Salty water might exist on Mars, but it’s probably too cold for life

Inhospitable conditions may ease some planetary protection protocols

Mars

Salty liquid water could persist for several consecutive hours across much of Mars, though the brine would be too cold for known life, a new study suggests.

JPL-Caltech/NASA

Liquid brine can hang around on Mars’ surface, a new study suggests, but conditions may not be great for life as we know it.

That’s bad news for any Earth-based microorganisms determined to colonize the Red Planet, but good news for humans who don’t want to contaminate Mars with microbes hitching a ride on robot explorers.