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Curiosity Rover Detects 'Origin-of-Life' Molecules on Mars
The rover’s first off-Earth wet chemistry test found seven molecules never before confirmed on Mars and strengthened the case for preserved ancient organics.
- On Tuesday, NASA's Curiosity rover identified over 20 organic molecules in clay-rich Martian sandstones within the Gale crater, according to a study led by astrobiologist Amy Williams of the University of Florida published in Nature Communications.
- Researchers performed a novel chemical experiment using tetramethylammonium hydroxide to break down complex organic matter, a technique never before attempted on another planet. The rover only carried two cups of this chemical, requiring careful site selection.
- Among detected compounds was a nitrogen-containing molecule resembling proto-DNA, alongside benzothiophene, a sulfurous chemical often delivered by meteorites. The findings confirm that complex macromolecular carbon remains preserved in Mars's subsurface despite harsh radiation.
- Although the findings indicate Mars was a habitable world, Williams cautioned, "We cannot yet say that Mars ever harbored life." Early in its history, the planet was warmer and wetter than today.
- The validated TMAH technique will serve as a "trailblazer for upcoming planetary missions," Williams said. Versions are destined for the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover at Mars's Oxia Planum and the Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn's moon Titan.
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NASA points out that the findings indicate the complex chemistry of ancient Mars, but the origin of the molecules has not yet been determined.
The possibility that there was once life on Mars has gained further evidence, as the American Mars rover Curiosity has discovered an exciting mix of organic molecules on the surface of our neighboring planet, including substances that may have been the building blocks for the emergence of life on Earth.
A new piece is added to the big question about the existence of life on Mars. The Nasa Curiosity rover, active on the Red Planet since 2012, has identified molecules never observed before on Martian soil and considered similar to the precursors of DNA, the fundamental bricks of life as we know it on Earth. The discovery, published in the magazine Nature Communications, comes from an experiment of chemistry conducted directly on the surface of Ma…
NASA rover adds to growing list of organic compounds detected on Mars
NASA's Curiosity rover has identified more organic compounds on Mars as scientists strive to learn whether the Red Planet ever harboured life. Five of the seven diverse organic compounds, which were confirmed in an experiment by the six-wheeled rover in rock that formed in a dried lakebed near the planet's equator, had never previously been identified on Mars, researchers said.
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