Is There Life Outside Earth?

On December 8th, reports arose that former Israeli space security chief, Haim Eshed, said that extraterrestrials exist. 

According to Eshed, there is a signed agreement between the U.S. government and aliens, which allows the aliens to do experiments on earth. However, Eshed explained, “the Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) have asked not to publish that they are here, humanity is not ready yet.” 

Researchers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said that their ultimate goal is to find “unmistakable evidence” of life outside Earth.

“How soon that can happen depends on two unknowns: the prevalence of life in the galaxy and how lucky we get as we take those first, tentative, exploratory steps,” NASA said. 

How Long Will it Take to Find Proof of Life Outside Earth? 

A panel of experts spoke at the International Astronautical Congress in October 2019, each with different answers. 

“I think there’s a good chance of discovering life on Mars within the next five [to] 15 years,” said Mike Garrett, director of Jodrell Bank Observatory in the U.K. “I think that really has to be a goal, that would set us on a course to do more interesting things in the area.”

Andrew Siemion, director of the Berkeley SETI Research Center in California, suggested that answers will come closer to 2036. 

More Than 15,000 UFO Sightings have been Documented

Though experts say that it will take decades to prove there is life outside earth, reports confirm that the National UFO Reporting Center, based in the U.S., documented 15,277 UFO sightings between 2018-2020. 

For instance, in 2019, the New York Times reported that a U.S. Navy Pilot saw strange objects in the sky. Pilots saw the objects spinning with their tops moving against the wind, over the East Coast. They said the objects had no visible engine or infrared exhaust plumes, but could reach 30,000 feet and hypersonic speeds. 

In April 2020, the Pentagon declassified the three videos taken by Navy pilots, CNBC reported. In a statement in 2019, Pentagon officials said that, “these kinds of incursions can be both a security risk and pose a safety hazard for both Navy and Air Force aviation.”

Just one year before declassifying the videos, the U.S. Navy began formalizing a reporting process for UFO sightings by pilots.  

This September the Japanese military also gave its Defense Force pilots instructions to report UFO sightings, as it could be a threat to the country, according to Sky News.

Possibilities of life on Mars have been Reported

In 1996, a team of NASA scientists announced they had discovered evidence of fossil life in a meteorite.

The meteorite escaped from Mars 16 million years ago after an asteroid or a comet collided with the planet. The 4.4 pound (2 kilogram) fragment orbited around the sun, eventually landing on earth 13,000 years ago. It remained in Antarctica until 1984 before it was found, reports the American Museum of Natural History. 

The fragment, called ALH84001, is over 4 billion years old. It’s presumed to have existed when liquid water was common on Mars. Liquid water is essential to life, and for that reason, NASA scientists said the rock might preserve microscopic and chemical evidence of ancient life on Mars. 

Bacteria in Space?

According to Interesting Engineering, some bacteria from earth can live in space, given they find suitable habitats.

For example, the bacterium bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 can withstand UV radiation as well as hydrogen peroxide treatments. This helps the bacteria survive in harsh conditions. 

Russsian news agency, TASS, reported that on previous International Space Station (ISS) missions, bacteria hitched on tablet PCs and other materials. The bacteria managed to infiltrate the outside of the station and survived there for three years. 

Though U.S. officials have never confirmed or denied the existence of extraterrestrials, it’s clear there’s a possibility of life “out there” — even if it’s just a tiny microorganism.

Written by: Laura Arman