There is no more fascinating or important question on the science table today than: Are we alone in the universe? The first place we can try to answer that question directly is Mars, and some NASA scientists are suggesting we do precisely that. They say the next phase of robotic exploration of Mars should focus on searching for life.
So far, the only search for life on Mars was conducted by the Viking probes of the 1970s. The consensus of the scientific community at the time and since has been that Viking did not find life. Exploration of the planet since then, however, has revealed that Mars may have been friendlier to life in the past and suggests life could still exist under the surface, where it would be protected from harmful radiation.
The scientists argue that future robotic missions should include rovers that could explore likely places for life, such as ancient hot springs, and the ability to dig several meters below the surface in search of fossils, or, possibly, extant life.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment