our mission

Turning the search for life into a mission we can build

We are developing LIFE to expand how humanity sees the worlds beyond our own—and our place among them. LIFE is a proposed space mission designed to study the atmospheres of temperate, rocky planets beyond our Solar System and search for molecules that may indicate biological activity. Its current concept brings together multiple spacecraft flying in formation, using mid-infrared nulling interferometry to reveal the faint light of planets beside their stars.

Today, we are advancing LIFE’s scientific case, mission architecture and enabling technologies, while building the partnerships needed to bring them together. Our ambition is to open a new way of studying other worlds, inspire future generations and give Europe a leading role in humanity’s search for life.

Why it Matters

Before we ask where humanity might go, we need to understand what’s out there.

LIFE will study the atmospheres of temperate, rocky planets beyond our Solar System, searching for molecules that may point to biological activity. Each world we learn about will deepen our understanding of how planets—and possibly life—fit into the wider universe.

That knowledge gives humanity a clearer point of orientation as we look to the stars and imagine what may come next.