In 2003, a team of scientists applied the tests used by the Viking 1 and Viking 2 Martian landers to detect life in the Atacama region and failed to detect any signs of life in the desert soil in the Yungay region.

This region, unique on Earth in this respect, is being used by NASA to test equipment for future Mars missions. In 2014, another site was found that is drier than Yungay, - Maria Elena in Chile which is more like Mars.