Making a rare public statement about space, President Bill Clinton praised NASA for its efforts to help discover evidence of long-ago life on Mars and used the occasion to announce a "space summit" later this year.
       "The fact that something of this magnitude is being explored is another vindication of America's space program and our continuing support for it, even in these tough financial times," Clinton said in a brief statement.
       Clinton was speaking on the South Lawn of the White House before departing on a campaign trip to California. He was accompanied by science and technology advisor Dr. Jack Gibbons.
       Clinton used the statement to outline a three-item plan for continued investigation of the possibility that Mars once harbored primitive life.
       The first part of Clinton's plan is to confirm the initial findings of the NASA team that made Wednesday's announcement. "I have asked Administrator Goldin to ensure that this finding is subject to a methodical process of further peer review and validation," Clinton said.
       "Like all discoveries, this one will and should continue to be reviewed, examined and scrutinized," Clinton said. "It must be confirmed by other scientists."
       The second part of Clinton's plan is his announcement of a "space summit" later this year to discuss the future of the space program. The bipartisan summit will be organized by Vice President Al Gore and will be held at the White House.
       "A significant purpose of this summit will be to discuss how America should pursue answers to the scientific questions raised by this finding," Clinton said.
       The third part of Clinton's plan is to continue with NASA's series of robotic Mars missions, including two scheduled for later this year: Mars Pathfinder, a small lander with rover; and Mars Global Surveyor, an orbiter designed to be a partial replacement of the failed Mars Observer spacecraft.
       Clinton took time for several questions after his statement, but none of them were space-related. Two dealt with the abortion issue and the Republican party, and one reporter asked him about his tie.
       Clinton even made a joke about the discovery and future NASA mission plans. Refering to the Mars Pathfinder mission, and making an implicit reference to a blockbuster movie about an alien invasion of Earth, he said, "I should tell you that the first mission is scheduled to land on Mars on July the 4th, 1997 -- Independence Day."
       Clinton did take a moment to look at the implications of the possible discovery of ancient Martian life. "If this discovery is confirmed, it will surely be one of the most stunning insights into our universe that science has ever uncovered," he said. "Its implications are as far-reaching and awe-inspiring as can be imagined."
       "Today, rock 84001 speaks to us across all those billions of years and millions of miles. It speaks of the possibility of life."