Nasa research chief Zurbuchen hopeful
In the next few years life will probably be found outside the earth
NASA researchers suspect an ocean beneath the ice layer on Jupiter’s moon Europa. There could be extraterrestrial life there, says departing NASA research director Thomas Zurbuchen. He is convinced that life will be found outside of the earth.
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Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA Director of Science, is stepping down at the end of the year after more than six years. (archive image)
The outgoing Swiss-US American NASA research director Thomas Zurbuchen (54) expects major changes in the understanding of the universe in the next 20 to 30 years. There is also a “significant chance of finding life outside of Earth” during this period of time.
Such a find would change the entire discussion about life, said Zurbuchen on Tuesday on the SRF program “10 vor 10”. Extraterrestrial life is possible on Jupiter’s moon Europa. Under a layer of ice, the NASA researchers suspect an ocean there. “If there are traces of life on Europa, it changes the whole discussion about life in the universe.”
Zurbuchen was born in 1968 in Heiligenschwendi near Thun BE, studied physics and mathematics at the University of Bern, later went to the University of Michigan in the USA and to NASA in 2016, where he was responsible for more than 100 scientific missions. Zurbuchen will step down at the end of the year after more than six years at the head of the NASA research team. (SDA/kes)