ASTROBIOLOGY: A BRIEF HISTORICAL EXCURSION, ITS CURRENT STATE AND PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE

At the present stage of the development of human civilization the rapid development of high-tech space technologies, growing scientific and commercial interest in space, and also increased attention to fundamental questions about the origin and future of life in the Universe require the formation of new scientific efforts regarding the understanding of the phenomenon of life, the emergence of the biosphere, and the planetary role of man in the further evolution of planet Earth. Modern society is actively seeking answers to lifelong questions related to whether our biosphere is the only form of life in space, and whether human contact with extraterrestrial life forms and civilizations is possible. The search for these answers is facilitated by such a science as astrobiology. The purpose of this publication is a brief overview of the current state of astrobiology based on publications in leading scientific journals over the past decades, as well as an analysis of the potential opportunities for the development of this science in Ukraine. Astrobiology as a science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the question of the origin of life on Earth, how it has evolved on this planet for billions of years, its limits, and the existence of life beyond Earth, its possible forms and modes of life existence, as well as the conditions for the emergence and development of life in the Universe. Astrobiology investigates whether life, as a cosmic phenomenon, can exist beyond Earth in various forms, including terrestrial ones delivered by spacecraft to other planets. The main goal of astrobiology is to search for and study various forms of life beyond Earth, as well as to study the existence of terrestrial life forms in extreme conditions, close to the conditions of open space and environmental conditions on other planets of the Solar and other stellar systems. An important interdisciplinary area of research in modern astrobiology is the study of the chemical composition of interstellar space and chemical processes that can lead to the formation of organic molecules. Abiogenic synthesis of organic compounds in outer space can occur under conditions of extremely low temperatures, cosmic vacuum and high levels of ionizing radiation. The theory of the spontaneous origin of life on planet Earth suggests that the first simplest living organisms arose by self-organization from organic compounds that were formed as a result of their abiogenic synthesis. The possibility of abiogenic synthesis of biologically relevant organic molecules has been experimentally proven. But the idea of the spontaneous origin of life as a molecular-informational phenomenon still remains hypothetical. The alternative viewpoint is a theory of panspermia. This theory assumes the process of spontaneous origin of life somewhere else in space, such as on another planetary body, and living organisms came to Earth with space dust, comets and asteroids. The possibility that organisms can survive movement through space is supported by some experimental confirmation based on studies of the resistance of certain types of organisms to extreme factors of open space and environmental conditions on some planets and satellites, in particular on Mars, Enceladus and other celestial bodies. An important area of research in modern astrobiology is the search for biosignatures that can reliably indicate the presence of certain life forms. The development of astrobiology gives rise to a number of systemic issues that must be resolved and which should form a systemic vision of the possibility of the existence of various life forms on other planets. An important issue in astrobiology is the problem of the influence of cosmic factors on the terrestrial biosphere and possible biospheres of other planets. These factors are primarily associated with the activity of stars around which planetary systems are formed. In connection with the active development of space missions to the planets of the Solar System, the question arose of the possibility of transferring terrestrial life forms on space probes to other planets, which in turn raises a number of problems associated with astrobiological "pollution" and the ethical responsibility of human civilization for the spread of terrestrial life forms as a result of contamination of space probes. The review pays special attention to the issues of training highly qualified specialists in the field of astrobiology at universities and relevant educational and scientific centers, in particular on the basis of the UK Astrobiology Center of the University of Edinburgh. The need to open an International Astrobiology Center on the basis of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv together with the University of Edinburgh is substantiated. Astrobiology is a new, interdisciplinary, and in-demand science. It has its own scientific challenges and methodology. The further development of this field of knowledge requires the involvement of specialists from various natural and humanitarian disciplines, who need to be trained through new interdisciplinary educational courses and programs for the preparation of bachelors, masters, and doctors of philosophy