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In search of extraterrestrial life: Where might we encounter aliens in the next decade?

2025-09-12 11:53:12Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
In search of extraterrestrial life: Where might we encounter aliens in the next
In search of extraterrestrial life

Aliens have often captured our imaginations, from green creatures in movies to outlandish conspiracy theories. But beyond fantasy, scientists are conducting real, rigorous research into life beyond Earth, and the next decade holds the potential for new discoveries.

There are several efforts underway. On Mars, NASA's Perseverance rover is collecting rock samples from an ancient riverbed. They could contain signs of past microbial life. "If there is life, things look very different," scientist Susanne Schwenzer tells the BBC. "I hope we'll find something, but I can't predict."

Mars may once have been habitable, but to search for signs of the origins of life, scientists are looking to the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Europa and Enceladus are thought to have subsurface oceans.

Future NASA missions such as Europa Clipper and ESA's Juice will study these celestial objects, paving the way for new probes.

Britney Schmidt, an astronomer at Cornell, says that while the final touch of the oceans is a “100-year problem,” we could be heading towards the icy shell sooner.

In search of extraterrestrial life: Where might we encounter aliens in the next

Beyond our solar system, astronomers are using powerful telescopes like the James Webb to study exoplanets. The TRAPPIST-1 system, which has several Earth-sized planets, is a prime target.

"The next 20 years of exoplanet search will depend on that result," says Jessie Christiansen of NASA. If an atmosphere is detected, scientists will look for gaseous combinations that indicate signs of life.

JWST cannot study analogues of our Earth that are found near stars like the Sun, but future telescopes like NASA's Habitable Planet Observatory and Europe's Life mission aim to do just that.

"The main planetary class will be rocky planets in the habitable zone," says astrophysicist Sascha Quanz.

In search of extraterrestrial life: Where might we encounter aliens in the next

Meanwhile, the search for intelligent life continues. Projects like Breakthrough Listen are scanning the skies for radio signals, but so far without success. "Within 100 light years, there don't seem to be any large beacons pointing towards us," says astronomer Jason Wright.

Future telescopes, most notably the Square Kilometre Array, due in 2028, a group of thousands of radio antennas spread across two continents, should expand the search. “That’s really exciting,” says Wright.

Even if life is discovered, there may not be contact. As Quanz points out, discovery will likely come slowly, with measured analysis: “The more information you have, the more you are in a position to confirm false things.”

What if we find nothing? That would be significant, too. “A blank result tells you something terribly important about life,” Quanz replies. “Maybe it’s really rare.”

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