Scientists fear Martian microbes

NASA scientists are quite worried about the possibility that the Martian atmosphere or soil might contain living microorganisms. President Bush's plan to send humans to Mars could be delayed as a result. If living microbes from Mars were carried back to earth from the Mars mission, they could quickly wipe us out if they are harmful to humans. The likelihood that Mars has micrbes is low, and that the likelihood that they're harmful is even lower. The chances are slim, but the risks are high, and that's why NASA wants to send a robot to Mars that can return atmosphere and soil samples to earth. NASA also requests a highly secure biological facility to store the Mars samples. All this could delay the manned Mars mission by 10 to 15 years. Link.