Whether we will ever know whether TRAPPIST-1e has life is currently uncertain and subject to a number of factors. Some astronomers believe it may well be possible to learn from our Earthbound telescopes if TRAPPIST-1e has oceans on its surface and there's a hint of methane in its atmosphere -- an indicator of biological life in many Earth environments.

The James Webb Space Telescope launched late in 2021 and could help confirm these suppositions -- or not -- depending on exactly what TRAPPIST-1e and TRAPPIST-1 as a whole turn out to be like when observed at infrared wavelengths from space.