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February 18, 2005
Smells like... life
The ESA Mars Express spacecraft has been using its Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (shown to the left) to scan the Martian atmosphere for various chemicals including Methane since its arrival. It has found more than would be expected in a lifeless world, and (according to press reports) NASA scientists have compared these methane signatures to those found on earth over caves filled with bacteria, and have found similarities.
To put it more simply: there may be farty bacteria on mars.
But it is perhaps a little too soon to draw too many conclusions. NASA, perhaps after being stung over the fuss over the Martian bacteria meteorite, has issued a press release saying that NASA does not have any observational data from any current Mars missions that supports this claim..
Posted by baggers at February 18, 2005 02:18 PM