigations; otherwise, the full scientific yield of exoplanet missions will not be realized.

Medium Term Ø NASA should launch WFIRST to conduct its microlensing survey of distant planets and to demonstrate the technique of coronagraphic spectroscopy on exoplanet targets.

Ø The National Science Foundation (NSF) should invest in both the GMT and TMT and their exoplanet instrumentation to provide all-sky access to the U.S. community.

Ø NASA and NSF should establish a strategic initiative in extremely precise radial velocities (EPRVs) to develop methods and facilities for measuring the masses of temperate terrestrial planets orbiting Sun-like stars.

Far Term Ø NASA should lead a large strategic direct imaging mission capable of measuring the reflected-light spectra of temperate terrestrial planets orbiting Sun-like stars.

Astrobiology Science StrategyStatement of TaskPreparation for and input to Astronomy/Astrophysics and Planetary Science Decadal Surveys National Academies of Sciences, Astrobiology Study as it relates to the search for life in the Solar System and Extrasolar Planetary SystemsObjectives:• Take account of and build on NASA’s current Astrobiology Strategy 2015;• Outline key scientific questions and technology challenges in astrobiology, particularly as they pertain to the

search for life in the solar system and extrasolar planetary systems;• Identify the most promising key research goals in the field of the search for signs of life in which progress is

likely in the next 20 years;• Discuss which of the key goals could be addressed by U.S. and international space missions and ground

telescopes in operation or in development;• Discuss how to expand partnerships (interagency, international and public/private) in furthering the study of

life’s origin, evolution, distribution, and future in the universe;• Make recommendations for advancing the research, obtaining the measurements, and realizing NASA’s goal

to search for signs of life in the universe

Recommendations Highlights (cross-divisional opportunities)

RECOMMENDATIONS DETAILS

Collaboration Ø Focus on problems and not disciplinesØ Foster interdisciplinary and cross-divisional collaborationØ Emerging systems-level thinking: dynamic habitability and the coevolution of planets and life

Subsurface Exploration NASA’s programs and missions should reflect a dedicated focus on research and exploration of subsurface habitability in light of recent advances demonstrating the breadth and diversity of life in Earth’s subsurface, the history and nature of subsurface fluids on Mars, and potential habitats for life on ocean worlds.

Life Detection Ø research on novel and/or agnostic biosignaturesØ direct focus to address important gaps in understanding the breadth, probability, and distinguishing

environmental contexts of abiotic phenomena that mimic biosignaturesØ support expanding biosignature research to addressing gaps in understanding biosignature preservation

and false positives and false negative signaturesØ support developing a comprehensive framework for assessmentØ advance the search for life in the universe

Starlight Suppression NASA should implement high-contrast starlight suppression technologies in near-term space- and ground-based direct imaging missions

Public-Private-Philanthropic Partnership

NASA should actively seek new mechanisms to reduce the barriers to collaboration with private and philanthropic entities, and with international space agencies

New Coordination Network Structure


Astrobiology Program Evolution2008

• Exobiology

• ASTID

• ASTEP

• NAI

2019

• Exobiology• Emerging Worlds• Habitable Worlds• PICASSO• MatISSE• PSTAR• ICAR (new program)• NExSS• NfoLD• 3 additional RCNs

Other PSDinstruments

MaAMA

habitability

volatiles

2013

2010

2011

2014

2018 -2019

funding (large awards)

coordination

projects from other:• PSD programs• SMD divisions

2019

Four New Research Coordination Networks(for a total of 5 ARNs)• Exoplanet System Science• NExSS

• Life Detection• NfoLD

• Prebiotic Chemistry and the Early Earth• Ocean Worlds • Habitable Worlds

• From Early Cells to Multicellularity

NfoLDinvestigate life detection

research, including biosignature creation and preservation, as well as

related technology development

NExSSinvestigate the diversity

of exoplanets and to learn how their history, geology, and climate interact to create the

conditions for life

Prebiotic Chemistry and the Early Earth

Investigate chemical processes under the

conditions on the Early Earth and the formation of basic proto/biological molecules and pathways, leading to the emergence of systems harboring the

potential for life

From Early Cells to Multicellularity

investigate the earliest biological processes and the evolution of life on

Earth into more complex organisms up to the

advent of multicellularity

Ocean Worlds (Habitable Worlds)

investigate the diversity of other worlds in the

solar system and to learn how their history, geology,

and climate interact to create the conditions for

life

Astrobiology Research Coordination Networks

NAI to RCN transition

• The NASA Astrobiology Program will conclude the NAI at the end of 2019, when the CAN 7 teams are scheduled to end• Through the transition in 2019, the program will be creating five

Research Coordination Networks (RCN) focused on different interdisciplinary science questions• The CAN 8 teams will continue their funded research programs and

become part of the relevant RCNs, and any researcher funded by NASA R&A programs for projects that are relevant to the topics covered by an active RCN may elect to become a member

RCN Organization

• Composition – researchers may elect to become a member of one or more RCNs once they have received funding for a relevant project• Leadership –

• Co-Leads: Astrobiology Program staff, along with representatives of relevant research elements from other SMD Divisions, select the RCN co-leads from the PIs whose research has been funded who have elected to be a member of the RCN• Steering Committee: comprised of the PIs of all teams who have elected to

join, both from large teams selected from the ICARE solicitation as well as smaller teams from relevant ROSES R&A programs

Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR)• Proposals that describe a multi-million dollar, five-year project with

an interdisciplinary approach to a single, compelling question in astrobiology, and may address a single Astrobiology Strategy goal or several Science Strategy goals, for projects larger than the scope of the individual research programs, but within the scope of the Research Coordination Networks.• Proposing teams will be able to specify which RCN their research

would be relevant to, and if selected, which network they would join.

ICAR

• Targeted timing:• end-Q2 2019 release of the first solicitation• Q4 2019 proposals due • early 2020 selection of up to 5 teams announced

• All selected teams would become members of one or more relevant RCNs.• Calls will occur on the order of every two years, and will stagger

RCN topics that will be included.

Any Questions?

nasa’s astrobiology program · 2018-11-08 · • research areas include, but are not limited to,...

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