Handle Mars with care: Guidelines needed for responsible Red Planet exploration, experts say

Two people in spacesuits walk the surface of a rust colored planet. The astronaut in the foreground looks at something far away, in wonder. The astronaut to the right and slight behind leans on a rock formation and holds a hammer. A many-wheeled rover is parked behind them and in the distance, some habitat modules.

Astronauts who explore Mars should be careful not to leave too heavy of a footprint, experts stress.

Indeed, human exploration of the Red Planet poses risks to gathering possible evidence of life on Mars, scientists say. After all, here on Earth, comparable sites of scientific interest have suffered significant damage.