Mars rover carries out chemistry experiment never done beyond Earth
Summary
NASA’s Curiosity rover performed a unique chemistry experiment on Mars and found more organic molecules, which are key elements that could have supported life. These molecules likely formed on Mars or arrived via meteorites, and they show that Mars had conditions suitable for life over 3 billion years ago.Key Facts
- Curiosity conducted a chemistry test using a chemical called TMAH, which breaks down organic matter.
- The experiment, done in 2020, detected over 20 organic molecules, some never seen before on Mars.
- One molecule found, benzothiophene, is also found in meteorites and asteroids.
- Another molecule detected contains nitrogen, important for forming DNA.
- Curiosity landed in Gale crater, once a lakebed, in 2012 to search for signs of past life.
- These findings do not prove life existed on Mars but support that Mars could have supported life long ago.
- NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission, which planned to bring Martian rocks to Earth, was effectively canceled by President Donald Trump’s administration after Congress voted in January.
- Future missions like the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin rover will carry the same chemical to run similar experiments on Mars.
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