Martian researchers uncover ancient organic compounds identical to Earth's biological building blocks, dating back to the time of life's emergence on our planet.
In a significant breakthrough for astrobiology, signs of ancient organic molecules have been found beneath the Martian surface, offering insights into potential biological processes on early Mars and the planet's history.
The discovery was made in 2023 by NASA's Perseverance rover, which found preserved organic molecules on Mars. These molecules, detected using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) laboratory aboard Curiosity, were found to be as old as the earliest-known signs of life on Earth.
The longest organic molecules ever seen on Mars have been discovered. These long-chain hydrocarbons, containing up to 12 consecutive carbon atoms, were found in ancient sedimentary rocks on Mars. This finding bolsters the strategy of searching for ancient signs of life in the martian near-surface.
While the discovery does not provide evidence of past or present life on Mars, it suggests that the conditions for life as we know it once did exist on the Red Planet. The chemical building blocks of life, including amino acids, carboxylic acids, and nucleobases, were widespread throughout the solar system and would have been delivered to Mars.
The source of these organic molecules on Mars could not be established in this study. However, new methods could make it easier to spot signs of life on Mars in the future.
To better assess Mars' composition in the ancient past, international teams will build an instrument similar to SAM for Dragonfly, a quadcopter that will explore Saturn's satellite Titan beginning in the mid-2030s. Additionally, ESA's ExoMars mission, set to launch in 2028, and the joint NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission will aid in the assessment of Mars' ancient past.
The discovery offers potential insights into how life may have once existed on Mars and how it lost out as the Red Planet became barren and inhospitable. These findings will contribute to our understanding of the origins and evolution of life in the universe.
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