If we are looking for evidence of past life, why aren't we launching more probes to study Venus? Mars has always been outside what is believed to be the habital zone. It's cold now but would have been much colder before when Venus would have been inside the habital zone. Mars's turn will come but not for another billion years.
I understand the extreme heat and sulphur makes sending anything out there a challenge but looking at the list of future missions there, it doesn't seem like past life is a priority.
Also, if the moons orbit is inching further away from Earth, can't we do anything to make Earths orbit inch away from the sun permanently? A one off event that slowly moves Earth away to keep it permanently in the Suns habital zone? So in 5 billion years we are where Neptune or Pluto is.
Also better to end the life of a planet as a rouge then turn to ashes inside a sun. That way, everything that ever lived is still 'around'.
Edited by shifter, 13 February 2016 - 06:21 AM.