I think Mars is dead and will be an expensive yet important mission in learing what we will need to colonize a proper planet like Venus
[Reply by Mike Kremer]
No, I think NASA are doing the right thing by preparing for a future manned landing on Mars.
Venus has a very dense Carbon Dioxide atmosphere, Sulphuric acid clouds, no Magnetic Poles, very hot, and no water, according to Wiki.
I'd bet that Phoenix does find some earth-like bacteria under the soil. Earthlike because they were probably ejected by ancient earth Volcanoes? Or prehaps a hint that they came in from slushy meteorites, when Mars had an ocean.
If that last sentence is true, -it could mean that the DNA "molecule of life" is present throughout the Universe?
Comment and implication of that?
Its even possible that Mars might have some pockets of water hidden deep within its crust?
I'm very optimistic that positive indicators of life will be found, within the next 4 months.
