A 1975 NASA artist’s imagining of life on Mars, “envisioned as low to the ground, symmetrical, and simple. The artist drew silicon-based life forms, probably coached by others, perhaps scientists, who had thought about such possibilities. Peculiar saucer-like shapes stood only slightly above ground level, root-like structures reached outward for growth resources; a bundle of cones faced many directions for heat, light, or food. Instead of reality, the images embodied the artist’s hope and anticipation of what future Martian exploration would find.”