NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore surely didn't think they'd still be on the International Space Station this long when they left Earth in June. In fact, they initially expected to stay for just eight days.

They will swab the exterior of the International Space Station to collect microbiological samples surviving in the vacuum of space. The post How NASA astronauts are searching for life in space appeared first on Talker.

The survival of organisms in the vacuum of space could support the theory that life didn't start on Earth, but originated elsewhere in the galaxy.

Pettit is now in the midst of his third stint on the International Space Station, and the decade he had to prepare for his current stay in orbit was put to good use. Accordingly, he is well stocked on cameras, lenses, and plans to make the most of six months in space to observe the planets and heavens from an incredible vantage point.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were only meant to be away from Earth for eight days - but have been stuck on the International Space Station for the last seven months

Around the turn of the century, 3.8 million people banded together in a real-time search for aliens — with screensavers. It was a big moment in a century-long concerted search for extraterrestrial intelligence.