Origins of Life and Panspermia: Space-Borne Organics, Interplanetary Transfer Prospects, and Ongoing Exploration
To the point
Life’s origins remain unsettled, but asteroid samples with organic material and ancient water suggest the ingredients for life could have come from space, Mars and other nearby worlds may have hosted or spread life, and missions like Perseverance and Europa Clipper will test these ideas, a debate that even drew Bill Clinton’s attention after a controversial Martian-meteorite claim.
