Cambridge, Harvard and others set up an "Origin Alliance" to explore extraterrestrial life Chinese scientists say so

At the recent annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, scientists from four of the world's top universities announced the formation of an "Origins Federation" that they hope to join forces to investigate the origins of life on Earth, especially in search of similar life-forming processes elsewhere in the universe.

Chinese scientists are also designing plans to explore extraterrestrial life. Wang Chi, deputy to the National People's Congress, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and director of the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced the future development plan of China's space science to the first financial reporter.

A long-term project to explore extraterrestrial life

The four schools that initiated the Origin Alliance are the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, Harvard University in the United States, the University of Chicago in the United States, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. Professor Didier Queloz, head of the initiative, said he believes life is rooted in the physical laws of the universe. Quiroz was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for co-discovering the first exoplanet in the 90s.

The long-term study will lead to the exploration of extraterrestrial life, whether simple microbes or advanced civilizations, and the program will be enhanced by interstellar missions to Mars and Ganymede, as well as the James Webb Astronomical Telescope.

So far, scientists have identified more than 5,000 exoplanets, and the discovery of some new planets is a huge game-changer. They believe that among the billions of planets in the Milky Way, there must be life-bearing planets like Earth.

For the exploration of extraterrestrial life, Chinese scientists have also begun their own design. Wang Chi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in a telephone interview with the first financial reporter on the evening of March 8 that it is not easy to find the "Earth 2.0 version" and requires the joint efforts of scientists around the world.

"The exploration of extraterrestrial life can be roughly divided into two categories, one is in the solar system, that is, in addition to the earth, there are no other solar system celestial bodies that exist or have existed traces of microorganisms and life; The other is beyond the solar system, where the Kepler telescope has found more than 5,000 planets that we need to observe whether there are atmospheres or materials on these planets that indicate signs of life. Wang Chi told the first financial reporter.

Scientists have previously found clues to life in the atmosphere of Venus. Wang Chi said that after the return of Mars samples, Tianwen-3 provided scientists with a study of whether there may be microbial samples characterizing life on Mars. He also said that planets currently considered most likely to have life in the solar system include Ganymede 2, Enceladus 2, Enceladus 6 and so on. "It is possible that in the inner oceans of the moons of ice giants, there may be signs of life in extreme conditions, and spacecraft can directly reach these places for detection." Wang Chi told the first financial reporter.

The exploration of life on exoplanets is more difficult, and because exoplanets are very far from Earth, they will need to have stronger observation capabilities. "We need to observe whether there is an atmosphere on the planet, whether it is oxygen or carbon dioxide, and what materials can indicate the existence of life needs to be studied in depth." Wang Chi said, "James Webb has seen the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of exoplanets, but this is far from the discovery of life. ”

Scientists also say that the detection of life is unlikely to come from a single piece of data, and usually needs to be verified by a set of data, so global sharing of space science data is also particularly important.

Promote international cooperation in space science

The exploration of extraterrestrial life is only one of the main directions of China's space science development. Wang Chi told the first financial reporter that other fundamental issues of space science that China is concerned about include: revealing physical processes and physical laws under extreme conditions of the universe, detecting gravitational waves at the space scale, detecting the influence of the sun on the earth and the solar system, and studying the impact of the special space environment on people and organisms.

Last year, as an important part of the space science pilot project (phase II), the sun-exploration satellite "Kwafu-1" was successfully launched. Wang Chi revealed that it is expected that in May this year, the "Quafu 1" can complete the on-orbit test; At the end of this year, the mainland will also launch the "Einstein Probe" space science satellite to explore the explosion of silent black holes in the universe and the explosion of supernova activities.

"The mainland is still leading the way in space technology and applications, but space science is a short board and needs to be filled." Wang Chi told the first financial reporter, "Space science is the driving force for the development of space technology, and at the same time the precursor and foundation of space applications. ”

He believes that the research of space science on major basic frontier scientific issues may give birth to a new round of scientific revolution, is the strategic commanding height of basic research, and is one of the major fields of building a scientific and technological power.

He said frankly that the current development of space science on the mainland is still in its infancy, and its future development will be divided into three stages: by 2027, it will enter the first square of global space science; By 2035, it will enter the forefront of space science, comparable to ESA; By 2045, it will become a power in space science, comparable to the United States.

As a deputy to the National People's Congress, Wang Chi brought a proposal on "accelerating the construction of a new development pattern of international cooperation in space science" at this year's two sessions, and he particularly stressed that China must initiate and lead international big science programs and deeply participate in international cooperation projects in order to have a voice on the international stage.

"Big science projects will not only promote the high-quality development of basic research in the mainland and accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, but also play a unique and important role in solving the common development problems of mankind, deeply participating in global science and technology governance, and effectively maintaining the mainland's scientific and technological security." He told the first financial reporter.

He believes that under the current domestic and international situation, it is urgent to make breakthroughs in the field of space science and accelerate the construction of a new development pattern of international cooperation in space science. "The scale of investment required in space science is huge." Wang Chi told the first financial reporter, "It is difficult for a country to bear all the resources, and it needs to cooperate with each other, such as the exploration of deep space, such as the moon, Mars exploration program, etc., and more international cooperation is needed." ”

For example, Wang Chi said that the lunar scientific research station is a long-term continuous scientific research activity of the continental lunar exploration mission, which is currently actively advancing; The continent-based "Eastern Hemisphere Space Environment Ground-based Integrated Monitoring Meridian Chain" (Meridian Project), and the "International Space Weather Meridian Circle Program" initiated by continental scientists are also being promoted; In addition, after the successful launch of the Chinese space station, it will also undertake more international cooperation research in high-energy physics.

He called for the development of space science in China to continuously expand the "circle of friends", and suggested further strengthening cooperation with ESA and other countries in the field of space science, smoothing cooperation channels, optimizing the cooperation environment, and facilitating the exchange of funds, equipment and personnel more conveniently.