NASA’s James Webb Telescope Can Detect Alien Biosignatures in 60 Hours
New technology may help scientists discover extraterrestrial life on other planets in just days.
Scientists at the Ohio State University have just announced that by using the James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to launch this fall, they may be able to detect biosignatures on gas dwarf planets. These biosignatures, such as ammonia, could be a sign of life and with new technology, they may be able to make this distinction in as few as 60 hours. But what exactly do they mean by life?
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NASA Announces Plans to Colonize the Moon By 2030
NASA has committed to putting humans on the moon by 2024 and human settlements by 2030, but what will it take to achieve this lofty goal?
Under NASA’s Artemis program the space agency announced the priority of going back to the moon with settlements on the lunar surface by 2030 that would act as a launch point for future missions to Mars. The program has many goals, chief among them to learn how to live on the surface of another planet.
But the moon’s surface is a harsh and hostile environment. Micrometeorites pelting the surface like missiles, 400-degree temperature swings, and the constant risk of radiation exposure from the sun create many obstacles for putting long-term settlements on the lunar surface. On the moon, we will have to supply the same foundations of human survival as we do on Earth including water, shelter, food, and oxygen. NASA is partnering with public and private partners to solve these problems.
So how will astronauts access these vital resources needed for survival? NASA won’t be able to bring sufficient life-sustaining resources from Earth, so they’ll have to make it upon arrival.
