Astrobiology is the study of life in the universe. This new interdisciplinary science seeks answers to fundamental questions on the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life, wherever it might exist. Astrobiology encompasses the disciplines of astronomy, chemistry, biology, palaeontology, geology, physics and many of their subdisciplines. Astrobiology is supported by national and international institutions in the US and Europe. To understand life's origins in the context of planetary environments, numerous space missions and space- and Earth-based experiments are currently being carried out, or planned for the near future.