Now that we have found water on Mars should we ban further contact or exploration?

Question

It might damage the ecosystem.

Answer 1

No.

Spacecraft are routinely sterilized to prevent contamination.

There's no sign of present life as yet, and certainly no sign

of intellignce.

Answer 2

Not stop exploration, no. But maybe we can find a way to sterilize the probes after they're launched but before they reach their destination.

Answer 3

It might be a good idea to sterilize any rovers or robots we send there "just in case" but we shouldn't stop exploration. Finding traces of water is a long way from finding actual life.