Epilogue: Mars - The Living Planet

Until September 28th 2015 NASA promoted the dry and Lifeless Mars paradigm for 40 years. In September 28th 2015 NASA presented a new paradigm: Liquid water and possibly microbial life. But nothing more. How long will it take that macroscopic life, both past and present, visible in hundreds of images is admitted? Is the time for the final paradigm change “Mars – The Living Planet” around 2030 after first man has stepped on Mars and the planetary protection damage has been done by ‘accident’? "Sorry, we did not know....".

I agree on that humanity must continue developing space travel and maybe finally make colonies to Mars. We must become interplanetary and even interstellar species. But intermediate cautious steps must be taken when the target planet where we go is already habited. We should now continue with robotic missions to Mars instead of manned missions, until we are sure that there is no harm in the exchange of life forms between Mars and Earth. As an intermediate step, a manned Mars biology research laboratory to the orbit of Mars?

Planetary Protection First!

Robert Walker in UK describes very well how space exploration plans should be modified concerning Mars and planetary protection, October 2016: President Obama, Why Humans On Mars Right Now Are Bad For Science . In short: Manned missions to orbit of Mars and from the orbit guiding of sterilized robotic Avatars on surface to study biology.

Below is interesting details of Esperance site by Opportunity. Opportunity spent 60 days closely investigating this extremely interesting object. It is natural to ask following question: Why there are no sharp images in image archive of these interesting details, which are just under reach of microscopic imager? Same question can be asked for several other objects, clearly past and present life on Mars, presented in this web-page. Was the assumption of rover science teams, that there can only be microbial life on Mars? And if they saw anything else on the images, they just thought it is not possible and kept on driving, without investigating them? Or they have investigated them but the images and data is kept secret? Or no investigation done because finding life on Mars is not on current mission objectives? These attitude issues can be read more in articles:

NASA 2014-8-21, Bone up on Mars Rock Shapes and Universe Today, Elizabeth Howell 2014-9-4, NASA Curiosity Rover Missing ‘Scientific Focus And Detail’ In Mars Mission: Review

About my background: I have had astronomy, sciences and philosophy as a hobby over 40 years. Education: Master of Science degree from Helsinki University of Technology, part of Aalto University today. The objects presented in this web-page were found mainly by going through systematically the Curiosity and Opportunity image archives, during four years. NASA has presented only some of the objects.

Motivation for deep dive into archives came from this: In 2013 Steven Benner's theory about life born in Mars was widely promoted in news. At the same time I found in internet images and writings about Sol-109 object. My first reaction was "This is not possible, must be a practical joke or misinterpretation. NASA says Mars is lifeless". I wanted to verify the authenticity of the images, so I searched the original images from the Curiosity archive. Then I started to check other images close to Sol-109, and then I started systematic visual check for all the images.

During the process I have had the luck to establish contact and have mail discussion with some of the leading scientists related to Mars research, astrobiology and planetary protection. The first one who ever did systematic visual check for Mars images, was Dr. Gilbert V. Levin. He checked all the Viking lander images and found in some images greenish patches with seasonal changes[63].

I am in a way in good position that i have astronomy just as a hobby. I can say freely and honestly what can be seen in the Mars rover images. The publications by Curiosity and Opportunity science teams linked in this web-page suggest in titles and content that there is life on Mars.

This becomes also very clear when you have spent few first months in Mars rover archives, and you see how Mars rovers are moved to interesting targets. But yet the direct announcement by NASA "Yes, we have found life on Mars" is missing. And because of that official view of NASA still is "There is no proof for life on Mars"? Having the wrong official view leads to dangerous consequences when samples with alien microbes are returned from Mars to Earth in 2020 decade. We must be cautious when opening Pandora's box from Mars.