The past decade has seen a remarkable revolution in genomic research, the discoveries of extreme environments in which organisms can live and even flourish on Earth, the identification of past and possibly present liquid-water environments in our solar system, and the detection of planets around other stars. Together these accomplishments bring us much closer to understanding the origin of life, its evolution and diversification on Earth, and its occurrence and distribution in the cosmos. A new multidisciplinary program called Astrobiology was initiated in 1997 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to foster such research and to make available additional resources for individual and consortium-based efforts. Other agencies have also begun new programs to address the origin, evolution, and cosmic distribution of life. Five years into the Astrobiology program, it is appropriate to assess the scientific and programmatic impacts of these initiatives. Edward J. Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for the Office of Space Science, tasked the Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life (COEL) with assessing the state of NASA's Astrobiology program.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON THE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE
• SPACE STUDIES BOARD
• BOARD ON LIFE SCIENCES
• Preface
• [Dedication]
• Executive Summary
• 1. The Roadmaps
  • BACKGROUND OF NASA'S 1998-1999 ASTROBIOLOGY ROADMAP
  • CONTENT OF THE ASTROBIOLOGY ROADMAP
  • ANALYSIS OF THE 1998-1999 ASTROBIOLOGY ROADMAP
  • CONTENT OF THE NASA ORIGINS ROADMAP
  • THE 2000 SPACE SCIENCE STRATEGIC PLAN
  • ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY IN ASTROBIOLOGY
• 2. The Structure of the NASA Astrobiology Program
  • THE NASA ASTROBIOLOGY INSTITUTE
  • THE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS PROGRAMS
  • TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT: THE PRIMARY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NASA'S FLIGHT PROGRAMS AND ASTROBIOLOGY
  • NASA SPECIALIZED CENTERS OF RESEARCH AND TRAINING
  • SOME FINE-TUNING OF THE PROGRAM: A QUESTION OF BALANCE
• 3. Toward More Interaction Between the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the Planetary and Astronomical Sciences
  • PLANETARY SCIENCES AND ASTROBIOLOGY
  • ASTRONOMICAL SEARCH FOR ORIGINS AND ASTROBIOLOGY
  • ENHANCING INTERACTION BETWEEN ASTROBIOLOGY AND THE ASTRONOMICAL SEARCH FOR ORIGINS
• 4. The Roles of Other Federal Agencies with Respect to Astrobiology
  • NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
  • DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
  • NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
  • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• 5. International Partners
  • NASA AND NAI CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIP
  • CENTRO DE ASTROBIOLOGÍA
  • U.K. ASTROBIOLOGY FORUM AND NETWORK
  • EUROPEAN EXO/ASTROBIOLOGY NETWORK ASSOCIATION
  • THE SHAPE OF INTERNATIONAL INTERACTIONS WITH THE NAI
• 6. SETI and Astrobiology
  • NASA AND SETI
  • THE SETI INSTITUTE
  • ASSESSMENT OF THE SETI INSTITUTE
• 7. Conclusion

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

Support for this project was provided by Contracts NASW 96013 and 01001 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor.