Mars robot unearths microbe clue

[Mike]

Nasa says its robot rover Spirit has made one of its most significant discoveries on the surface of Mars.
Scientists believe a patch of ground disturbed by the vehicle shows evidence of a past environment that would have been perfect for microbial life.

The deposits were probably produced when hot spring water or steam came into contact with volcanic rocks.

On Earth, these are locations that tend to teem with bacteria, said rover chief scientist Steve Squyres.

"We're really excited about this," he told a meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).


Read on.....  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7137793.stm

[Rick]

NASA boffins believe the space agency's solar-powered Martian droid rovers have found something interesting. They believe their discovery points to an increased likelihood of life on the Red Planet.

"We're really excited about this," said NASA Mars-droid honcho Steve Squyres, according to the BBC.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/11/mars_microbe_men_nasa_rover_excitement/

...including this bit:

In fact, the NASA space-bots haven't found any microbes. Worse still, they haven't actually found any hot springs or any place where microbes could live.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good headline!

[Mike]

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20071210a.html