Washington: Is there life on Mars? Participants in an experimental mission to Mars certainly seem to think so.

According to a report in 'The Australian', biology experiments carried out on Mars by two Viking landers have endorsed earlier observations by the US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) about the probability of life on Mars.

Nigel Henbest and Heather Couper, part of the Mars Global Survey Mission, were quoted as saying that their experiments gave clear evidence of living microbes on the "Red" planet.

The paper said recently released high resolution images of the planet's surface showed a valley that might have been originally formed by liquid water, suggesting possibility of life.

In 1976, NASA claimed that there was life on Mars. Subsequently, it retracted this claim, saying it was impossible.

The experimental instrument, designed by engineer Gilbert Levin, head of the US-based Biospherics company, exposed Martian soil samples to an Earth-like solution of water and nutrients known to exist in meteorites and inter-stellar clouds.

"It was the kind of solution that bacteria on Earth would love to slurp. It was cleverly designed so that if there was no life, then nothing would happen, but if there were microbes, they would take in the solution and produce gas," said Henbest.

The paper also quoted astronomer Seth Shostak as predicting that scientists would find ET (extra- terrestrial) being within 25 years.

ANI