re: Flags and Footprints or finding the orgins of life itself?
Chris Vancil writes "Besides the possiblity of life is a serious plus for Mars...even for the non scientific public."
Exactly Chris, and the reason humans will not be allowed to explore Mars until a thorough study of any Martian microorganisms has been made. Every human carries billions of terrestrial microbes on their bodies, some of which could adapt and grow in some Martian environments. To send a human crew to Mars before any life there was thoroughly studied, would contaminate the planet to the point of making it useless for the study of life.
The big questions are: Do we need flags and footprints? Or do we want knowledge about the origins of life?
BD