Evidence of Life on Mars

NASA Statement on False Claim of Evidence of Life on Mars

News reports on February 16, 2005, that NASA scientists from Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., have found strong evidence that life may exist on Mars are incorrect.

NASA does not have any observational data from any current Mars missions that supports this claim. The work by the scientists mentioned in the reports cannot be used to directly infer anything about life on Mars, but may help formulate the strategy for how to search for martian life. Their research concerns extreme environments on Earth as analogs of possible environments on Mars. No research paper has been submitted by them to any scientific journal asserting martian life.

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: nasa.gov For more information about NASA’s Mars programs on the Web, visit: mars.jpl.nasa.gov - end -

Dolores Beasley/Gretchen Cook-Anderson, Headquarters, Washington (Phone: 202/358-1753/0836) Feb. 18, 2005 RELEASE: 05-052