Scientists at the University College of London believe that the probes that are sent to Mars should dig much deeper if they intend to find any life on the red planet.
They have stated that the current probes have a very low chance of finding any life on the Red Planet and all they can find are just clues that life once existed on Mars.
The reason is that since Mars is not protected from the harsh cosmic radiations as is Earth because it isn’t having a thick atmosphere and a strong Magnetic field like Earth. The red planet has remained a bare victim to these radiations for billions of years so there is very less possibility that there will be any living cells on the planet that would have survived these hostile conditions.
The chances of finding the life on Mars is more if the probes dig more than just a few meters on the surface of Mars. As below the surface the effect of cosmic radiations will be low and cells could well have survived there.
According to the researchers the best place for doing that will be in the ice of Elysium that is a newly found icy sea on Mars.
This sea was flowing until some millions of years ago so it there is still a possibility of finding life in the ice.
Other good locations include recent craters and gullies that are recently discovered in the sides of these craters as they are thought to have flowed water in the last five years.
Other advantages of drilling through the ice include the ease in drilling through ice as compared to that in hard rock.
The research will be crucial for all the engineers and scientists who are planning future Mars missions to find life.
Via: redorbit
