Gliese 581c: New Telescopes will scan for life starting 2016

“Confirming life there, and in other yet-to-be-discovered systems, will require a new generation of space telescopes capable of picking up “signatures” such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone and methane. NASA and the European Space Agency are developing planet finders that will do just that by 2020, assuming funding comes through.

Tour the future of planet-hunting tech as seen through artists’ renditions of proposed exploration projects in the following gallery.” Wired Post.