 Are we alone? Is there life beyond the earth? What does life look like elsewhere in the universe? Those are some pretty big questions. Maybe you've thought about them yourself. But have you ever thought about how you answer those questions? Well, that is what astrobiologists do. Astrobiology is the study of life in our universe, where it is or might be and how it began. To answer those questions, astrobiologists, like those in Astrobiology use knowledge and expertise from lots of different areas. We have biologists, chemists, physicists, geologists, as well as experts in law, education, the economy, technology and international development. Together we want to find out about life beyond the earth by tackling the scientific and ethical challenges of astrobiology related missions. We can't do our work in space. So instead, astrobiology OE researchers recreate extraterrestrial conditions here on earth. That could mean simulating the conditions of Mars or Europa in the lab or calculating and predicting how extraterrestrial processes should occur using computer modelling. Our researchers also investigate places on earth, known as analogue sites, where there are extreme conditions similar to that seen on other planets or moons. So how would we be able to tell that there is life there? How would we be able to tell that there was life there in the past? Our researchers are looking for bio signatures, clues that life has left behind. But figuring out where there might be life seems really difficult. We have an amazing array of life here on earth, but we're just one planet orbiting one star in the galaxy with billions of stars in a universe with billions of galaxies. How do we know where life is most likely to be? Astrobiology OE researchers compare their research with the information that comes back from space missions to look for habitable environments where there might be conditions that support life. These include places where there is lots of water, like the oceans underneath the icy surface of Enceladus. We also have to think carefully about how and why we do our research. There are so many benefits to society from space exploration, but progress needs to be achieved in a fair, peaceful and sustainable way for everyone. That includes communicating the research we do and engaging with those who need to know about it. Then there are the practicalities of working in space. Who governs how we explore space? How do we make sure that we don't contaminate space with earth's microbes and make sure that we don't bring back extra-terrestrial contaminants or microbes to earth? Our lore experts examine the rules that ensure activities in space are conducted in a safe, ethical and environmentally friendly way. It's really important for Astrobiology OE that our researchers and experts come from lots of different disciplines because they can think differently but work together and hopefully together we can start to answer all those questions about life beyond the earth.