is important to us because…?
I have followed the space program all my life. It has brought us many benefits. The least of which is direct. Life on Mars means absolutely nothing to me.
What the space program has done is produce the things which make space flight possible. Indirectly, those things have helped us day-to-day. Think Velcro.
The possiblity of water having been on Mars at some time is, in my view, very likely. Water is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. Under the right pressure and temperature, these two elements combine in an exothermic reaction. I would guess that those two elements, very common here on earth, are probably found on Mars. If so, the chance of water being formed is very high.
Does that mean life? Maybe. Does that mean sentient life? Doubtful.
So, what did we get for the billions invested? Some curiosity satisfied, some really neat pictures, and some advances in technology. Which is most important? I shouldn’t have to ask.