The Goddard Center for Astrobiology and the Cosmic Ice Laboratory at Goddard Space Flight Center study the chemical composition of icy bodies and planetary ice to answer fundamental questions about the emergence and evolution of life on Earth, as well as to explain and predict the existence of specific molecules on space objects. Here, we discuss the reported findings from these laboratories in the astrochemistry and astrobiology field.
High-resolution spectra using ground-based and space-based telescopes are used to classify the composition and abundance ratios of volatile organics measured on comets and cosmic ices. Organics on Mars have also been studied, such as the existence of methane, and more recently the discovery of water, suggesting