On December 4, 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a special hearing entitled, “Astrobiology: The Search for Biosignatures in our Solar System and Beyond.” The purpose of the hearing was not to develop policy, but instead to share information about the current state of astrobiology in the United States and to address the committee’s interests in NASA’s research on the search for life beyond our planet.

The committee invited three prominent speakers to testify on topics relevant to the search for life’s potential in the Universe: Dr. Mary Voytek, Senior Scientist for Astrobiology in the Science Mission Directorate at
NASA headquarters, Dr. Sara Seager, Professor of Physics and of Planetary Science at M.I.T., and Dr. Steven J. Dick, Baruch S. Blumberg Chair of Astrobiology, John W. Kluge Center, Library of Congress.

A video of the hearing is available from the Committee on Science, Space and Technology at the US House of Representatives. The video can also be found at the Astrobiology Magazine.