The case for life on Mars

There have been several attempts to answer the question of whether there is. or has ever been. life oil Mars. The boldest attempt was the only ever life detection experiment conducted oil another planet : the Viking mission. The mission was a great Success, but it failed to provide I clear answer to the question of life Oil Mars. More than 30 years after the Viking mission our understanding of the history and evolution of Mars, has increased vastly to reveal,I wetter Martian past and the Occurrence of diverse environments that Could have Supported microbial life similar to that oil Earth for extended periods of time. The discovery of Terran extremophilic microorganisms. adapted to environments previously though to be Prohibitive for lifer has greatly expanded the limits of habitability in our Solar System, and has opened new avenues For the search of life oil Mars. Remnants of a possible early biosphere may be found in the Martian meteorite ALH84001. This claim is based oil I collection of facts and observations consistent with biogenic origins, but individual links in the collective chain of evidence remain controversial. Recent evidence for contemporary liquid water oil Mars and the detection of methane in the Martian atmosphere further enhance the case for life oil Mars. We argue that. given the cumulative evidence provided, life has and is likely to exist oil Mars, and we have already found evidence of it. However, to obtain a compelling certainty a new, mission is needed. one which is devoted to the detection of life oil mars.