NASA Announces Wednesday Media Teleconference About Search For Extraterrestrial Life

WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a news media teleconference at 1:30 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, April 28, to discuss the status of agency-sponsored astrobiology research, including the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life and the study of how life began on Earth. Topics also will include the quest for evidence of life on Mars, the habitability of other celestial bodies, and future technology research.

This week, NASA and scientists from around the world are gathering at a biennial meeting near Houston to celebrate 50 years of astrobiology research. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe. Scientists gathered to share new data and insights, initiate and advance collaborations, plan new projects, and educate the next generation of astrobiologists.

The teleconference participants are:

• Mary Voytek, astrobiology senior scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington
• Steve Squyres, researcher, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
• Bill Schopf, researcher, University of California, Los Angeles
• Jack Farmer, researcher, Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.
• John Peters, researcher, Montana State University, Bozeman

To obtain call-in information, journalists should e-mail their name, media affiliation and telephone number to: dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live on NASA's website at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

For more information about NASA astrobiology activities, visit: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov   

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington      
202-358-1726
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Linda Billings
George Washington University, Washington
703-635-9799
libillin@gwu.edu   

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