Physicists at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich have conducted a study to determine whether the planned LIFE space mission could detect traces of life on other planets. The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, utilized our own planet as a test object to demonstrate the mission’s potential success.
The LIFE (Large Interferometer for Exoplanets) initiative, led by ETH Zurich, aims to use a network of five satellites to detect traces of life on exoplanets. These satellites will form a large telescope close to the James Webb Space Telescope, allowing for the observation of Earth-like exoplanets and the deduction of their composition and atmospheres based on infrared thermal radiation.
The team of researchers, including Jean-Noël Mettler, Björn S. Konrad, Sascha P. Quanz, and Ravit Helled, tested the capabilities of the future LIFE mission using real emission spectra from Earth, obtained from NASA’s Aqua Earth observation satellite. This approach allowed them to assess the mission’s potential to characterize an exoplanet’s habitability.
The study demonstrated that the LIFE mission could effectively detect chemical compounds in the light spectrum that indicate the presence of life on exoplanets. By utilizing real data from Earth, the researchers validated the mission’s ability to analyze the mid-infrared range and generate valuable insights into the habitability of exoplanets.
