RAS Press Notices RAS Press Notice Ref. As far as we know, Mars is the only planet in the Solar System, other than Earth, which may have supported life at some point in its history. There were many similarities between the environments on the early Earth and early Mars. Our understanding of the Martian environment has changed dramatically as new information has been returned by robotic spacecraft. The significance of these missions, which culminated in the Mariner 9 and Viking projects, will be reviewed.
Recent discoveries show that lifeforms on Earth can obtain energy from many different sources.
The study of organisms which can survive in extremely hot or cold environments can provide pointers as to where to look for such habitats on Mars. Antarctica As A Model For Ancient Mars. Mars is a cold world which has dried out over billions of years. Analogues of the differing conditions on Mars can be found in Antarctica. In ALH84001. 13 rocks from Mars have been blasted into space by impacts and found their way to Earth as meteorites.