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According to recent research, NASA may have unintentionally wiped out potential life on Mars in the 1970s, when the Viking landers touched down on the Red Planet. Despite numerous expeditions to Mars, no concrete evidence of extraterrestrial life has been found. However, astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch of the Technical University Berlin believes that current methods may have inadvertently destroyed any potential signs of life on Mars.
The Viking landers, which landed on Mars in 1976, were tasked with conducting experiments to detect possible biosignatures in the Martian soil. These experiments included the use of a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GCMS) to search for chlorinated organics, which were previously thought to be contaminants from Earth. However, recent studies have shown that chlorinated organics are actually native to Mars.
Schulze-Makuch suggests that the heating process used during the Viking experiments may have destroyed any organic materials present in the Martian soil. In addition, other experiments such as the labeled release and pyrolytic release experiments could have also inadvertently eradicated any potential signs of life.
It is now believed that life on Mars may have adapted to survive in extremely dry conditions, unlike life on Earth. Therefore, introducing water to the Martian environment could have catastrophic consequences for any potential microbial life. Schulze-Makuch argues that future missions to Mars should take this into consideration and focus on detecting life forms that thrive in arid environments.
In 2007, Schulze-Makuch proposed that Mars could be home to dry-adapted life forms that use hydrogen peroxide as a source of energy. He suggests that instead of solely “following the water,” NASA should also explore hydrated and hygroscopic compounds, such as salts, to locate microbial life on Mars. By taking a new approach to searching for life on the Red Planet, scientists may be able to uncover evidence of Martian organisms that have adapted to survive in harsh conditions.
After nearly 50 years since the Viking experiments, Schulze-Makuch believes that it is time for a new life detection mission on Mars. With a greater understanding of the Martian environment and the potential impact of past experiments on microbial life, future missions could yield groundbreaking discoveries about the existence of extraterrestrial life on Mars.
In conclusion, the inadvertent eradication of potential life on Mars by NASA serves as a cautionary tale for future missions to the Red Planet. By reevaluating past experiments and taking into account the unique ecology of Mars, scientists may be able to uncover evidence of microbial life that has adapted to survive in extreme conditions. Moving forward, it is essential that NASA adopts a more cautious and informed approach to exploring the possibility of life on Mars.
