NASA Rover Discovers New Signs of Living Things on Mars

Researchers claim to have discovered fresh evidence of organic matter on Mars, which may indicate the presence of extinct life on the planet. The organic materials were found by NASA’s Perseverance explorer, an American space agency. Since arriving on the Red Planet in February 2021, the explorer, also known as the rover, has been gathering data about the planet. The purpose, or goal, of Perseverance is to gather rock and soil samples from Mars in an effort to look for evidence of prehistoric life. Using the rover’s equipment, Earth scientists investigate this substance as thoroughly as they can. Future expeditions will pick up the gathered rocks and dirt and bring them back to Earth for examination.

According to researchers, the most recent data points to the possibility of detecting carbon “signals”—which are associated with life on Earth—on the Martian surface. Carbon may indicate that there was once biological life on Mars. However, nonbiological processes could potentially be connected to the carbon element. Data from the Phoenix lander and the Curiosity rover, two more NASA explorers, have already revealed signs of organic carbon on the surface of Mars. However, gas-based techniques for analyzing organic materials were employed to make both of those findings. The most recent results were obtained using an alternative technique.

This time, the SHERLOC instrument, which is affixed to Perseverance’s robotic arm, was utilized by the research team. According to NASA, it looks for minerals and organic stuff using spectrometers, cameras, and a laser. The device focuses on materials that may have undergone alterations due to wet conditions and may offer biological proof of previous life. Amy Williams, an assistant professor at the University of Florida and astrobiologist, led some of the most recent study. She contributed to a report that details the most recent discoveries published in the journal Nature. According to the study, “evidence of a more intricate organic geochemical cycle on Mars than previously understood” was found using the new research approach.