NASA: Mars rock could show signs of past life

Washington. A rock sample taken by NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars last year could potentially contain traces of past microbial life, according to the US space agency. "This may be the clearest sign of life we've ever found on Mars," said Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, appointed by US President Donald Trump as interim head of NASA a few weeks ago, at a press conference. However, this is not certain, emphasized NASA Deputy Director Nicky Fox. More data and studies are needed.

Perseverance collected the rock sample last summer in an area called Jezero Crater, a dried-up riverbed on Mars. The NASA team noticed the rock because it displayed spots resembling a leopard print. The sample was then examined using all of the rover's scientific instruments on board. The results have now been published in the journal Nature.

The rock consists of clay and silt, among other elements, and contains carbon, sulfur, oxidized iron, and phosphorus, it was said. The patches in the rock consist of the minerals vivianite and greigite, among others, which, in combination, may indicate past microbial life, but can also arise without biological reactions.

For further investigations, the sample would actually have to be brought back to Earth, but a corresponding NASA mission is currently under consideration.

"Perseverance" (roughly translated as "perseverance") landed on Mars in 2021 with a risky maneuver and has been exploring the planet ever since. The development and construction of the approximately $2.5 billion rover took eight years.

RND/dpa