In a recent study, a scientist has suggested that NASA may have unintentionally eradicated potential life on Mars during the 1970s Viking missions. While there is no concrete evidence confirming the existence of life on the red planet, there are lingering questions about the possibility of life that may have been missed or destroyed by previous experiments.
The Viking landers were the first US missions to successfully land on Mars in 1976. One of their primary objectives was to conduct experiments to evaluate the Martian soil for signs of potential life. These experiments, including the gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GCMS), aimed to identify organic molecules that could indicate the presence of living organisms.
However, the results of these experiments were inconclusive, with some interpretations suggesting that any positive signals may have been a result of contamination or misinterpretation. It is now believed that certain experimental procedures, such as heating samples in the GCMS, may have inadvertently destroyed organic materials that could have been evidence of Martian life.
Astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch of the Technical University Berlin in Germany has raised concerns about the potential negative impact of these experiments on Martian microbial life. In a column published in Nature Astronomy and Big Think, Schulze-Makuch suggests that our current understanding of Martian ecology should inform the design of future experiments aimed at detecting life on the planet.
Schulze-Makuch argues that the Viking experiments may have been flawed in their assumptions about the conditions necessary for life on Mars. While the experiments were designed to detect life forms similar to those found on Earth, recent discoveries have shown that life can thrive in extreme environments, such as extremely arid conditions.
The researcher proposes that a new mission to Mars should prioritize the search for life using updated techniques and knowledge of Martian conditions. Instead of simply “following the water,” as NASA has done in the past, Schulze-Makuch suggests focusing on hydrated and hygroscopic compounds that may indicate the presence of microbial life on Mars.
Additionally, Schulze-Makuch points to evidence from the Viking experiments that suggests the presence of dry-adapted life forms on Mars. These organisms may utilize hydrogen peroxide and other compounds to survive in the harsh Martian environment. While these hypotheses are speculative, they offer new insights into the potential for life beyond Earth.
Nearly 50 years after the Viking missions, our understanding of Mars and its potential for harboring life has evolved significantly. As new technologies and scientific discoveries continue to expand our knowledge of the red planet, it is time for a renewed effort to explore the possibility of life on Mars.
By reevaluating past experiments and developing new approaches to detecting life on Mars, scientists may uncover evidence of microbial organisms that have eluded detection thus far. With the support of advanced instruments and collaborative research efforts, we may finally answer the age-old question of whether life exists beyond Earth – and whether humans may one day coexist with extraterrestrial beings on our neighboring planet.
