Astrobiology on the Moon

Although the Moon has, almost certainly, never supported any life of its own, lunar exploration will reveal much of astrobiological interest. As the Earth's closest celestial neighbour it retains a unique record of the inner Solar System environment under which life evolved here. The Moon can also provide knowledge essential for the long-term exploration of space, including information on the survival of microorganisms, plants and humans in space and the spread of microbial contaminants in extreme planetary conditions. This meeting will address these different aspects of lunar astrobiology in the context of future lunar exploration activities.