The Perseverance spacecraft, which was launched on July 30, 2020 and landed on Mars in February of last year, has made many important developments and discoveries to date. This mission, in which NASA has flown a helicopter for the first time on Mars, has reached a very important clue about the possibility of life on Mars today.
NASA discussed the prominent topics of the Perseverance mission at a conference it organized and announced for the first time that organic molecules that can be associated with life on Mars were found. The organic structure in question was found in a sample taken from a delta of Mars’ 45-kilometer-wide Jezero Crater. It is stated that this delta, which is thought to have formed 3.5 billion years ago, was formed by the combination of the Mars river and lake.
Jezero hosted a major discovery:
- An animation of the Jezero Crater filled with water.
The spacecraft was currently investigating the delta’s sedimentary rocks, which were formed when particles of various sizes settled in the once-wet environment. During the initial survey, the instrument sampled the crater floor and found magma deep underground or igneous rock formed during volcanic activity at the surface. But another excavation at the site contained signs of life.
In this area, which is said to contain extremely rich and diverse rocks, the spacecraft found a sandstone containing crater-specific grains and rock fragments that formed far from Jezero Crater. In addition, it was announced that a mudstone containing organic molecules was found. This stone, which ignites organic thoughts of life, was called ‘Wildcat Ridge’.
NASA said the stone likely formed billions of years ago when mud and fine sand settled into an evaporating saltwater lake. It was also announced that the stone was about 1 meter wide. The Perseverance spacecraft sampled a portion of the rock’s surface on July 20. These samples were studied by the spacecraft’s ‘Scan for Habitable Environments for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC)’ instrument.
Examination with SHERLOC showed that the samples had a class of organic molecules related to those of sulfate minerals. NASA shared that the sulfate minerals found in these rock layers can offer important information about the aqueous environments in which they form. However, it was also reminded that there is a big obstacle in front of us in this regard.
During the statement, he answered questions from Twitter. “Can Perseverance detect signs of life before the samples are brought back to Earth?” Answering the question, Project Scientist Ken Farley said, “The burden of proof of life on another planet is very, very heavy.” He stated that the samples should be brought to Earth. He also stressed that life cannot be definitively identified, but potential discoveries can be made.
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