NASA - Life on Mars could be found within two years but world is ‘not prepared’

Nasa is close to finding life on Mars but the world is not ready for the “revolutionary” implications of the discovery, the space agency’s chief scientist has said.

Dr Jim Green has warned that two rovers from Nasa and the European Space Agency (ESA) could find evidence of life within months of arriving on Mars in March 2021.

Life on Mars could be found within two years but world is ‘not prepared’, Nasa’s chief scientist says

This is some BS. Half the world wouldn't even notice, most of the rest of the world would be distracted and forget about it in an hour or less.

The NASA rover does not even have a mission to look for current life on Mars. Only signs of past life. As far as the sample return goes, there is no planned mission yet to return the samples.

Rosalind Franklin (ExoMars rover), is led by the European Space Agency and the Russian Roscosmos State Corporation. The Russian part was left out of this story for some reason.

Kazachok lander

The second mission, scheduled for launch in July 2020, will have an 1800 kg Russian-built lander called Kazachok that is derived from the 2016 Schiaparelli EDM lander, to place the Rosalind Franklin rover on the surface of Mars. Kazachok lander will be built 80% by the Russian company Lavochkin, and 20% by ESA. Lavochkin will produce most of the landing system's hardware, while ESA will handle elements such as the guidance, radar and navigation systems. Lavochkin's current landing strategy is to use two parachutes; one will open while the module is still moving at supersonic speed, and another will deploy once the probe has been slowed down to subsonic velocity. The heat shield will eventually fall away from the entry capsule to allow the ExoMars rover, riding its retro-rocket-equipped lander, to come for a soft landing on legs or struts. The lander will then deploy ramps for the rover to drive down.

Critics have stated that while Russian expertise may be sufficient to provide a launch vehicle, it does not currently extend to the critical requirement of a landing system for Mars.

ExoMars

Russia and ESA don't have a very good record of landing safely on Mars. I do hope Rosalind Franklin lands safely on Mars and finds life. I would not bet on it though.

Great. But a warning that they COULD find life on Mars is not the same as actually finding life on Mars. They should find it first, if it is/was even there, then they should talk about it.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

How the holy hell can they say they are close to discovering life on Mars?
If life doesn't or hasn't existed on Mars they will never find it.

And if it does of had previously existed they would have no way of know when they would find the proof.


The only possible way they could say that is that nasa has already found proof and have scheduled its announcement. Coincidentally right after the next election..

I'm calling shenanigans.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

could find evidence of life within months of arriving on Mars in March 2021.

I think he meant "confirm evidence of life".

I disagree with Dr Green , I think we're more than ready for it and probably need to hear it as most of us already suspect it.

So what if they found "life" on Mars, likely microbial. Isn't that what we all expect? What would be amazing is if there WEREN'T life on Mars. This idea that the "world is not prepared" is just wishful thinking by elitists who believe they have a better handle on the state of the universe than the Plebians around them. Life on Mars? Meh!

a reply to: Bluntone22

NASA more than likely has found what they think is or was life. At the very least life from Earth has made it to Mars by one way or another. It will take boots on Mars or a sample return for NASA to prove it though.

a reply to: schuyler


I doubt we will find living life on Mars.
Ancient life might happen though.
That planet is not very hospitable to life.

I think humanity can handle the fact microorganisms are living on Mars. They make it sound like they are about to discover intelligent life or something.

Personally speaking, and I fully accept that I might be wrong, but I don't think we're finding life on Mars or anywhere else anytime soon. I don't think it's there. Time will tell.

I guess NASA already would know there is life there by saying something like that...
But now ESA is evolved they know they cannot keep the truth from us anymore.
Perhaps we humans evolved on Mars

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: schuyler


I doubt we will find living life on Mars.
Ancient life might happen though.
That planet is not very hospitable to life.

The surface of Mars is not very hospitable to life. The more we find out about what is under the surface of Mars, the more hospitable it looks.

Religion will get over it or keep its denial functioning.

Tell us what ya got.

originally posted by: JAY1980
I think humanity can handle the fact microorganisms are living on Mars. They make it sound like they are about to discover intelligent life or something.

I disagree. We have zero evidence that live exists anywhere at all outside of our own planet. Intelligent or microbial. Zero evidence.

If we do discover even the simplest organisms are out there and so close that changes everything and not only does it mean that anythings possible, it makes it likely that we are not the only intelligent life forms in our galaxy. I think the world would have no choice but to take notice. The ramifications would be huge and potentially dangerous.

originally posted by: Spacespider
I guess NASA already would know there is life there by saying something like that...
But now ESA is evolved they know they cannot keep the truth from us anymore.
Perhaps we humans evolved on Mars

I think your probably correct.

In the back of my mind, something tells me we were from mars, and destroyed it like were doing here on earth now.

And were going back now we've nearly wrecked earth.

Wash,rinse,repeat...

a reply to: RMFX1

I don't think there's zero evidence. There is supporting evidence that microbial life existed/does exist on Mars and they have found recent evidence of water and more importantly complex organic molecules on the planet.

As for NASA to announce that life on Mars could be found in 2 years i'm with Bluntone22 on this. How the hell can they say this?

They are either making bold statements for publicity and funding or they have found something which leads them to believe they will find or they already know about life on Mars.

The state of humanity at the moment I doubt life on mars will raise much interest in many people anymore.

I take it to mean "we have found evidence and wont release it for at least 2 years when people are properly prepared for it".

The Gov being the Gov.

Anyone else watch Elon Musk last night? Great work happening their and he believes himself, that we NEED to colonize consciousness on Mars as Earth will one day be swallowed by its father star.

He puts high importance on colonization of extraterrestrial worlds, as right now, this time window of our current age, is the best chance we have before anything catastrophic sets us back into the dark age again...

As for aliens or life; Elon states he has NO evidence ever to propose they exist, and in so, at least in this pocket of the galaxy, we are alone.

We shall see.

I'm a believer.

I think most people will look slightly annoyed and say "No #" in sarcasticly frustrated voices.

I think they've been sitting on this crap so long they've finally come to realize they can't kick this can down the road any longer.

So they say some crap about us not being prepared for it in hopes to appeal to our pride to soften whatever made up blow they think this info will have...

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: schuyler

I doubt we will find living life on Mars. Ancient life might happen though. That planet is not very hospitable to life.

I doubt we won't. "Life will find a way." -- Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Jurassic Park

originally posted by: RMFX1
Personally speaking, and I fully accept that I might be wrong, but I don't think we're finding life on Mars or anywhere else anytime soon. I don't think it's there. Time will tell.

I think we have already found life on Mars, please review my below signature.
Regarding your avatar, it is offensive, insulting, and Anti Christian! It is a religious attack against one's belief! How it escapes the Mods is beyond me. If someone depicted some inflammatory comment on their aviator regarding Hinduism, Buddhism, or being anti-Muslim, they would be asked to remove it or would have been crushed by the ban hammer of Thor.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

In every field of science its those same money grabbing pieces of (SNIP)

The whole world is a frigging publicity stunt!