A researcher claims that we may have found life on Mars 50 years ago, then killed it

According to an astrobiology professor, life on Mars was detected 50 years ago but was accidentally destroyed. Dirk Schulze-Makuch, a professor at the Technical University of Berlin, has made dramatic statements, claiming that humanity may have been lucky in discovering extraterrestrial life just to accidentally kill it. Prior to the Curiosity rover, NASA launched the Viking program in the mid-1970s, which sent two landers to Mars. The mission was ahead of its time in providing humanity with the first glimpses of the Martian surface. Not only that, but the mission also conducted biological investigations of the soil in order to find signs of life.

Mars missions have verified the presence of native organic molecules on Mars

The mission’s discoveries included several geological structures that were consistent with the impacts of large water flows. The Martian volcanoes and slopes resembled those in Hawaii, indicating that they had previously been exposed to rain. The landers also discovered minor levels of chlorinated organics, which were initially thought to be pollution from Earth. Following Mars missions, however, have verified the presence of native organic molecules on Mars, albeit in chlorinated form.

Adding water to soil samples was one of the Viking experiments. The crimson Martian soil was filled with nutrients and radioactive carbon (carbon-14). According to the hypothesis, if there were viable microbes on Mars, they would eat the nutrients and emit radioactive carbon as a gas. The initial results suggested the emission of this radioactive gas, while the remaining results were equivocal. According to Schulze-Makuch, mankind may have overburdened these potential bacteria, resulting in their extinction.

Humanity has been looking for life on worlds other than Earth to see whether we may evolve into an interplanetary species

“Many of the Viking experiments involved applying water to the soil samples, which may explain the puzzling results. Perhaps the putative Martian microbes collected for the labeled release experiments couldn’t deal with that amount of water and died off after a while,” he wrote in a column in Big Think. “It would be as if an alien spaceship were to find you wandering half-dead in the desert, and your would-be saviors decide, “Humans need water. Let’s put the human in the middle of the ocean to save it!” That wouldn’t work either,” he explained. 

Humanity has been looking for life on worlds other than Earth to see whether we may evolve into an interplanetary species. Mars has long been mentioned as a potential choice in cases where it is conceivable. The Perseverance rover is currently navigating Mars’ harsh terrain. It is a member of a multinational, interplanetary relay team formed to uncover the mysteries of our neighboring planet. A Sample Retrieval Lander is anticipated to launch from Earth in 2028, carrying a NASA-led Mars rocket and small Mars helicopters. The lander will land near the rover’s crater, and the rocks gathered by Perseverance will be transferred into the rocket. Notably, the lander must be near the Perseverance rover for samples to be sent. It must land within 66 yards (60 meters) of its intended landing spot.