A Roadmap for the Detection and Characterization of Other Earths
Journal article, 2010
The European Space Agency and other space agencies such as NASA recognize that the question with regard to life beyond Earth in general, and the associated issue of the existence and study of exoplanets in particular, is of paramount importance for the 21(st) century. The new Cosmic Vision science plan, Cosmic Vision 2015-2025, which is built around four major themes, has as its first theme: "What are the conditions for planet formation and the emergence of life?'' This main theme is addressed through further questions: (1) How do gas and dust give rise to stars and planets? (2) How will the search for and study of exoplanets eventually lead to the detection of life outside Earth (biomarkers*)? (3) How did life in the Solar System arise and evolve? Although ESA has busied itself with these issues since the beginning of the Darwin study in 1996, it has become abundantly clear that, as these topics have evolved, only a very large effort, addressed from the ground and from space with the utilization of different instruments and space missions, can provide the empirical results required for a complete understanding. The good news is that the problems can be addressed and solved within a not-too-distant future. In this short essay, we present the present status of a roadmap related to projects that are related to the key long-term goal of understanding and characterizing exoplanets, in particular Earthlike planets.
Life in the Universe
Space missions
Exoplanets
Biomarkers
Author
M. Fridlund
European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)
C. Eiroa
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (UAM)
T. Henning
Max Planck Society
T. Herbst
Max Planck Society
L. Kaltenegger
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
A. Leger
University of Paris-Sud
René Liseau
Chalmers, Department of Radio and Space Science, Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics
H. Lammer
Institut fur Weltraumforschung
F. Selsis
University of Bordeaux
C. Beichman
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
W. Danchi
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
J. Lunine
University of Arizona
F. Paresce
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
A. Penny
STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
A. Quirrenbach
Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory
H. Rottgering
Leiden University
J. Schneider
Observatoire de Paris-Meudon
D. Stam
Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON)
G. Tinetti
University College London (UCL)
G. J. White
Open University
STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Astrobiology
1531-1074 (ISSN)
Vol. 10 1 113-119Subject Categories
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Roots
Basic sciences
DOI
10.1089/ast.2009.0391