THE EUROPEAN ASTROBIOLOGY ROADMAP - ASTROMAP

Abstract

AstRoMap was supported by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) from 2012 to 2015. The main outcome of the AstRoMap project is its roadmap for European astrobiology, astrobiology being understood as the study of the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the context of cosmic evolution; this includes habitability in the Solar System and beyond. The AstRoMap roadmap, published in March 2016, results from expert workshops as well as wide consultation of the community. It puts forward five core research topics that represent interrelated roadmap building blocks. Each research topic is broken down into several key objectives (and subobjectives) that put forward more detailed priority areas to be addressed in the future. - Research Topic 1: Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems - Research Topic 2: Origins of Organic Compounds in Space - Research Topic 3: Rock-Water-Carbon Interactions, Organic Synthesis on Earth, and Steps to Life - Research Topic 4: Life and Habitability - Research Topic 5: Biosignatures as Facilitating Life Detection The AstRoMap partner organisations were the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial { Centro de Astrobiologíca (INTA-CAB, Spain), the European Science Foundation (ESF, France), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR, Germany), the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre (B-USOC, Belgium), the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF, Italy) and the European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA, Europe).