Chalk up another victory for “Conan the Bacterium”—a rugged germ that fresh research suggests could conquer the solar system.

Tiny life forms tucked into debris from an asteroid hit could catapult to other planets—including Earth—and survive, a new ...

Tardigrades have a reputation for being nearly indestructible. These microscopic animals, often nicknamed water bears, can dry out and slip into a dormant state.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. More than 50 years after Neil Armstrong first walked on the Moon, space exploration has become almost commonplace. The record for ...

The Committee on Planetary Protection (CoPP) monitors progress implementing the planetary protection guidelines associated with priority programs and missions identified in the National Academies ...

A new study has provided compelling evidence that life from Mars could have arrived on Earth by hitching a ride on debris ejected during asteroid impacts. The research, led by scientists at Johns ...

HOUSTON—The concept of planetary protection—the prevention of life forms on other planets from infecting Earth and preventing terrestrial life forms from contaminating other worlds—has a long history.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is looking to hire its first-ever Planetary Protection Officer to protect against any alien life that might hitch a ride back to Earth on one ...