Possible sign of life found on Mars, NASA says
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced Wednesday that it may have found signs of ancient life on Mars.
Composed of 18 images, this mosaic shows a boulder field on "Mount Washburn" in Jezero Crater on Mars. The photos were taken by NASA's Perseverance Mars in May of 2024. File Photo by NASA/UPI UPI An illustration depicts the Mars rover Perseverance extending instruments to drill a rock sample on the surface of the planet. File Image courtesy of NASA UPI
Sept. 10 (UPI) -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced Wednesday that it may have found signs of ancient life on Mars.
In a press release, NASA said its Perseverance Mars rover collected a sample last year from a long-dry Martian riverbed that "contains textures, chemical and mineral characteristics, and organic signatures that warrant consideration as 'potential biosignatures'," as per an article published in Nature Wednesday.
A biosignature is a material or structure that could have a biological origin but needs more study or information before it can be determined if it shows either the presence or nonexistence of life.
...
"The identification of a potential biosignature on the Red Planet is a groundbreaking discovery, and one that will advance our understanding of Mars," said acting NASA Administrator and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in the release. "NASA's commitment to conducting Gold Standard Science will continue as we pursue our goal of putting American boots on Mars' rocky soil."
The sample, dubbed "Sapphire Canyon," was taken from a rock named "Cheyava Falls" procured by Perseverance from that riverbed that lies within a region known as Jezero Crater.
Minerals found in the sample can be formed as converted products of "microbial sulfate reduction," an oxygen-free biological process completed by some microorganisms.
"Minerals like these," the Nature article notes, "provide some of the earliest chemical evidence for life on Earth and are thought to represent potential biosignatures in the search for life on Mars."
