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Are We Alone In The Universe?

If someone were to make a list of the most important questions that humankind would want answered, certainly at or near the top would be, “Are we alone in the Universe”? Now, for humans alive today, that question will most likely be answered in the coming weeks or months. That’s when NASA hopes to have more information from one of the two Rovers it presently has on the planet Mars. The Rovers, named, Opportunity and Spirit, landed on the Martian surface in 2004, specifically to search for water on the planet’s surface. Now NASA is sending them to check on what everyone agrees is liquid, and by all appearance - water.

NASA spokespersons remain calm about these recent developments, there is no disguising the undercurrent of excitement and anticipation coming from the scientists, engineers - and just about everyone else at the space agency. If there is water on the planet, then the possibility of life on Mars changes significantly to the ‘probability” of life being discovered on the red planet.

The two rovers, which have been on the planet since 2004, are not equipped to actually detect life, but can confirm the presence of water. While most scientists will still demand a definitive analysis before declaring the discovery of life, others will take the news as additional support for those who feel that life may already have been discovered on the planet, as long ago as 1976.

The Viking I and II missions to Mars, begun in 1975, both orbited the planet and landed a vehicle which sent thousands of breathtaking pictures back to Earth and performed analyses of samples it extracted from the planet’s surface. It is from the results of those analyses that a controversy was developed, which persists today. Put in simple terms, the Viking Lander conducted two tests to determine if microbial life existed in the Martian soil. One test proved positive and one test proved negative. While it is possible that the test showing a negative result could stem from failed or damaged equipment, it is equally possible that chemical reactions could have produced a false positive in the other test. Obviously, for those who insist that life was discovered in 1976 on the planet Mars, vindication will be bitter sweet when it finally comes. After more than a quarter century, it’s hard to take a bow for being the first to discover life on Mars, especially when the press will be focused upon a whole new generation at NASA, eager for recognition.

The planet Mars has intrigued everyone on Earth since the dawn of stargazing. In 1609, Galileo Galilei first observed the red planet through the newly invented telescope. Since then, astronomers have studied the planet, leading to early speculation that it was devoid of life. Then, in 1877, Giovanni Schiaparelli, the director of the Milan Observatory in Italy, was studying Mars through a telescope when he noticed what appeared to be grooves, or channels, on the planet’s surface. Such a finding is not strange, and can be found naturally occurring on the surface of many planets. But Schiaparelli described his finding by using the word “canali”, which in Italian means “grooves or channels”. When his research reached the eyes and ears of English speakers however, the word canali invoked the same meaning as the English word “canal”, sparking images of manmade canals and visions of extraterrestrial life on the planet.

Since that time, Mars has been the focus of science fiction writers and dreamers who still speculate on whether the planet does, or did, have life. And soon, if all goes according to plan, this question will be answered once and for all. But again, this all hinges on if everything goes according to plan, and that is something that rarely occurs when man has attempted to probe this mysterious planet.

Thirty-seven times man has launched vehicles into space with a destination of Mars. Only eighteen of those attempts have been successful. This astonishing high failure rate has caused some space agency observers to question if there may be a Mars curse. Some have even suggested that there is an unknown force at work trying to prevent man from exploring the planet. Time magazine journalist Donald Neff coined the term “Galactic Ghoul” in 1997 while describing the numerous failed attempts that seem to defy all logical explanation. Of all attempts to actually land a probe on the Martian surface, only six have been successful and NASA launched every one of those. A Russian attempt in 1971 landed a probe successfully that ceased sending data just six seconds after landing. In 2003, the European Space Agency launched Beagle 2, a Mars Lander that also successfully landed upon the planet’s surface, but failed to transmit any information after landing.

While the stakes have been high in exploring Mars, the payoff could make it worth every penny. Scientists believe that Mars is the most likely planet in our Solar System to sustain a permanent human presence. Although the planet seems anything but hospitable, with temperatures ranging from highs of 80° F to a low of -200° F at higher altitudes, it still has conditions more favorable than all other planets in our solar system.

The atmosphere on Mars contains less oxygen than that of Earth. The oxygen content of Mars is just 0.13 percent compared with 21.0 percent for Earth. Carbon dioxide makes up over 95% of the Martian atmosphere compared with 80% for Earth. But the mere presence of oxygen means that it can be extracted from the atmosphere to furnish a sustainable indoor environment for explorers and perhaps even settlers. But most importantly, the existence of water on the planet would serve as an invitation to humans here on Earth to make Mars our first colonized planet.

The surface of Mars promises to hold visitors in awe. Although the planet is significantly smaller than Earth, the absence of oceans means the total land surface area is almost identical to that of Earth. Awaiting the first visitors from our planet will be breathtaking views and vistas. A mountain as tall as 78 thousand feet, far taller than Mr. Everest, remains to be seen by human eyes, as does a canyon running 2,500 miles in length and a volcano that rises seventeen miles into the Martian sky.

There are seasons on Mars just as on Earth, and a Martian day lasts for 24 hours and 39 minutes. A Martian year would last 687 Earth days however, as its orbit about the Sun takes over twice as long as that of Earth’s. That could prove to be a blessing however, seeing that as Mars nears the Sun, the additional heat spawns dust storms upon the planet’s surface. These storms could be so large as to cover the entire planet for months and cause more than a little cabin fever for inhabitants of the planet.

Most scientists believe the core of the Martian planet is solid, explaining the lack of magnetism on the planet. But this leaves in question the presence of volcanoes that may still be active. It also leaves in question the newly discovered liquid flows on the planet’s surface. From everything scientists now know, it is apparent that the most remarkable discoveries coming from the planet will be found below its dusty surface.

When the discovery of microbial life on the planet is finally announced, it will certainly not end speculation and controversy. Already some scientists are questioning whether such life could have originated here on Earth and been swept in the solar winds to our nearest neighbor. Conversely, others speculate that the microbial life on Mars could have been brought to Earth, spawning the beginning of an evolutionary process, leading to the creation of man. But putting these and all other controversies aside, the announcement of life on Mars will impact everyone on Earth. The one irrefutable fact such a discovery will bring is that we are not alone in our universe and with other planets in our solar system, and other solar systems in our universe, we will no longer look skyward and wonder if - but rather when.

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