In “The Searchers,” Dave Eggers explores humanity’s quest to discover extraterrestrial life, focusing on the scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) who are developing technology to find planets that might support life. Eggers predicts that within the next quarter-century, humans will likely find evidence of life on another planet, either on moons in the solar system or on exoplanets orbiting distant stars.

Eggers explains that NASA plans to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will have a viewing field 100 times greater than the Hubble Space Telescope. This telescope will include a coronagraph, a device designed for “starlight suppression”—blocking the light from distant stars to reveal planets orbiting them. Once scientists master this technology with the Roman telescope and the future Habitable Worlds Observatory, they can identify planets that might harbor life.

During his visit to JPL near Pasadena, California, Eggers discovers that this government-funded research center houses some of the world’s most brilliant minds in astronomy, astrophysics, and engineering. The author emphasizes that their crucial work in exploring the origins of the universe and the existence of extraterrestrial life relies on governmental support; most private corporations see no immediate profit in such research.

Eggers provides historical context for JPL, noting that it was founded in 1936 by engineers from the California Institute of Technology. Initially funded by the US Army for rocket propulsion research, JPL later partnered with NASA to focus on unmanned space exploration. Their accomplishments include building the first American satellite (Explorer 1), the first US probe to leave Earth’s orbit (Pioneer), and parts of major telescopes like Hubble and James Webb. Eggers expresses surprise that these momentous achievements often receive little public attention.

The author introduces key scientists at JPL, including Vanessa Bailey, who discovered one of only 82 directly imaged exoplanets. Growing up in rural South Dakota with scientist parents, Bailey developed an early fascination with astronomy. After studying at the University of Minnesota and the University of Arizona, she identified a new exoplanet, HD 106906 b. Eggers notes the remarkable humility of the JPL scientists, who consistently emphasize teamwork over individual achievement.

Eggers explains that while Bailey’s discovery was significant, the exoplanet she found was too large and too far from its star to support life. Scientists are now searching for planets in the “Goldilocks zone” (neither too hot nor too cold for life), but these planets are harder to detect because they orbit closer to their stars, making them difficult to see through the star’s brightness. This challenge explains the importance of the coronagraph technology being developed for the Roman telescope. The author describes how the coronagraph team at JPL just delivered their equipment to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for testing before the telescope’s scheduled 2027 launch. The technology works on a simple principle similar to using one’s hand to block a lamp’s light to see objects behind it. By precisely controlling the shape of the blocking mechanism, the coronagraph can better reveal planets near distant stars.

Additionally, Eggers highlights the namesake of the telescope, Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief of astronomy. Born in 1925, Roman faced significant gender discrimination throughout her career but persevered to become a pioneering figure in space-based astronomy. As early as 1959, she proposed that a space telescope could detect planets around other stars and even suggested using a coronagraph for this purpose. Her advocacy eventually led to the Hubble Space Telescope. Roman continued contributing to astronomy until her death at 93 in 2018.

The essay concludes with Eggers meeting Nick Siegler, a more extroverted scientist who leads him through JPL’s facilities. Siegler, the child of Jewish refugees from Romania, abandoned a successful business career at 43 to pursue his passion for astronomy. Eggers describes how Siegler showed him an alternative starlight suppression technology: an enormous star-shaped device that would unfurl in space to block starlight. The author notes that while this beautiful, ambitious design might not be selected due to NASA’s risk mitigation preferences, it represents the creative vision driving space exploration. The author concludes with Bailey’s reflection that discovering life elsewhere would instill a sense of “existential humility”—the profound realization that humans may not be alone in the cosmos.