Mars Sample Return Issues and Recommendations (1997) / Chapter Skim
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5 SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS THAT COULD REDUCE UNCERTAINITY
5 SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS THAT COULD REDUCE UNCERTAINITY
Pages 23-26
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From page 23... ...
A number of avenues of scientific research could provide a context for un derstanding the uncertainty regarding the possibility of extant martian life. Research questions that could reduce uncertainties regarding the extent to which Mars is a possible abode for life include the following: .
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From page 24... ...
It may be possible that Mars harbored life at an earlier time when conditions on its surface were more favorable and that viable remnants are preserved in sedimentary mineral deposits or other precipitates. The ability of such deposits to shield living organisms or their resting states from the extreme conditions on the martian surface would be an appropriate subject for investigation.
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From page 25... ...
Studies of the 12 known martian meteorites have already yielded information about hydrothermal rock alteration and the climatological history of Mars (Gooding, 1992~. Some of these meteorites contain fractures filled with secondary minerals that are geologically similar to subsurface formations on Earth that are known to support microbial life (Stevens and McKinley, 1995; Kostelnikova and Pederson, 1996~.
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From page 26... ...
26 MARS SAMPLE RETURN biological significance on Mars prior to any sample-return mission would serve not only to refine our understanding of the potential for extant life on Mars but also to maximize the scientific utility of returned samples.
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