The latest from NASA's search for life beyond Earth

When I was a kid, I was completely obsessed with space. I'd spend hours staring at the stars, wishing I could jump into a rocket and travel through the stars like the astronauts I saw in films on TV. As I got older, this curiosity only deepened as I started to ask questions about what I saw in the sky. How were stars created? How big was the universe? Was there life on other planets? I wanted to know it all.

Of course, I wasn't alone in my curiosity. Entire teams of people at NASA have dedicated their careers to finding answers to these questions. So it was a childhood dream come true when Google Arts & Culture invited me to interview NASA astrobiologist Heather Graham, which you can watch in our new documentary "Unpack it".

“Unpack it” takes a look at what life is, where we would find it beyond Earth and what it would look like.

Editor’s note: This project builds on NASA’s long-standing collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, which has brought more than 60 stories and close to 170,000 images to the platform since 2018. “NASA partners with organizations like Google to help bring our content into virtual spaces where people can engage with stories about our missions,” says Maureen O’Brien, Partnerships Manager in NASA’s Office of Communications. “Many of NASA’s images — from artist concepts to data visualizations — are colorful and compelling, so it makes sense to share them as broadly as possible for the benefit of all.”

So if you’re inspired by the possibility of life in our universe and want to “Unpack it,” dip your toes into the unknown by checking out our documentary and NASA’s other content on Google Arts & Culture. Students and teachers interested in exploring life beyond earth — and showcasing their creativity — can check out the new video lesson Create a Travel Brochure for an Exoplanet.