An important finding by NASA’s Perseverance rover supports the concept of returning Mars samples to Earth for further analysis. The rover observed Cheyava Falls, a reddish rock that was removed from an ancient dried-up lake in Jezero Crater, on July 21. This rock is the first on Mars to have organic compounds discovered in it, which are essential components of life.
Scientist Katie Stack Morgan of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California said that although this is not proof of life, it is the best evidence the rover has uncovered to date. Interesting patterns that resemble spots have been found in the discovery; these spots resemble structures seen in rocks on Earth that are linked to microscopic life beings. At a major Mars symposium, Caltech scientist Ken Farley presented the discovery and emphasized the significance of these organic compounds.
Although organic molecules have been discovered on Mars before—the Curiosity rover discovered them there in 2014—scientists have struggled to discover more since Perseverance landed there in 2021. They were drawn to the rock’s peculiar appearance due to its white patches and black edges. Investigations revealed the presence of iron phosphate molecules along the black borders. Similar structures have been connected to prehistoric microbes on Earth, which may indicate a biological origin.
Stack Morgan cautioned that these characteristics do not imply the presence of life. Additionally, the rock has white calcium sulfate veins that are packed with crystals of olivine, a mineral that is frequently associated with volcanic activity. Scientists are curious about how the rock formed and what the previous environment was like because of a combination of traits, including aspects of volcanic activity and potential microbial activity.
Planetary scientist Paul Byrne of Washington University in St. Louis cautioned against making any assumptions about the data. He noted that although these formations could be evidence of extinct life, they could equally be the result of inanimate processes. He likened the finding to a fascinating illustration of the interplay between water and rocks.
The goal of Perseverance is to gather samples from significant rocks for subsequent analysis back on Earth. However, the Mars Sample Return program has been postponed due to recent financing concerns. Byrne is hopeful that the new findings will validate the necessity for this program and encourage NASA to advance the mission more quickly.
Stack Morgan stated that the rover team is focused on gathering high-quality samples in spite of the financial problems. She hopes that these results will demonstrate the value of the Mars Sample Return mission and make the cost worthwhile.
