Astrobiology Science Fair Projects

Astrobiology science fair projects strive to answer the questions, "is there life in outer space?" This field of study uses astronomy experiments to determine if it is

Magnetometer	Young Scientists Club Set 11	Telescopes
Ages 12 thru Adult	Ages 9 -12	Ages 10 and up

The next option that you have for astrobiology science fair projects is to examine the existing evidence that suggests that life does in fact exist on planets other than the Earth. For example, look at the electron microscope images of what scientists think are fossilized bacterium found on moon rocks and other space debris. Do you think that these images are proof of life, or do you think that the images are of simple rock formations that just look like bacterium?

The third option that you have for astronomy for kids experiments is examine the chemical makeup of local planets to determine if they could support life. What planet has the greatest chances of hosting life forms? What planet has the smallest chances of hosting life forms?

The fourth experiment that you can conduct will look at the safety hazard associated with bringing soil samples from other planets back to Earth. Think about what would happen if a life form had survived the trip through our atmosphere and through space and was released in our environment. Why would this be dangerous? Discuss the safety precautions that NASA and other researchers have in place to prevent alien biology from escaping research labs.

The NASA Space Store

NASA Gifts

The final experiment that you can complete will look at commercialized space travel. Think critically about possible contamination issues the Earth will face as more people travel commercially to outer space and spend time in space stations. What type of contaminations could space travelers bring back with them besides biological entities? For example, radioactive materials and toxins could accumulate in traveler's hair, clothing and belongings. How would this impact the health of people on Earth? Do you think that this is a real threat? Why or why not?