NASA’s Framework for Detecting Extraterrestrial Life | New Space Economy

Infographic explaining seven stages for assessing possible evidence of extraterrestrial life. It begins with detecting a possible biosignature and progresses through contamination checks, environmental and biological plausibility, exclusion of nonbiological explanations, an additional independent biosignature, follow-up tests of alternative hypotheses, and independent confirmation. It states that the stages measure evidential confidence rather than percentages.

CONFIDENCE OF LIFE DETECTION (COLD) SCALE

NASA-branded infographic listing ten topics in a framework for evaluating possible extraterrestrial life, including detection scales, biosignatures, planetary protection, and technology readiness.

NASA’S FRAMEWORK FOR DETECTING EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE

Infographic explaining that conditions suitable for life do not prove life is present, while life detection relies on evidence such as biosignatures, organic molecules, structures, activity, and exclusion of abiotic alternatives.

HABITABILITY VS LIFE DETECTION

A text-heavy infographic explains three evidence groups for possible life detection—chemical signatures, physical structures, and dynamic processes—and lists examples, the value of converging evidence, and abiotic sources of false positives.

BIOSIGNATURE CLASSES

Infographic explaining a 14-level framework for evaluating life-detection evidence, ranging from habitability and organic compounds to growth, reproduction, and Darwinian evolution.

NASA’S LADDER OF LIFE DETECTION

Infographic explaining a framework for evaluating possible biosignatures by comparing biological and abiotic explanations across chemistry, structure, activity, prevalence, and signal strength.

LIFE DETECTION KNOWLEDGE BASE

Infographic explaining an eight-step NASA process for evaluating possible life detection, from assessing habitability and searching for biosignatures to comparing abiotic explanations, rating confidence, and obtaining independent confirmation.

FROM SIGNAL TO CONFIRMED LIFE

Infographic showing a two-level framework with five steps for assessing possible biosignatures: detection, identification, abiotic alternatives, biological plausibility, and independent evidence.

BIOSIGNATURE STANDARDS OF EVIDENCE

Infographic describing forward and backward contamination, five planetary mission categories, and the role of contamination controls in reliable life detection and environmental protection.

PLANETARY PROTECTION AND THE SEARCH FOR LIFE

Infographic describing four life-detection test outcomes and listing abiotic chemistry, contamination, weak signals, sampling limits, and instrument limitations as possible sources of error.

FALSE POSITIVES VS FALSE NEGATIVES IN LIFE DETECTION