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The quantity of methane in Mars' atmosphere, and the potential mechanism(s) responsible for its production, are still unknown. In order to test viable, abiotic, methangenic processes, we experimentally investigated two possible impact mechanisms for generating methane. In the first suite of experiments, basaltic rocks were impacted at 5 km s−1 and the quantity of gases (CH4, H2, He, N2, O2, Ar and CO2) released by the impacts was measured. In the second suite of experiments, a mixture of water ice, CO2 ice and anhydrous olivine grains was impacted to see if the shock induced rapid serpentinization of the olivine, and thus production of methane. The results of both suites of experiments demonstrate that impacts (at scales achievable in the laboratory) do not give rise to detectably enhanced quantities of methane release above background levels. Supporting hydrocode modelling was also performed to gain insight into the pressures and temperatures occurring during the impact events.

Hypervelocity impacts (HVIs) where organic-bearing ice constitutes the target material are important in several aspects of planetary and space science: (1) sampling of planetary surfaces using a hypervelocity projectile to impact the surface and eject surface materials for measurement or collection by a spacecraft; (2) the transfer of organic material between planetary bodies; and (3) providing energy for chemical processes involving surface materials. While small organic molecules (~6 carbon atoms), if present in surface materials, will likely be present in HVI-ejecta, uncertainty remains for larger organic molecules. It is the larger molecular weight compounds which could constitute direct evidence of life, and thus their survival within an HVI-ejecta plume is of key importance when evaluating strategies for life detection on icy bodies. It is not currently known what large organic molecules, and in what concentrations, may be present on icy bodies in the Solar System, but it is highly likely some will be more chemically stable during a HVI than others. Accordingly, in this study we examined a range of chemicals (β,β carotene, stearic acid and anthracene) with molecular weights between 178 and 536 daltons, and three different types of chemical structure. The compounds were solvated in a dimethylsulfoxide/water mixture and frozen. The frozen targets were impacted with steel spheres 1 and 1.5 mm in diameter at velocities of about 4.9 km s−1. Ice ejected during the impact was collected and underwent chemical analysis. The most labile compound (β,β carotene) was only detected (in small amounts) in the ejecta (and only that emitted at the lowest angles of ejection), although the other compounds were present in larger quantities and at a range of ejection angles. A concentration gradient was observed within the ejecta as a function of angle of ejection. This was not the same for both stearic acid and anthracene: the greatest concentrations of stearic acid were found at shallow angles of ejection whereas anthracene was most abundant at both intermediate and large angles of ejection, implying an inverted concentration gradient. These observations may indicate that organic compounds are variably altered and destroyed during a HVI with ice and that the ejecta plume does not sample the original materials equally at all angles of ejection. Future work is planned and will evaluate fractional survival for a greater range of compound types, impact materials and velocities.

Panspermia (‘seeds everywhere’) postulates that life naturally migrates through space. Laboratory studies of Panspermia often examine the survival of Earth's species under the conditions thought to occur during transfer through space. Much of this research has centred on bacteria, but here we consider seeds themselves. We simulated the extreme accelerations necessary for their hypothetical ejection from a planetary surface and the impacts associated with their arrival on another planet. Seeds of tobacco, alfalfa and cress were fired into water at speeds in the range 1–3 km s−1, corresponding to impact shock pressures of circa 0.24–2.4 GPa. No seeds remained intact and able to germinate, even at the lowest speeds. Although fragmentation occurred, even at 3 km s−1 the size of some of the fragments was about 25% that of the seeds. Thus, whilst the seeds themselves did not survive extreme shocks, a substantial fraction of their mass did and might successfully deliver complex organic materials after impact. These results are discussed with respect to ancient Panspermia and the potential of contemporary impacts to eject living organisms into space.

For over 40 years the formalism known as the Drake equation has helped guide speculation about the likelihood of intelligent extraterrestrial life contacting us. Since the equation was formulated there have been significant advances in astronomy and astrophysics, sufficient to merit a review of the significance of the Drake equation. The equation itself is as a series of terms which, when combined, allow an informed discussion of the likelihood of contact with an alien intelligence. However, whilst it has a mathematical form (i.e. a series of terms multiplied together to give an overall probability) it is best understood not as an equation in the strictly mathematical sense. Some of the terms have a physically quantifiable, numerically based meaning (e.g. obtainable from astronomy) and some are more social in content in that they describe the behaviour and evolution of societies and thus are more social science in nature and not truly estimable without observation of a set of societies. Initially, almost all the terms had to be estimated based on informed guesswork or belief. However, in the intervening period since the early 1960s, many of the a priori scientific terms which were themselves initially so uncertain as to require estimation by guess work or belief are now, or will soon be, directly measurable from current or planned astronomical projects. This leaves the non-scientific terms as a distinct class of their own, still subject to analysis only by discussion. Thus observational astronomy has nearly caught up with parts of the Drake equation and will soon quantify the purely physical science parts of the equation. The social parts (concerning intelligent societies, etc.) are still a priori unknowable. In addition, the growth of the subject called astrobiology (i.e. the study of life in the Universe) has developed so fast that communicating with intelligent life is now increasingly seen as just one small part of a much larger discipline. The knowledge as to whether there is life per se (apart from on Earth) in our galactic neighbourhood may be obtainable in the near future directly from observation. Such knowledge will have a profound impact on mankind and will be obtained without the form of communication envisaged by the Drake equation.

The idea that life migrates naturally between planetary bodies has grown in strength in recent years. This idea (panspermia) is believed to be possible via the mechanism of impact events. Previous research on this topic has concentrated on small meteoroids (micrometres to centimetres in diameter), with giant objects (metres to kilometres in diameter) being relatively ignored. This is due to the common belief that the larger objects vaporize on impact with the Earth's surface, which in most studies is taken as rock. Here we examine experimentally whether hypervelocity impacts into water result in significant survival of the impactors. For this study the University of Kent's two-stage light gas gun was used to accelerate millimetre-sized shale projectiles obliquely into a relatively deep water layer, at approximately 5 km s−1. Two shots have been made with surviving fragments being recovered from each. The surviving fragments appear highly shocked and display clear signs of cracking. The fragments that have been isolated contribute to a significant percentage (~10%) of the original unfired projectile mass and are as large as ~20% of the original projectile diameter. This indicates that oceanic hypervelocity impact events of large asteroids may deliver significant volumes of solid material to the Earth and thus provide a possible mechanism for successful panspermia.

This issue of the International Journal of Astrobiology is devoted to papers from the astrobiology community in the United Kingdom. Twelve papers are presented in this issue, on topics ranging from pure science to science education. The call for papers was organised through the Astrobiology Society of Britain.

The Astrobiology Society of Britain (http://www.astrobiologysociety.org/) held its second conference (Life Here, There and Everywhere) in April 2006. The meeting was hosted by the University of Kent and took place on campus in Canterbury from 18–21 April. A total of 48 abstracts were submitted to the meeting. The final schedule featured 35 talks and 14 posters on a range of topics which included Mars, the Moon, comets, exoplanets, impacts, outreach and analytic techniques – all with an astrobiology flavour. With 62 attendees (including overseas delegates from Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Australia and the United States) the meeting also allowed for strong social interaction (and the building of new collaborations and networking) as well as showcasing ongoing research in the field.