NASA says it has discovered possible signs of alien life on Mars

The discovery comes as work to build the first human colony on the planet ramps up

Scientists working on the project say they have unearthed evidence of a more complex ecosystem that could have once existed on the red planet.

They say the organic Martian matter might have come from water and rock interactions, meteor deposits or - most exciting of all - something derived from living organisms.

The discovery could shed light on options for all-important carbon sources and searching for potential signs of life.

And not before time, too.

A new fleet of land and airborne robots has been developed to mine, excavate and even build on other planets.

The incredible technology could be used to mine essential materials such as basalt, iron, quartz and silicon - and could even help set up a human colony.

Scientists say the day when humans will live in outer space, on the Moon and on Mars, is 'just around the corner'.

But they will need to be self sufficient.

The world's wealthiest entrepreneurs including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Sir Richard Branson are exploring space tourism - with permanent housing on the Moon.

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are already planning missions to find minerals.

An entire team of vehicles and flying devices that complement each other would be more appropriate than a single rover.

The Swiss team's robots have been dubbed ANYmal's. They each have three legs and are equipped with a range of measuring and analysis instruments that would potentially make them suitable future exploration devices.

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