Three recent developments have greatly increased interest in the search for life on Mars. The first is new information about the Martian environment including evidence of a watery past and the possibility of atmospheric methane. The second is the possibility of microbial viability on Mars. Finally, the Vision for Space Exploration initiative included an explicit directive to search for the evidence of life on Mars. These scientific and political developments led NASA to request the NRC's assistance in formulating an up-to-date integrated astrobiology strategy for Mars exploration. Among other topics, this report presents a review of current knowledge about possible life on Mars; an astrobiological assessment of current Mars missions; a review of Mars-mission planetary protection; and findings and recommendations. The report notes that the greatest increase in understanding of Mars will come from the collection and return to Earth of a well-chosen suite of Martian surface materials.
Sign in to access your saved publications, downloads, and email
preferences.
Former MyNAP users: You'll need to reset your password on your first
login to MyAcademies. Click "Forgot password" below to receive a reset
link via email. Having trouble?
Visit our FAQ page
to contact support.
Members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of
Engineering, or National Academy of Medicine should log in through their
respective Academy portals.
Register
Register
Download as a Guest
Download as a Guest
While logged on as a guest, you can download any of our free PDFs on
nationalacademies.org
. You will remain logged in until you close your browser.
Thank You
Thank You
Thank you for creating a MyAcademies account!
Enjoy free access to thousands of National Academies' publications, a
10% discount off every purchase, and build your personal library.
Forgot Password
Forgot Password
Enter the email address for your MyAcademies (formerly MyNAP) account to
receive password reset instructions.
Reset Requested
Reset Requested
We sent password reset instructions to
your email
. Follow the link in that email to create a new password. Didn't receive
it? Check your spam folder or
contact us
for assistance.
We sent a verification link to your email. Please check your inbox (and
spam folder) and follow the link to verify your email address. If you
did not receive the email, you can request a new verification link below