Experiments conducted in 2008 by the rover's "Phoenix", showed that the Martian soil samples, which were investigated in 1976, aids "Viking" which could contain hydrocarbon compounds – the chemical constituents of living organisms. "This fact in itself does not say that there is life on Mars. But it suggests the way in which we have to go in answering this question "- said Chris McKay of NASA Research Center in Moffett Field, staff California. McKay was one of the authors of scientific work "The Planets. Analysis of samples of Martian soil made devices "Viking", the presence of organic compounds "published in the online edition of the" Journal of Geophysical research ". The only organic compounds detected during the warm-up samples of soil, "Vikings" were chloromethane and dichloromethane – chlorine compounds, which are now included in the detergents. But these compounds were obtained during tests with new rover "Phoenix" when, in the soil and add some perchlorate were analyzed by type of vehicles that carried the "Viking". "The results the second study suggest that Martian soil could contain not only organic compounds, and perchlorate, "- says the lead author, Rafael Navarro-experiment Gonzalez of the National Autonomous University in Mexico City.
Organic substances may be the result of both biological and nonbiological processes. For example, the composition of many meteorites, bombed Mars and Earth for the past five billion years, found the organic compounds. Even if Mars ever had life, had learned to believe that the organics in the soil of Mars is due to these meteorites. .