Summary
NASA's Mars rover, Perseverance, found rocks in a former river on Mars that might contain signs of ancient microscopic life. Scientists say more tests are needed on these samples, ideally on Earth, to confirm any signs of past life. The samples are waiting to be collected from Mars, but the return mission has been delayed.
Key Facts
- NASA's Perseverance rover discovered rocks that might hint at past microscopic life on Mars.
- The samples were collected from a dry river channel called Neretva Vallis.
- The rocks contain iron phosphate and iron sulfide, which on Earth are linked to microorganisms.
- The rover collected 30 samples so far, and scientists want to study them on Earth.
- The return mission to bring samples back has been delayed to the 2040s due to budget issues.
- Researchers stated that both biological and non-biological processes could explain the findings.
- The findings appeared in the journal Nature.
