A new study published in the journal Nature Communications on February 21st has revealed that current Mars rovers may not be able to detect any signs of ancient life on the Red Planet due to their scientific instruments not being advanced enough. The research team conducted tests on sedimentary rocks in the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is a geological analog to ancient sites on Mars currently being explored by two NASA rovers. The same team of researchers previously discovered that the clays in the Atacama Desert are inhabited by a previously unknown mix of ancient and modern microorganisms.
Using four instruments that are on current or upcoming Mars rovers, the team studied samples from the Atacama Desert and found them incapable of detecting organic material. The only way to prove unequivocal signs of life on Mars is to send samples back to Earth for DNA analysis. Lead study author Armando Azua-Bustos, a research scientist at the Center of Astrobiology in Madrid, said in a statement that “the chance of obtaining false negatives in the search for life on Mars highlights the need for more powerful tools.”
Currently, there are three rovers on Mars. NASA’s Curiosity rover and Perseverance rover are searching for signs of ancient microbial life in the rock record. The Perseverance rover is currently preparing samples that will be collected by a spacecraft and returned to Earth for in-depth analysis. Meanwhile, China’s Zhurong rover has landed in the Utopia Planitia plain and found evidence of water, but is not searching for signs of ancient life. The European Space Agency plans to launch its delayed ExoMars mission in 2028 to land its Rosalind Franklin rover in the clay-bearing plain of Oxia Planum, which will carry a drill with the capability of reaching down to a depth of 2 meters to analyze sediments better protected against the harsh conditions on the Martian surface.
A new study has revealed that current Mars rovers may not be able to detect any signs of ancient life on the Red Planet due to their scientific instruments not being advanced enough. The research team conducted tests on sedimentary rocks in the Atacama Desert in Chile and found that the only way to prove unequivocal signs of life on Mars is to send samples back to Earth for DNA analysis. Currently, there are three rovers on Mars and the European Space Agency plans to launch its delayed ExoMars mission in 2028. With the launch of the ExoMars mission, scientists will have access to a drill with the capability of reaching down to a depth of 2 meters to analyze sediments better protected against the harsh conditions on the Martian surface.
