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Newswise On Wednesday, May 21, a panel of leading experts in astrophysics and astronomy will describe the scientific and technological roadmap for discovering habitable worlds among the stars. The session, entitled "The Search for Life in the Universe," is part of the 30th Space Symposium to be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 19 to 22.

The question of whether we are alone in the universe is as old as human thought. We are the first generation with the technological and scientific prowess to at last answer this timeless mystery. Most scientists today agree that finding life in space is no longer a question of if, but rather when. The quest transcends addressing scientific curiosity, but rather confronts the question of our very existence.

Astronomical observatories on the ground and in space are trailblazing the way to cataloging and characterizing potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy. The panel of experts will describe how a new generation of large space telescopes enabled by advanced technologies will be needed to ultimately provide scientific evidence for the presence of life elsewhere in space.

Panel participants:

Dave Gallagher, Director for Astronomy and Physics, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

John M. Grunsfeld, Ph.D., Associate Administrator, NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC

John C. Mather, Ph.D., Nobel Laureate, Senior Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Matt Mountain, Ph.D., Director, Telescope Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland

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Leading Space Experts Chart Out Roadmap for Finding Life Beyond Earth