TOP PRIORITY: According to a NASA-sponsored report, the search for alien life is our first concern in the next 10 years.

Are we alone in the universe? According to a survey conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, figuring out the answer to this question is our top priority for the next ten years.

The report claims scientists have already made “extraordinary progress” in discovering and exploring exoplanets. However, as Unilad notes, the ultimate goal would be to take pictures of other Earth-like worlds.

As per The Independent, the report states:

“Life on Earth may be the result of a common process, or it may require such an unusual set of circumstances that we are the only living beings within our part of the galaxy, or even in the universe. Either answer is profound. The coming decades will set humanity down a path to determine whether we are alone.”

While searching for alien life is believed to be astronomers’ first concern, respondents to the survey stress there should be more studies focused on black holes, neutron stars, galaxies, and the universe in general. They also point to the lack of diversity among those who work on astronomy projects.

The audit is conducted every 10 years. Amongst this year’s edition’s recommendations for the future is the use of a new telescope, significantly bigger than the Hubble Space Telescope. The new one could be able to spot planets that are 10 billion times fainter than their stars. It is expected to be ready to launch in the 2040s.

The report is sponsored by NASA, the National Science Foundation, Energy Department, and Air Force