1st human missions to Mars should hunt for signs of life, report says

The first astronauts to set foot on Mars should hunt for signs of past or present Red Planet life.

That's the overarching conclusion of an in-depth report about human Mars exploration from the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine that came out today (Dec. 9).

"The detection of life on Mars is a persistent top priority for explorers of many disciplines, and it is the top science objective in this report," states the 240-page document, which is called "A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars."

The National Academies prepared the report for NASA, which wants to send astronauts to the Red Planet as soon as the mid-2030s. The document offers recommendations for how the agency can maximize the science gains of its planned crewed Mars campaign.

Those reco