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. That was NASA's announcement on Monday which followed decades of study and mountains of data collected by Earthling-made spacecraft on and around the red planet. 

Ancient Marts had lakes, rivers and even oceans, but this latest analysis of present-day photos from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter only confirms some damp spots on an otherwise dry surface. 

Still, liquid water is understood to be a necessary ingredient for life...and evidence of life on Mars, now or in the past, would be among the most significant discoveries in all of science. 

One of the men leading this search Jim Watzin. He's NASA's Program Director for Mars Exploration. He joined MPR News with Tom Weber to talk about the future of the Mars research.

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One of the men leading the search for water on Mars, Jim Watzin, joins MPR News to discuss what's next for human exploration of the Red Planet.

Liquid water flows on Mars. Tom Weber asks NASA's chief of Mars exploration what this confirmation means for future missions to the red planet?

Guest: Jim Watzin, Program Director for Mars Exploration

Water on Mars: How the discovery reshapes exploration of the planet

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