Groundbreaking research has led experts to conclude environments on other planets are capable of sustaining life. Conclusive proof of extra-terrestrial beings may even arrive before the end of the next decade, they think. Foundations for the astonishing claim lie on the planet Europa - Jupiter's sixth orbiting moon. The star - around 390 million miles from Earth - is one of few within the reach of man to catch the attention of scientists who think it supports life. Dr Kevin Hand, astrobiologist and planetary scientist at America's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) believes an answer to the age-old question 'are we alone?' could be around the corner. He said missions to the surface of Europa have revealed clues which indicate the presence of liquid water in a form which could support life. He said: "We may one day be able to discover if there are signs of organic or possible life on Europa. "Images show there could be possible life on Europa." Experiments and observations at the surface