3 ms·
They won't explore the water-flowing sites to: "minimize the chances of life inadvertently crossing the solar system." So let's just spread life intentionally.
by beambot 11y ago
They won't explore the water-flowing sites to: "minimize the chances of life inadvertently crossing the solar system."
So let's just spread life intentionally. It seems like that is one of our goals anyway -- not necessarily for governments (ie. NASA), but certainly for private space flight.
- rm445 11y agoThe aim is to settle the question of whether life exists on Mars, or ever has, before clouding the issue with modern contamination. I say modern just in case of various panspermia-type possibilities. That doesn't preclude eventually spreading life to Mars. Even if living indigenous bacteria, or even plant life(!) were found - I think this is the most ambitious scenario now conceivable, the 'Mars mat' of fiction suviving in caves - it likely wouldn't be an argument to stop colonisation, though it might have bearing on arguments about terraforming.