Life on mars will almost certainly make human missions to Mars far more complicated to plan. It could have taken the form of a microorganism that used the minerals as an energy source. Still, discovery of life on Mars should not stop a human mission to the Red Planet. On the contrary, it should be a strong case in favor of such a mission. After all, it will be far easier for us to understand the nature of this interplanetary strain of life if we have human scientists there to analyze it. There is also the strong possibility that we will not be able to provide 100 percent verification of Martian life until we send humans to Mars. At least for the foreseeable future, human explorers are the most accurate and efficient method of not only determining the nature of Martian life, but also determining long-term protocols for the protection of both indigenous life forms on other planets and for humanity.
