The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) was established in 1998 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) "to develop the field of astrobiology and provide a scientific framework for flight missions." In December 2019 the institute's activities were suspended.

The NAI is a virtual, distributed organization that integrates astrobiology research and training programs in concert with the national and international science communities.

History

Although NASA had explored the idea of forming an astrobiology institute in the past, when the Viking biological experiments returned negative results for life on Mars, the public lost interest and federal funds for exobiology dried up. In 1996, the announcement of possible traces of ancient life in the Allan Hills 84001 meteorite from Mars led to new interest in the subject. At the same time, NASA developed the Origins Program, broadening its reach from exobiology to astrobiology, the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. NAI was established in July with Scott Hubbard as interim Director.

Program

The NASA Astrobiology Program includes the NAI as one of four components, including the Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology Program; the Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development (ASTID) Program; and the Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) Program.

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  • Arizona State University
  • Carnegie Institution of Washington
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Harvard University
  • Indiana University
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • Johnson Space Center
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Marine Biological Laboratory
  • Michigan State University
  • Montana State University
  • NASA Ames Research Center
  • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Pennsylvania State University

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  • Rutgers University
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Scripps Research Institute
  • SETI Institute
  • University of Arizona
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • University of California, Los Angeles
  • University of California, Santa Cruz
  • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
  • University of Rhode Island
  • University of Washington
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Virtual Planetary Laboratory

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International partners

NAI has partnership program with other international astrobiology organizations to provide collaborative opportunities for its researchers within the global science community.

Associate Partners

  • Spain Astrobiology Center (CAB)