Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #30791: Organic Chemistry Among the Stars: Tracing the Origins of Life in Space

One of the biggest questions in science is: How did life begin? A crucial part of that puzzle lies in understanding organic molecules—the carbon-based building blocks of life—and how they behave in space. The “Evolution of Organic Matter in Space” experiment set out to explore this by sending various organic compounds aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The goal was to see how these molecules change when exposed to real outer space conditions, including cosmic radiation, vacuum, and temperature fluctuations. Unlike lab simulations, this experiment used actual space exposure on specialized external platforms aboard the ISS.

Principal Investigator Pascale Ehrenfreund, with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA), studied how these organic compounds evolved over time. By analyzing changes in structure and chemical composition, researchers could determine how space affects the stability and potential transformations of these crucial molecules.

Findings showed that some compounds degraded rapidly under space conditions, while others surprisingly persisted. This suggests that organic molecules could potentially survive long journeys across space, raising the possibility of them seeding planets—including Earth.

These results support theories like panspermia (life arriving from space) and abiogenesis (life forming from simple compounds), and they help scientists better understand the early chemical pathways that might lead to life.

By uncovering the fate of organic matter in space, this experiment contributes to astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrial life. It also informs spacecraft design and planetary protection strategies—important when exploring potentially life-bearing worlds like Mars or Europa.

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