I Found Life on Mars!

Even back in the early days of robotic Mars missions, the notion of "planetary protection" was important.

Planetary protection means we want to protect other planets from Earth microbes. Some forms of Earth life are pretty tough, and if they hitched a ride on a Mars lander, they could start growing. It's not likely, but life "finds a way," they say.

When we find life on Mars, we want to make sure it's really Mars life and not some Earth life that was hardy enough to survive in the harsh, frozen desert.

For example, the other day, I was working on an air generator at Gordo Station. It has a CO2 (carbon dioxide) accumulator that sits outside, sucking in the thin Martian atmosphere, warming it, and sending it on to the next machinery for processing.

The accumulator is a big metal box bolted onto a flat rock. It has a solar panel on top, and it's full of tubes and tanks.

It is also nice and warm, sitting right above the freezing point of water, positively tropical for Mars where we usually hang out at −63 °C (−81 °F).

On the sunny side of the box, I saw some splotches on the rock.  When I touched a splotch, it felt as hard as the rest of the rock.  I figured it was a mineral deposit, but I took a picture and finished my task.

That evening at dinner (squeeze cheese on English peas - my favorite!), I showed the picture to Dr. Santos, and she got excited.

The next morning, I led her and her biology team to the spot.  They took samples and chattered about "Lecanora" and "Protoparmeliopsis" and other baffling words.

"So, did I find life on Mars?" I asked her, half joking.

"Yes!  But it's Earth life," she said.  "A kind of lichen has found a way to sneak out of the greenhouse and make a living on this rock.  Amazing!"

That day, I was oddly happy.  No, I didn't find Mars life, but I found Earth life that had once again, "found a way."

More about planetary protection: https://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/technology/planetary-protection/