Rediscovering History: What NASA’s 1976 Viking Lander Uncovered on Mars and Why It Matters Today

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In 1976, NASA’s Viking landers touched down on Mars. Their experiments aimed to find signs of life and left scientists with many questions. Now, new research is revisiting those findings.

One big discovery since the 1970s is the presence of perchlorate on Mars. This chemical can react in ways that might explain the Viking results without needing to suggest that life exists on the planet. The study notes, “Thermal decomposition of perchlorate can explain why Viking didn’t find organics.” They also point out that previous findings showing reactions when nutrients were mixed with Martian soil could be due to other chemical activities, not life.

However, the researchers clarify: just because there is a non-biological explanation, it doesn’t mean life is ruled out on Mars. The paper titled “The Viking biology experiments on Mars revisited” was authored by Christopher McKay, Richard Quinn, and Carol Stoker from NASA’s Ames Research Center.

With upcoming Mars missions and the potential to search for life again, the authors believe it’s a good time to look back at Viking’s results. McKay indicated that the Viking results show the presence of perchlorate and other oxidants, which might have influenced their biological findings.

This finding is essential as it impacts how astronauts and samples from Mars will be managed. It means that the Viking results should not be used to assume that there is no life on Mars when considering safety measures for returning to Earth.

The researchers discuss how new data from other missions has changed our understanding of Mars. For example, the Phoenix mission revealed a high concentration of perchlorate in Martian soil. This surprises scientists and greatly informs the Viking findings. The team suggests that these results could guide future missions focused on searching for life.

They also emphasize the need for further studies to better understand Martian soil and the potential for life there. The Outer Space Treaty requires that we avoid any changes to Earth caused by extraterrestrial matter, making careful planning crucial for upcoming missions.

In conclusion, the researchers affirm that the perchlorate model doesn’t eliminate the possibility of life on Mars. It continues to justify the search for life in future missions, particularly targeting salt deposits and polar ice for investigation.

This research was recently published in the scientific journal, Icarus.

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Viking landers, NASA, life on Mars, NASA, the Viking, Viking, Biology experiments, Christopher McKay, Phoenix mission