Picture this: a realm of endless possibilities, where oceans shimmer under alien suns, and strange terrains gleam under Tatooine skies.

It’s not a scene from a sci-fi flick but a tantalising glimpse into the world of exoplanets – those distant, mysterious worlds orbiting stars beyond our solar system.

These celestial enigmas are more than just dots of light in the night sky; they’re the keys to unlocking the secrets of life beyond our planet.

Think about our very own Earth, this beautiful ‘pale blue dot,’ teeming with life. We’re surrounded by a plethora of creatures, each adapting to their environment in remarkable ways.

Now imagine that on other planets, there might be bizarre life forms, different from anything we’ve ever encountered. Exoplanets hold the promise of answering that age-old question: “Are we alone in the universe?”

But finding these cosmic gems is no trivial task.

Astronomers have multiple techniques to detect the presence of exoplanets around numerous stars.

However, the next significant step in the endeavor of finding life elsewhere is the characterization of these planets, or rather, to understand whether their environmental aspects are favorable for life to flourish. Such factors include the presence of liquid water, a stable atmosphere, and perhaps a magnetic field that provides protection from radiation.

The quest to find such Earth-like planets has initiated a new era in space exploration with telescopes such as the James Webb already in operation, while others will be launched in the near future.

Remember, though, finding a planet in the habitable zone doesn’t mean we’ve found E.T. himself. Discovering life on an exoplanet is like finding a needle in a haystack on an astronomical scale.

Scientists look for clues in a planet’s atmosphere.

If they find a mix of gases like oxygen and methane, it could be a sign that living organisms may be at work. These, among other hints, are called signatures of life and are often regarded as the holy grail of the search for extraterrestrial life.

So, after all, why should we care about exoplanets and the search for life? Well, for starters, it’s a way to satisfy our insatiable curiosity. But it’s more than that. Understanding whether life exists beyond Earth helps us grasp the big picture of our place in the universe and how capable life is to adapt to adverse environments.

This endeavor was a central theme in this year’s edition of the Alpbach Summer School, co-organized by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).

During this Summer school, students from 22 European countries had the opportunity to learn more about exoplanets, their diverse environments, as well as the telescopes and instruments currently being used to find and understand them better. Backed by this newly gained knowledge, the four teams of students were then tasked with developing an innovative mission to expand humanity’s knowledge of these elusive worlds.

Malta was represented by Maria Aquilina, a Mathematics and Physics graduate from the University of Malta. Together with her team, Maria was awarded the best mission presentation award after presenting their science and engineering cases for the mission they developed.

Maria’s participation was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Malta Council for Science and Technology (mcst.gov.mt).