NASA Says Mars Rover Discovered Potential Biosignature in 2024
18 hours ago
- #NASA missions
- #Astrobiology
- #Mars exploration
- NASA's Perseverance rover collected a sample named 'Sapphire Canyon' from the 'Cheyava Falls' rock in Jezero Crater, Mars, which may contain potential biosignatures of ancient microbial life.
- The sample includes organic carbon, sulfur, oxidized iron, and phosphorus—compounds that could have supported microbial metabolisms.
- Instruments PIXL and SHERLOC identified mineral patterns resembling 'leopard spots,' composed of vivianite and greigite, which on Earth are associated with microbial activity.
- The discovery challenges previous assumptions by suggesting Mars could have been habitable longer than thought, with younger rocks also preserving signs of life.
- While abiotic explanations for the findings are less likely, they cannot be entirely ruled out without further evidence.
- The findings were published in the journal Nature, marking a significant step in the search for extraterrestrial life.
- Perseverance has collected 27 rock cores since landing in 2021, aiding future human missions with environmental data and spacesuit material tests.