Mars has been a focus of astrobiology and exobiology research since the early days of NASA. Even before the invention of the telescope, Mars captured the imagination of scientists and philosophers who were interested in life’s potential beyond Earth.
With the Viking landers in the 1970s, Mars became the target of NASA’s first dedicated mission to search for life in our solar system. Ever since, further robotic missions have expanded our knowledge of Mars, revealing many sites on the surface that could hold evidence of past or present life.
Humans have yet to make the journey, but the desire to send teams of researchers to visit scientific sites on Mars has been a driving force for space exploration. The question of life on Mars is so compelling that artists, writers and some of humankind’s greatest thinkers have been exploring the possibility through fiction for centuries. Recent weeks have showcased two big news stories about Mars that capture both our scientific and fictional fascinations with the red planet.
On September 28th, 2015, NASA announced evidence that liquid water does exist on Mars today. Liquid water is one of the key ingredients for life as we know it, and its presence on Mars raises hopes that we may soon discover the first known living organisms native to a planet other than Earth. Days later, a new Hollywood epic, The Martian, arrived in theatres.
To read more, click here.