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Thursday, 29 June, 2000, 09:14 GMT 10:14 UK
Water on Mars: Why are we so interested?
Nasa scientists believe that water could still be flowing in Mars. Gullies, channels and deltas of debris have been photographed by the Mars Global Surveyor, a probe currently orbiting the red planet.
Our science editor thinks this is probably the most important thing ever discovered about a planet in our solar system. It will almost certainly boost demands for a lander craft to be sent to Mars to investigate the water and look for signs of life.
Do you think it is so important? Is it worth spending billions of dollars trying to find water on Mars? Or would the money be better spent trying to find sources of clean water for the inhabitants of Earth? What does our fascination with outer space tell us about ourselves?
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
Water on Mars, brilliant! All we need now is for NASA to experiment growing plants in this region, for example, barley, hops, etc. Then we could open a brewery there and have Martian beer. This should attract more interest from potential British astronauts.
It's important to seek water on Mars to understand more about the cosmos, but it's also important to provide clean water for everyone on Earth. We have the resources to do both. Scientific exploration by a species with a conscience, I say!
Patrick Smith, England
Nasa should first find out a better, faster and cheaper way of propulsion before attempting to journey to Mars, so that we can test its effectiveness for making such long distance space travel. It may came handy when we attempt to land on Europa, which I'm convinced is a much easier to colonise its material than Mars. It's worth spending money on it.
Life on Mars: Religion is DEAD!
Exploration of space can draw humanity together and perhaps stop them squabbling. Knowing the human race, as soon as life elsewhere is found they'll forget about arguing amongst themselves and concentrate on eradicating the extraterrestrial life.
Makes you think. All that money spent on Mars. I still prefer Kit-Kat or Milky Way bars myself.
I think that it is brilliant that NASA has found water on Mars. Well done America!! I also feel that it is extremely important that we carry on exploring space (along with many other aspects of life) if we are to carry on moving forward. There is so much more for us to find out there and we must discover it before it's too late.
Louis Kabbani, UK
The only reason why NASA is so interested in finding life on Mars is because McDonalds and Coca-Cola are running out of customers.
I fully endorse expansion to Mars, I'm just tired of watching expensive equipment burn or smash up when it gets there.
Dan Smith, UK
The science community must send people to Mars before our private multi-national real-estate agencies and lawyers get there first!
The population is exploding here on earth. We should go on full speed ahead.
Simon Dresner, UK
I see the GAO has just found another trillion or so in budget surpluses.
Rather than waste it all on social reforms or taxcuts for the wealthy, lets blow it all on sending a manned mission to mars THIS decade. The resultant boost to american space industry alone would probably ensure US dominance of the world economy for the remainder of the century.
I think more attention should be given to protect the global environment and preserve clean water on our planet earth than using resources to research in mars. I hoped the scientists would have already learnt the lesson of orbit research. To evaluate from late 60's to 2000, what they contributed of the resources they've spent so far. These resources could have been better use for betterment of the planet earth.
It is important only as long as it is a cheap and affordable. Once the budget is overstretched, it is something else.
When humanity stops expanding, it stagnates and regresses. This we know from history. Should we fail to grasp the opportunity to expand to Mars, humankind will have no goal, no greater purpose, except the current consumerist greed. Humans need Mars if we want to survive.
Forget the arms race, forget ABM systems, and forget NATO. It is time for the U.S. to pump up the space budget and put all those aerospace defense contractors to work on space technology to get us there and make a colony workable.
I'd much rather see my tax dollars applied toward launching fellow countrymen to Mars than sending them off to war.
George Papadakis, USA
Lets jump ahead a few decades when Mars is being colonised. Won't the same issues apply on Mars as they do here on Earth. Won't countries be squabbling over territory there too? and won't the US claim the planet as its own and stake its flag on Olympus Mons? After all, it is finders keepers!
I think that Space exploration is money well spent in the long run, we should be careful that we don't overlook better ways to spend it here on earth. It would also be a mistake to allow the abuses that have occurred on Earth to happen to Mars.
If there is water on Mars then there is a likely chance that there is the potential for some kind of life forms. If that should prove to be the case then we may learn more about our earth than anyone ever expected. And it will undoubtedly reveal secrets that science will want to study.
Perhaps if we prove life exists on one of our closest neighbours it will cause us to question Christian teachings. Life on Mars? Life on Titan? Life in the atmosphere of Jupiter? All these possibilities in our tiny quadrant of the universe. God must have been very busy - more so if the Earth alone took 7 days.
Mark, USA/ UK
Water on mars means Mankind can expand and conquer new territory Manned mission should be organised as soon as possible. It's nigh time mankind expanded
Only conditions on this planet are perfect for life, because God created it. Scientists who are locked into their pointless evolutionary 'faith' desperately search for proof. Instead of accepting the obvious. God is real and life on Mars has never been. It is here that we find our past and our future destiny, and it costs nothing to do so.
It is important. If we can colonise just a bit of Mars, then we will have advanced our plight to see more of the universe we live in. It all sounds like sci fi, but so was landing on the moon. Mars could hold they key to understanding about what will happen to earth. It's a good model for research. However, I think that until we address war, famine and population, the money should be spent elsewhere.
We should project ourselves beyond everyday life and look to the future as well. Discovery of water or life on Mars could help us understand better the laws of nature and ultimately improve the quality of life here on Earth.
Like Phil wrote, the whole thing is not just about finding water on Mars but developing our capabilities to discover things about the universe.
I think the money is well spent.
David Gosnell, UK
Why not kill two birds with one stone - ship the Mars water back here and donate it to Earth inhabitants who are running short. That way both space explorers and thirsty people will be satisfied.
All those people who say spending money on space research is a waste. What would you do without your telephones, mobiles, satellite TV, live news, accurate weather reports? Mars exploration can lead to new materials being found, new drugs, maybe even colonisation.
Perhaps, if we discover we are not alone in the universe, it will bring peace to the peoples of Earth.
Nick, UK in Germany
Instead of spending billions of dollars to investigate water on Mars, we should spend the money on social issues.
The hypothesis that the human race originated from one of those primordial Martian swamps (after our Mitochondrian ancestors were catapulted to Earth on the back of a meteorite blast) now makes sense. We are obviously desperate to get back to where we started from.
What I've always wanted to know is, why these missions always cost billions of dollars? What is it that makes them so expensive?
We live in a world in which every 3 seconds somebody dies due a preventable disease. Where should these billions be spent?
Colin, New Zealand
Oh great! We may have the opportunity to trash another planet.
Well if we can charge the foolish 75p for a bottle of Evian just think what we can charge for Mars water
John B, UK
Total waste of cash.
Mars is a reddish lump of rock orbiting the Sun.
Who cares if there is water there, it has not stopped raining here for days.
Mars is for Martians I say!
I hope evidence of life elsewhere in the universe is found for no better reason than it would force most religions on this planet to rethink their principles and teachings. That alone would be a gigantic step forward for mankind.
Space exploration ranks on the leading edge of the pioneering "Frontier" spirit. Finding out about the universe around us is important to understand more of ourselves and where we fit in.
We should be curious. Had we not had a pioneering spirit, we would not have discovered the world is round.
Two words: "real estate".
22 Jun 00 | Sci/Tech
Water may flow on Mars
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