PASADENA, CALIFORNIA- Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory could barely contain their excitement as they continued to investigate images from the Spirit rover which appear to hint at the presence of liquid water on the surface of Mars. Planetary biologists theorize that water could indicate that microbial life once existed on the red planet.

After spending several days pouring over digital photographs of the odd patterns left by the rover's airbag trail, results are enticing, but by no means conclusive. But just this morning, researchers discovered another clue in one of the Spirit's images, an object on the horizon that appears to be a log flume ride.

"At first we were unsure what to think of it," said mission chief Steven Squyres. "But after discussing it for a while, we think this means that very soon we will discover evidence that microbial life once existed on Mars."

After a swing around the rover's panoramic camera, JPL officials uncovered what they now believe to be a fully-functioning water park including three water slides, a log flume, and a wave pool.

Some have been curious about the strangely familiar symbols on these formations, but JPL officials have dismissed them as unimportant to the mission at hand.

"That's just hieroglyphics," said NASA head Sean O'Keefe. "We had a guy at Cambridge translate it. Something like 'Splash-Down Canyon' or something. But who cares about that one, anyway. Everybody wants to check out the Widowmaker. From the Doppler readings, it appears to be a 50 meter dead drop in gravity less than half of ours. Kick ass."

The Lazy River Falls tube ride also held little interest for scientists due to its monotonous circular layout. However, biologists are keen to investigate the area further since the slower moving liquid offers a higher chance of finding microscopic life forms or, the Holy Grail of interplanetary exploration, mold or lichens.

News of the discovery has re-ignited talk of a manned mission to Mars to search for primitive forms of life, dining options, and affordable accommodations. President George W. Bush has hinted that NASA could mount a mission, but not for a few years and only if the agency manages to keep its nose clean.

"I'm totally stoked," said Squyres. "From the images we analyzed, the beaches go on forever and there were almost no lines at all."

Senior scientists later confirmed that there were, indeed, lines of what appeared to be one-meter-tall bipeds cuing up to ride on the slides and other attractions, but as other JPL staff members confirmed, they didn't seem to be very lengthy.

"One of them walked right up to the lander, too." said O'Keefe. "That really honked us off because it blocked our view of the Log Flume for about twenty minutes before he got bored and wandered off."

NASA says there are plans for at least three more such probes in the coming years, each equipped with sensitive microscopes and soil sifters designed specifically to search for primitive forms of life on the planet's surface. Even if the remainder of this mission falls short of discovering extraterrestrial life, scientists say they will continue undaunted.

"There's no reason to be discouraged because we're getting closer all the time," said Squyres. "I'm confident that if we're patient and look hard enough, we'll eventually find life on Mars."