One of NASA's most important goals is not only exploration of the cosmos, to find a new home for our civilization, but also to discover the secrets of life creation and its prosperity in the entire cosmos. The agency has just supported three major projects that fit into this second idea.
The first of these is ENIGMA (Evolution of Nanomachines in Geospheres and Microbial Ancestors). The project is directed by Professor Paul Falkowski and is being created at Rutgers University.
Scientists will look closely at the evolution of proteins (prebiotic molecules and enzymes) that have become catalysts of life on Earth and are considered today as our ancestors, because they are common in many types of microorganisms.
IMG: NASA/Twitter.
The second is ACIR (The Astrobiology Center for Isotopologue Research). The project is run by Kate Freeman at Pennsylvania State University and University Park. The task of scientists will be to explain the secrets of various attributes of elements present in molecules.
On their basis, you will be able to discover the origin and past of organic molecules, both those from the depths of the cosmos and those already on Earth.
The last project is Habitability of Hydrocarbon Worlds: Titan and Beyond. The research team led by Dr Rosaly Lopes from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, will study Titan, the largest moon in Saturn. He is considered one of the most life-friendly objects in our Solar System.
IMG: NASA/Twitter.
Interestingly, it can be a completely unknown to us life, functioning on different principles than it does on Earth, because in the circumstances of methane seas and the prevailing temperature below minus 180 degrees Celsius.
Researchers will gather as much data as possible from space probes and probes on this mysterious object. Each research team for the next 5 years can count on scholarships.
The decision to start financing these projects by NASA is extremely important and aims to complement the planned space missions, which will significantly broaden our horizons of knowledge about the origin of life and its prosperity not only on Earth, but also in the entire cosmos.