In July 1976, the Viling 1 spacecraft (NASA) landed on the surface of Masu. One of the goals of the probe mission was to find life. According to the then official conclusions of NASA, the probe did not find life. Today, three decades later (2012), scientists think that the data were misinterpreted during the experiments. The Viking 1 apparently found extraterrestrial microbes in a Red Planet soil sample.

According to the mathematical analysis of the examined soil samples, the scientists concluded that the salts in the soil of Mars distorted the original estimates of the results, and that in fact the soil samples show strong evidence of microbial life. Newly performed analyzes focused on complexity chemical composition of soil samples with regard to the indication of possible life. To the surprise of scientists, the results are positive.

"This indicates a strong biological presence," said researchers at the University of Sin and California Keck Institute (SKKI).

"These analyzes support the interpretation that the Viking LR experiment has found the existing microbial life on Mars."

An attempt to review the samples was initiated by another probe - Phoneix, which landed on Mars in 2008. At that time, they were found in the soil perchlorates.

The presence of chemicals in Viking soil samples originally led scientists to believe that the sample was contaminated.

Despite new discoveries, scientists are still unanimous in how much this experiment is clear evidence of life on Mars.

Christopher McKay of NASA Ames Research Center said in an interview with Discowery News: "Finding organic matter is not proof of life, not even in the past. It's just proof for organic matter. "

"The real proof would be a video with a Martian bacterium. They can send a microscope - to see if the bacteria is moving, "said Jospeph Miller of the USC Keck School of Medicine.

"Based on the information we've obtained, I'm 99% sure that life will be there." Future missions to Mars should make that clear.

Looking back into history

The Viking Probe on Mars Surface originally performed several microbial-based life tests. The first attempt was made by Dr. Gil Levin, Ph.D. (NASA / Viking probe):

Microorganisms breathe just as you or me or anything else and excrete carbon dioxide.
So we took a small sample of the soil and put it in a small container, where we constantly monitored it for seven days to see if bubbles were forming in the container. To our surprise, the test result was positive. He then confirmed the presence of life in terms of criteria approved by NASA.

However, another test for the presence of organic matter on the Martian surface was negative. Dr. Levin, however, said that this second test was not as accurate and sensible as the test proposed by him. Dr. Levin's proposed test required at least 30 bacteria to be present in the soil sample, while the second test required the presence of 3000000 bacteria as a criterion for life.

Dr. Levin then stated that he recognized the results of both tests as relevant, and that it may indicate that microbial life on Mars is not so concentrated that the microbial analysis of the test was suggested by his colleague.

NASA concluded this for the public at the time, stating that there are no organic substances on Mars and therefore there is no life on Mars. Dr. Levin has had many disputes with NASA on this issue.