What if a salty, frozen lake in British Columbia holds the key to searching for life on other worlds?
That’s one of the questions Dr. Jacob Buffo and his talented team have been working to answer thanks to the generous support of people like you!
As previous STEP Grant recipients, Dr. Buffo and his team have been studying hypersaline lakes whose chemistry closely mirrors conditions once found on Mars, and possibly still present in the hidden oceans of Europa and Enceladus.
And now, it's time to fund the next phase of work. With your help, in Phase 2, the team will develop artificial intelligence tools to help future spacecraft automatically identify the most promising environments to search for life — in real time, without waiting for instructions from scientists on Earth. They will test these models at Mono Lake in California and Great Salt Lake in Utah, moving humanity closer to answering one of its oldest questions: Are we alone?
Since its founding in 1980, The Planetary Society has championed science and technology projects crucial to future space exploration, powered by supporters like you. And we need your help again!
Please join us in this crucial endeavor to help fund the next phase of Dr. Jacob Buffo’s important work with your gift today.
Thank you,
Dr. Bruce Betts, Chief Scientist
The Planetary Society
