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NASA still has no scientifically proven evidence of extraterrestrial life. However, astrobiologist Lindsey Lainds argues that the lack of evidence does not mean that humanity is alone in the universe, reported the SciTechDaily.
Microbial life on our planet is known to exist even in the most extreme conditions. This broadens the definition of what environments could potentially be suitable for life. Mars, for example, is being actively explored - NASA has already sent five rovers and four landers there. However, only a small part of the Red Planet has been studied in detail.
In addition to Mars, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, Europa and Enceladus, are also promising candidates for exploration. They are thought to harbor subglacial oceans that could potentially support life. The study of exoplanets is also revealing a host of new environments that could be habitable.
As Carl Sagan noted: "The universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, it seems like a terrible waste of space.". Therefore, NASA will continue its search.
Previously the Dawn spacecraft conducted research of the two largest objects in the main asteroid belt, Ceres and Vesta, from 2011 to 2018. Scientists noted that this was of particular importance for understanding the processes of formation of the Solar System, which occurred more than 4,5 billion years ago. Of particular interest to researchers is the difference in the composition of these celestial bodies: Ceres is composed mostly of ice, while Vesta is composed mostly of rock..
