Is there life on Mars?
A new generation of spacecraft may soon find out
AROUND 3.5BN years ago conditions on Earth and Mars were similar. Both had thick atmospheres and liquid water on their surfaces. Both, in other words, had the conditions required to sustain life. And on one of those planets life was, indeed, sustained. Precisely when biology began on Earth remains obscure. But by 3.5bn years ago, a billion years after the solar system formed, it was well established there and has since evolved into the lush abundance of complex forms seen today. Mars, meanwhile, became a freezing desert.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Life on Mars: the search continues”
From the July 25th 2020 edition
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