Water on Mars: NASA announcement

NASA will detail a major science finding from the agency’s ongoing exploration of Mars during a news briefing at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 28 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The event will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's website. (Source: NASA)

"This is a very exciting discover that breaths some fresh air into the Mars exploration. The sites described today will be excellent targets for future lander missions to Mars as the streaks that contain briny salty water have the potential to host active microbial communities and hence life on Mars."
- Lyle Whyte

Lyle Whyte, Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at McGill University and Canada Research Chair in Environmental Microbiology
Expertise: He’s interested among other things in the survivability of Arctic microbes under Martian environmental conditions. He’s also Vice Chair of the Canadian Astrobiology Network.
Contact: 514-398-7889 (office). lyle.whyte [at] mcgill.ca. He answers questions in English and French. He’s available for interviews, except between 1:00-3:00 PM today.

Richard Léveillé, Research Associate in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at McGill University
Expertise: He is a planetary science researcher. His research focuses on the role of microbial activity in geochemical processus such as mineral degradation and oxidation. He’s still involved in the Mars Science Laboratory mission.
Contact : richard.leveille [at] mcgill.ca. Mr Léveillé can answer questions in English and French.

Picture credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona