According to the website of the British "New Scientist" magazine recently reported that NASA's "Perseverance" probe found a large number of organic molecules on Mars - carbon-containing molecules thought to be the building blocks of life. Discover or make Mars' dry river delta regions ideal for finding life.
Perseverance probe.
The Perseverance probe took measurements and samples in an area called the Skinner Ridge, which is made up of layered sedimentary rocks that contain some material likely billions of years ago, the researchers said. It was transported by running water from hundreds of kilometers away.
Thomas Zubchen, head of NASA's science division, said: "The samples we are now taking in this depositional region help to shed light on the central question of whether there is life on Mars."
These sedimentary rocks contain complex organic molecules called aromatics, as well as clay and sulfate minerals, which are created when water interacts with the rock. While none of these substances are signs of life -- so-called biosignatures -- they do mean that scientists are in the right place. "This is very important because it contains sulfates and clays, and this rock preserves biosignatures very well," said one of the researchers, David Schuster of the University of California, Berkeley.
The presence of organic matter became increasingly common as Perseverance drove through the crater, the researchers said. "If this is a treasure hunt for potential signs of life on another planet, organic matter is a clue," said Sunanda Sharma of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "As the Perseverance mission to Delta continues to advance, we are There are more and more clues.”
Still, scientists would need to send those samples back to Earth to be sure. It is reported that NASA and the European Space Agency will launch two spacecraft to Mars in 2026, one of which will land on Mars in 2028, and will receive the samples from Perseverance. The spacecraft will then launch the sample into Mars orbit for a third spacecraft, which will return to Earth in 2031.
