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"Mars is looking more and more like a potential habitat for extant life that could be transferred from Earth" said NASA's John Grunsfeld. "Some people say we're Martians. It could go either way."
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More than anything, the discovery of liquid water provides an incentive for the space agencies of Earth to keep exploring Mars—the phrase "follow the water" was uttered more than once during the press conference. By 2020, NASA plans to make three unmanned trips to Mars, to explore below the planet's surface, as well as to collect samples that can be brought back to Earth and examined for evidence of life.And Grunsfeld is optimistic that the NASA will eventually send human missions—homecomings, perhaps—to the planet. "The exciting thing is that we will send humans to Mars—they'll be scientists looking for signs of life, and they'll be able to live on the surface," he said. "The resources are there."Additional reporting by Devon Maloney.Follow Drew on Twitter.