Is there life on Mars or not? The Internet has been buzzing this week with rumors that a major announcement by NASA concerning the potential for life on Mars is imminent. The announcement on Friday by NASA that scientists have been able to positively confirm the existence of water vapor within Martian soil has brought speculation about the possibility of life on the red planet to a fever pitch.
So far, NASA officials are remaining tightlipped, but an article published in Aviation Week quotes an unidentified source within the agency who reveals that the White House has been briefed about a recent discovery made by the Phoenix lander concerning life on Mars.
The article was quickly republished on Slashdot and made its way through the blogosphere in record time. Wired news is also reporting the story, even though NASA spokesperson Veronica McGregor claims that the reports are “incorrect.” McGregor also denied that the president has been briefed regarding any new discoveries by the Phoenix lander. Still, many bloggers aren’t convinced.
One thing that is continuing to fuel the rumors is the imminent publication of a press release by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the governing body which produces the acclaimed Science magazine. Several members of the organization have anonymously confirmed that top-secret information gathered by the Phoenix is currently being peer-reviewed by scientists around the country.
This revelation has many NASA watchers convinced that a major announcement will follow within the next few weeks, despite NASA’s somewhat reserved denials about any new findings.
Of course, NASA’s admission that the presence of water vapor and ice has been found in Martian soil samples is also driving speculation. The discovery suggests that Mars may have once been covered with water, or at least had significant quantities. And of course, water is one of the most necessary biological components of life.
Also raising suspicion that NASA is on to something big: the administration has extended the Phoenix’s mission through September the 30th. This amounts to an extension of five additional weeks from the lander’s original mission. Dr. Michael Meyer, chief NASA scientist in charge of the Mars program, would only say that the mission is going “very well.”
The Martian soil that has been analyzed so far has turned out to be more alkaline than expected, and appears to contain many common mineral nutrients found on Earth, including potassium and magnesium. NASA is stating that no organic molecules have been detected so far, though agency officials point out that the analysis is just in the beginning stages.
NASA scientists are collecting a massive amount of data concerning the Martian soil, and it will likely take years to fully analyze the specimens already collected.
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