The Perseverance rover of NASA has found evidence of past water on Mars, pointing to new light on the possible habitability and possibility of life on the Red Planet. The rover touched down in February 2021, almost exactly the same as the one just completed, which saw Perseverance streak across the sky suspended on rocket-driven crane power to plop into a 45-kilometer-wide impact crater long ago that hosted its own lake.
Thus, the rover includes the coordination of scientific tools to support it in its quest for past or present life on Mars. Chemically, its main utility is the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer, which is used for analyzing rocks and soil. The APXS detected calcium carbonate and sulfate in rock findings inside the crater. These were minerals that should typically be found near water bodies, such as caves and springs, as well as on riverbanks. Perseverance Project Scientist Dr. Ken Farley added, “This is a major breakthrough in our understanding of Mars’ history. The presence of calcium carbonate and sulfates indicates a region where water once flowed. Water, of course, is a key ingredient for life as we know it.
” The discovery of past water on Mars has had a significant impact on how science perceives the habitability of the red planet. Life, as we know it, can only be sustained with water, and the existence of it on Mars suggests that such a planet could also sustain life at some point. “The discovery of water on Mars raises questions about the possibility of its past or even present life,” said Dr. Farley. “We may have missed it by just a few hundred million years. The search for life on Mars is an ongoing effort, and this discovery adds fuel to that quest.” It doesn’t collect data but also looks forward to paving the way for all the missions that will be undertaken to Mars in the future.
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The rover is equipped with a sample collection system and will store samples of Martian rock and soil for possible return to Earth on a future mission. “This discovery will form the basis for the design of future missions to Mars,” Farley said. “We will be able to target areas that are more likely to have supported life and develop more sophisticated instruments to search for signs of life.” The Perseverance rover will proceed to explore Jezero Crater in its quest for signs of past or present life on Mars. Future missions, building upon this discovery, aim to answer some of humanity’s most profound questions about the universe. “Searching for life beyond Earth is an important part of NASA’s quest to understand the universe,” said Dr. Farley. “It reminds us we are getting closer to answering the profound question, ‘Are we alone?’’
