NASA: We Are Closing in On Finding Life On Another Planet

By Brian Slupski

NASA is closing in on finding an Earth-like planet likely of supporting life and such a discovery could come in the next 20 years.

“Just imagine the moment, when we find potential signatures of life. Imagine the moment when the world wakes up and the human race realises that its long loneliness in time and space may be over — the possibility we’re no longer alone in the universe,” news.com.au quoted Matt Mountain,  director of the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Mountain was speaking Monday at a panel discussion in which NASA scientist pondered the possibility of life elsewhere.

The Kepler Space Telescope, launched in 2009, has been responsible for most of the planets NASA has been able to discover outside of our solar system. Cosmosup.com reported that Kepler is responsible for finding 5,000 potential planets with about 1,700 confirmed.

In 2018 NASA plans to launch the James Webb Space Telescope. The Los Angeles Times reported that the Webb telescope will help scientists see if a planet has the right chemical composition to support life.

"With the James Webb, we have the first capability of finding life on other planets, but we have to get lucky; we have to beat the odds," Sara Seager, a planetary scientist at MIT was quoted by the newspaper.

As space telescopes get bigger and more powerful, our ability to find smaller planets more similar to Earth becomes greater.

“I think in the next 20 years we will find out if we are not alone in the universe,” news.com.au quoted NASA Astronomer Kevin Hand said.