Life on Mars? NASA’s Curiosity rover finds new organic molecules on Martian rock sample

NASA has shared a new finding from Mars, and this one is getting attention for a different reason. The Curiosity rover has detected organic molecules that are usually linked to the building blocks of life. This doesn’t mean life has been found on Mars, but it does point to the planet once having the kind of chemistry needed for it. Also Read: Moon base by the next decade? NASA shares rover, lander and drone plans

The NASA Curiosity rover landed on Mars in 2012, and the sample was collected back in 2020. Scientists have been studying it over the past few years. What they’ve found now adds to what we already knew about Mars not always being as dry and inactive as it looks today. Also Read: NASA rover captures unusual ‘stacked’ rocks on Mars, scientists explain why this happened

What scientists found in the sample

The rover picked up a rock sample that turned out to contain a mix of 21 organic molecules. Out of these, seven have been identified on Mars for the first time. Also Read: Work from Moon? NASA now wants to build a Moon base for astronauts

One of the key findings includes molecules that are similar in structure to compounds linked with DNA and RNA. These are considered important when it comes to how life forms and functions.

Along with that, compounds like benzothiophene were also found. These are usually seen in meteorites, which means there is a chance some of this material came from outside Mars.

The study was led by Amy Williams from the University of Florida, who is part of the Curiosity and Perseverance rover teams. The findings have been published in Nature Communications.

Where the rock came from

The sample came from near Mount Sharp in Gale Crater. Scientists think this area had water billions of years ago, most likely a lake.

After the water dried up, it left behind clay. These clay layers are useful because they can hold chemical traces for a long time, which is why this spot was studied.

The rock, named “Mary Anning 3,” was drilled by the rover and then analysed on Mars itself.

How the testing was done

The Curiosity rover has a built-in lab called Sample Analysis at Mars, or SAM. This is what was used to study the sample.

The process involved heating the rock powder so that gases could be released and analysed. They used a chemical method with TMAH to break larger molecules into smaller ones.

That helped them pick up compounds that might have been missed otherwise.

What this means for Mars research

The finding shows that Mars once had the basic chemistry needed for life. But that is where things stand for now.

At the same time, these molecules don’t always come from living organisms. They can form through natural processes or even reach Mars through meteorites. So this is still not proof that life existed there.

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Scientists say clearer answers will only come when samples are brought back to Earth. The rover can analyse them, but only to a certain extent.