![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090305063721im_/http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/img/_placehold/placehold-ask.jpg)
![Ask an Astrobiologist](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090305063721im_/http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/img/text/ask-an-astrobiologist.gif)
"For a planet to have breathable air, wouldn’t have to have abundant plant life?"
-
Question
Has there ever been a life form of any sort found on the planet Mars?
No, not yet -- although claims have been made, the scientific consensus is that the case for life has not been substantiated. The two most interesting scientific suggestions were the results from the Viking mission life detection experiments in 1976, which one of the investigators interprets as providing a positive result, and the 1996 claims concerning fossil microbes in the martian rock ALH 84001. Most scientists think that it will probably be several years before we can mount a serious search for life on Mars, either past (fossils) or persisting today.
David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
October 27, 2003
![FAQ](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090305063721im_/http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/img/text/hd_faq.gif)
- How frequently are questions answered?
- I asked a question but there was no answer?
- Who is the Astrobiologist answering these questions?
- Will I get an email when my question is answered?
- What college courses should I take to become an astrobiologist?
- How can I get a job as an astrobiologist at NASA?
- Have aliens visited Earth? Are UFOs real?
- Is there a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Eris that is approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread destruction?
- Is it true that the Sun will be in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy in December 2012 and that this will cause a pole shift and massive destruction.
- Has NASA discovered life on other worlds?
- Astrobiology Career Path Suggestions