Our Mission
Where did we come from—and are we alone? These timeless questions sit at the heart of humanity's effort to understand its place in the Universe.
Despite remarkable progress in science, we still lack a complete theory for the biochemical origins of life on Earth. At the same time, discoveries over the past few decades suggest that planets are abundant, planetary systems are extraordinarily diverse, and life on Earth persists across an astonishing range of environments. Together, these insights point to an intriguing possibility: life may be common in our galaxy.
Our mission is to confront the fundamental questions that define the search for life beyond Earth.
What conditions are truly necessary for life to arise on a planet?
How do the processes of planet formation create—or prevent—those conditions, and how sensitive are they to initial environments? How do host stars and their birthplaces shape planetary evolution and long-term habitability?
As planetary interiors, surfaces, and atmospheres interact, how do they evolve with life present, and how do they differ without it? And within our own Solar System, does life exist elsewhere—and if so, did it emerge independently of life on Earth?
Answering these questions would transform our ability to search for life in the galaxy
Our ability to constrain how common it may be, and extend those insights to the broader observable Universe. Just as importantly, such discoveries would compel us to reflect on who we are and how we understand our place in the cosmos.
