'NASA's bold new equation': Venus may have once supported life
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
NASA’s Ames Research Center has introduced the Venus Life Equation (VLE), a model designed to estimate the likelihood of life on Venus across different time periods. The approach was presented at the 2025 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, aiming to refine the search for past and present life on the planet.
While Mars and the icy moons of the outer Solar System dominate astrobiology research, Venus has similarities to Earth, including its size, mass, and rocky composition. However, it underwent a severe greenhouse effect, creating an extreme surface environment. The VLE provides a structured way to reassess whether Venus could have supported life despite these conditions.
The VLE follows a framework similar to the Drake Equation but focuses on a single planet rather than interstellar life probabilities. It is defined as L = O × R × C, where: - O (Origination): The probability of life emerging on Venus. - R (Robustness): The diversity and resilience of any potential biosphere. - C (Continuity): The persistence of habitable conditions over time.
Origination considers how life might have started, whether through abiogenesis (life forming from non-living matter), panspermia (life arriving from elsewhere), or multiple independent events. Scientists face challenges in determining whether life, if it ever existed, had the opportunity to establish itself before Venus’s climate changed.
The Robustness factor depends on Venus’s ability to sustain life over time. It considers the availability of essential nutrients (such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur) and energy sources. A lower robustness score suggests a fragile biosphere that could have been easily disrupted.
The Continuity term accounts for whether Venus maintained stable conditions long enough for life to persist. Factors such as volcanic activity, atmospheric changes, and planetary orbital stability play a role. If extreme climate shifts occurred, any potential biosphere may have been wiped out.
The Venus Life Equation offers a framework for future missions and research, helping scientists determine where to search for signs of past or present life. The model also raises broader questions about planetary habitability, extinction events, and whether similar conditions could have shaped Earth’s own biological history.