Mars may have been much like Earth when it was a young planet. Images sent back from the Mars Pathfinder project show sand, rocks, and other features that appear to have been created by the flow of liquid water.
Water is necessary to support life.
Evidence suggests that Mars was once abundant with it. Mars Valley Network Scientist study photographs of the ancient Mars surface. Features seen in some of the valleys have been considered to be evidence that Mars had liquid water running across its surface during its earliest years. Scientists study Martian meteorites that fall to Earth to look for clues about life on that planet. These microscopic images of meteorites suggest that primitive life may have existed on Mars more than 3.6 billion years ago.