NASA finds rock on Mars that may contain ancient microscopic life

Ancient life on Mars? Maybe, maybe, maybe. But that would require more detailed study. That’s the short message of a potwhich was revealed on Thursday, July 25, that Perseverance rover finds rock with compelling evidence of organic molecules And with interesting signs, which if seen on Earth, would be consistent with past biological activity.

The announcement came with some caveats. Organic compounds can be of biological or non-biological origin, a fact confirmed by NASA scientists. Rocks from Mars have fooled scientists in the past.

But they’re excited about this veined rock, which they’ve dubbed “Chiava Falls.” NASA said a sample of the rock was taken July 21 from the edge of a vast, ancient river valley carved by water that rushed into Jezero Crater long ago. Before Mars lost most of its atmosphere and surface water It became a cold, dry world with dust storms and no sign of anything alive.

“We can’t say we’ve discovered life on Mars yet,” said Katie Stack Morgan, deputy project scientist. “But what we are saying is that we have a potential biosignature, a set of characteristics that could have a biological origin, but it requires more study and more data.”

The reddish rocks are covered in white spots known as “tiger spots.” Stack Morgan said the spots are the result of chemical reactions typically associated with biological activity on Earth. “If you find these types of structures on Earth, there’s a good chance that there’s life there,” he said. “At the same time, these are chemical reactions that don’t require life.”

The rover was traversing an ancient river delta in Jezero Crater and taking rock and soil samples as part of the ambitious but troubled Mars Sample Return mission. NASA said Chiava Falls is an arrowhead-shaped rock measuring 3.2 feet (91 centimeters) by 2 feet (60 centimeters) and is named after a waterfall in the Grand Canyon.

The spacecraft took a rock sample, the 22nd so far. The general plan was to send another spacecraft to the surface of Mars, where Perseverance would pick it up and return the sample. The new lander would then deposit the material in orbit, where it would be transferred to another spacecraft, provided by the European Space Agency, for the return trip to Earth.

But concerns about cost overruns and delays have cast doubt on whether NASA and its European partners will be able to complete the mission. In 2020, the review board It is estimated that returning the samples to Mars will cost between $3.8 billion and $4.4 billion. A review last year raised that estimate to between $8.4 billion and $10.9 billion, with samples not expected to return to laboratories on Earth until 2040.

NASA officials said that was unacceptable. Earlier this year, they set aside a very small budget for the mission. They also asked NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as outside contractors, to propose new mission designs that could reduce cost and operational risk.

The rover doesn’t have the kind of advanced technology needed to determine whether the leopard spots and organic molecules are biological or nonbiological in origin, said Andrew Steele, an astrobiologist at the Carnegie Institution for Science who is part of Perseverance’s science team.

But the rocky environment, presence of organic matter and surface characteristics are convincing. He said that Chiava Falls is the most important sample obtained so far.

“It ticks all the boxes,” Steele said. “It’s a very interesting chemistry with iron and phosphate concentrations. It shows water activity. It’s a great place to live.” He’s eager to see the new rock up close, here on Earth.