"Ultimate Buu" wrote

In a decade or so, we may be able to detect Earth-like planets
using spacecraft currently being developed. We may even be able
to detect evidence for life on such planets (detection of methane
through spectroscopy) and even chlorophyll (?).


What could the discovery of such a planet lead to?

An interstellar mission using solar-sails?

Just maybe conceivably launching a fly-by nanoprobe along the lines of
Forward's "StarWisp". Interstellar solar sailing as such doesn't
get to very high speeds, and laser-pushed light sail schemes are
technically quite challenging.

http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/213.web....ightsails.html

Plans for colonization?

We don't have the technology to do that by a long shot, and the
prospects for getting it in the foreseeable future are dim at
best. Maybe in the unforeseeable future...

Focussing of SETI on such star-systems?

Yes. Once you detect an exoEarth, devoting resources to study it
in as much detail as possible (which subsumes SETI) would be
the obvious thing to do.