Human beings have been fascinated by Mars since antiquity, and the planet continues to inspire a flood of crazy theories that range from the plausible to the outright outlandish. While scientists work toward landing humans on the Red Planet, fringe thinkers insist we’ve already been there, or that hidden evidence lies in every crater and ridge. Below, we dive into ten “out‑of‑this‑world” conspiracies that keep the imagination buzzing.
10 Is Phobos Really A Space Station?
Crazy Theories About Phobos
When the European Space Agency announced that Mars’s tiny moon Phobos appeared to be hollow, the claim echoed the work of Russian astrophysicist Dr. Iosif Shklovsky from the late 1960s. Shklovsky not only argued that Phobos was hollow, but also pointed to its erratic orbit as a possible hint of artificial origins.
Since then, ufologists, alien‑enthusiasts, and ancient‑astronaut advocates have seized on his findings. Their most popular narrative suggests that Phobos was deliberately placed in orbit as an ancient space‑station, maybe a launchpad for early interplanetary voyages or an early‑warning sentinel against incoming asteroids.
Conventional scientists counter that any apparent hollowness could simply be water or other liquids trapped inside the moon, or that voids naturally formed when Phobos coalesced from multiple asteroid fragments. In short, Phobos is more likely a loose pile of rocks than a potato‑shaped Death Star.
Numerous missions have tried to reach Phobos, yet each probe has suffered a system failure that prevented completion. To the conspiracy crowd, these repeated mishaps aren’t coincidence—they argue the moon remains an active, perhaps even guarded, artificial structure.
9 The Sphinx And Pyramids Of Mars
Some claim a Martian sphinx sits directly in front of a cluster of pyramids in the Cydonia region. Mainstream geologists say the “pyramids” are merely naturally formed mountains, but fringe believers argue that the precise dimensions and apparent symmetry point to engineered structures. They also note that the only known volcanic zone, Tharsis, lies 3,200 km away, making a volcanic explanation unlikely.
Proponents draw a link to Earth’s Great Sphinx and the Giza pyramids, citing the Arabic name for Cairo—al‑Qahirah—as possibly meaning “The Place of Mars.” They further claim the Egyptian Sphinx was once painted red, echoing the Martian landscape. Additional “evidence” includes a pile of rocks in front of the alleged pyramids, which some interpret as debris from collapsed ancient buildings.
Air‑shot analyses have even suggested a third pyramid, proposing that the three Martian pyramids mirror the layout of Giza’s famous trio. NASA, however, warns that blurred images trigger pareidolia—seeing familiar patterns where none exist.
8 Project Redsun—The Secret Manned Mission To Mars
According to a story that surfaced in 2011, a covert program in the 1970s aimed to establish a human outpost on Mars. After Apollo 17, NASA allegedly began clandestine missions, one of which—Project Redsun—was a joint US‑Soviet effort to seed Martian colonization.
The first crew supposedly touched down in late 1971 for a reconnaissance sweep. A second sortie allegedly launched in August 1973 aboard the ISV Columbus, featuring U.S. astronauts Commander Elliot See and pilot William Rutledge, plus Russian cosmonaut Vladimir Ilyushin.
A leaked video appeared on YouTube, claimed to be NASA training footage shot on 16‑mm film. While many label the clip a sophisticated hoax, the tale persists, fueled by Italian UFO researcher Luca Scantamburlo and alleged whistle‑blower Rutledge, who also hinted at other secret projects, including an alleged alien base on the Moon. Rutledge’s quoted statement reads: “I’m the whistle‑blower. What can NASA or the USAF do now? Blocking or suing me would be an acknowledgement. They can speak of hoax or fiction.”
7 NASA Employee Witnesses Men Walking On Mars In 1979
In 2014, a woman known only as Jackie called the late‑night radio show Coast To Coast AM and claimed she saw two men strolling across the Martian surface in 1979. According to Jackie, she worked on NASA’s “downstairs team,” handling telemetry data, and happened to watch a live feed that showed the two figures in sleek, non‑bulky space suits walking toward the Viking lander.
Jackie asserted that six other NASA staff members witnessed the same event. When they rushed upstairs to confront mission leadership, they allegedly found the door locked and windows covered with paper, effectively cutting off any view of the scene.
To date, none of the purported six witnesses have come forward to corroborate her story, leaving the claim in the realm of speculation.
6 Gilbert Levin’s Suppressed Life On Mars Test
Gilbert Levin maintains that he proved the existence of Martian life back in 1976. His “Labeled Release” experiment, carried out by the first Viking rover, allegedly detected organic activity in soil samples taken shortly after touchdown. However, two simultaneous Viking experiments returned negative results, leading NASA to sideline Levin’s findings.
NASA scientist Chris McKay has suggested that the other two tests might have been flawed. He points out that an identical setup run in Chile’s Atacama Desert—an environment known to host organic life—failed to detect any organic molecules, underscoring potential methodological issues with the Viking tests.
5 Panspermia—We Originally Came From Mars
In 2013, two prominent scientists—origins‑of‑life chemist Steve Benner and author Christopher Adcock—publicly endorsed the panspermia hypothesis, which posits that life on Earth originated from Martian material delivered via asteroids. The concept traces back to the 5th century BC Greek philosopher Anaxagoras, who hinted at life’s extraterrestrial roots.
Interest in panspermia surged after the discovery of organic molecules in asteroids found in 1984 and 1996. Modern consensus acknowledges that ancient Mars likely possessed a thicker atmosphere and liquid oceans, conditions conducive to life. Definitive proof, however, will probably come from future crewed missions to the Red Planet.
4 Nuclear War On Mars?
Propulsion researcher John Brandenburg asserted in 2014 that Mars experienced at least two massive nuclear explosions. He cited elevated levels of xenon‑129 in the atmosphere and unusually high concentrations of uranium and thorium in the soil as evidence. Brandenburg rejected the notion that these blasts were natural, a view held by most mainstream scientists.
Earlier, in 2011, Brandenburg had highlighted the Cydonia and Utopia regions as potential sites of an ancient advanced civilization, noting that only these areas displayed any hint of disaster. By 2014, he concluded that the explosions were purposeful, consistent with a mixed fusion‑fission device, and possibly launched by an alien race—organic AI or otherwise.
While his ideas are popular among conspiracy circles, no leading scientific body backs the claim.
3 Stargate ‘Found’ On Mars
In September 2015, UFO investigators examining Martian photographs claimed to have uncovered a half‑buried stargate—an object with perfectly straight lines, a damaged roof fragment, and a circular opening at its center.
Although the theory aligns with other ideas about ancient Martian civilizations, there is no scientific evidence supporting the existence of an artificial portal. Even if the structure proved to be man‑made, there is no indication it functions as a gateway between worlds. Some ancient texts mention such devices, but scholars debate their interpretation.
NASA has remained silent on this particular “sighting,” leading conspiracy enthusiasts to speculate that the agency is aware of hidden technology and thus eager to reach Mars quickly.
2 The Face And The Ancient Cydonian City
The iconic “Face on Mars,” first captured by Viking in 1976, sparked worldwide fascination. Initial analysis suggested a human‑like visage, but later high‑resolution images from 1998 and 2001 showed it to be a trick of light on a natural mesa.
Conspiracy theorists argue the follow‑up photos were deliberately taken from different angles to obscure the true shape, insisting the formation is too precise to be natural. They also point to nearby “pyramids” and claim the area contains the remnants of an ancient city, with structures that appear deliberately arranged.
Researchers note that before Mars’s last pole shift, the Face and the alleged city would have sat on the Martian equator—a detail some interpret as intentional planning. Authors Graham Hancock, Robert Bauval, and John Grigsby explored these claims in their book The Mars Mystery—A Tale Of The End Of Two Worlds, arguing the evidence supports an ancient civilization.
1 The Many Random ‘Objects’ Seen On Mars
From the Viking era to the present day, thousands of Martian images have been released. While most viewers see a barren world of dust and rock, a handful of enthusiasts claim to spot bizarre objects resembling pillars, petroglyphs, alien women, and even skeletal remains.
2015 saw a photo purportedly showing a ruined column with Egyptian‑style carvings, another image circulated depicting an “alien woman” on Martian mountains, and earlier pictures allegedly captured a woman strolling across the surface. Other claims include human bones, skulls, and sightings of Martian fauna like lizards, rats, and a crab.
Official explanations attribute these anomalies to optical tricks, shadows, and pareidolia—our brain’s tendency to find familiar patterns in random data. Nevertheless, believers maintain that the camera never lies and that these oddities hint at hidden histories awaiting discovery.