NASA's Rover Finds Organic Matter on Mars

Did life ever exist on Mars? NASA's Perseverance rover finds organic matter in rock samples

Wyatte Grantham-Philips
USA TODAY

NASA's rover Perseverance is investigating signs of ancient life on Mars, and it has now collected some of the most promising samples from the Red Planet yet.

According to NASA, several rock samples containing organic matter were found in Jezero Crater, a 28-mile wide crater home to what scientists believe was once a river delta that formed about 3.5 billion years ago.

"Jezero was selected for this mission because ... it allows us to explore an ancient habitable environment, (and) it allows us to seek evidence of possible Martian life in rocks deposited at that time, about 3½ billion years ago," Perseverance project scientist Ken Farley said in a recorded panel briefing about the rover's findings.

"I want to emphasize: This mission is not looking for extant life, things that are alive today. Instead, we are looking into the very distant past, when Mars' climate was very different than it is today," Farley said.

Perseverance launched in July 2020 and landed in Jezero Crater in February 2021. Since July 7, NASA says, the rover has collected four samples from the delta, bringing the total number of collected, "scientifically compelling rock samples" to 12.

Martian rocks with organic matter

Perseverance is studying the delta's sedimentary rocks. The rover already has explored Jezero Crater's floor, finding igneous rocks. The contrast of the two "provides us with a rich understanding of the geologic history after the crater formed and a diverse sample suite," Farley said in a news release.

The project scientist pointed to one collected mudstone that contains "intriguing organic compounds."

With the help of an instrument called Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals, or SHERLOC, organic molecules were found in "Wildcat Ridge," a 3 foot-wide rock believed to have been formed by mud and fine sand in an evaporating saltwater lake billions of years ago.

"It's clear that we're uncovering a bigger story than what's happening in Jezero Crater. We found signals that we think are possibly from organic matter on every target that we've observed with SHERLOC to date," SHERLOC scientist Sunanda Sharma said in the panel briefing.

Sharma added that the finding wasn't "unexpected," because it aligns with previous research. "However, it does say that organics seem to persist in the very harsh Martian surface environment, which is very exciting for us."

According to NASA, Curiosity Mars rover found evidence of organic matter in rock-powder samples back in 2013. Perseverance has detected organics in Jezero Crater before, but the latest finding was in an area with conditions that would have allowed life to exist in the distant past, scientists say.

“The fact the organic matter was found in such a sedimentary rock – known for preserving fossils of ancient life here on Earth – is important," Farley said.

"However, as capable as our instruments aboard Perseverance are, further conclusions regarding what is contained in the Wildcat Ridge sample will have to wait until it’s returned to Earth for in-depth study as part of (NASA and European Space Agency's) Mars Sample Return campaign."

Waste of lots of money

Good chance that the organic matter, if it is in fact biological organic matter, actually came there from earth. Asteroid impacts on earth have ejected rocks into outer space the same way that asteroids have impacted Mars resulting in Mars rocks reaching earth.

And a headline that’s perfect for getting more.

Knowledge is good. Discovery is good. Goals are good.

I hope I'm around long enough to see someone walk on Mars.

It's clear that we're uncovering a bigger story than what's happening in Jezero Crater. We found signals that we think are possibly from organic matter on every target that we've observed with SHERLOC to date," SHERLOC scientist Sunanda Sharma said in the panel briefing.

Doesn't sound like they are overly sure of this evidence.

Equally good chance that it’s not from earth

Well if there is life on Mars I think it need a government to regulate it. We should send all the democrats up now to give them a head start

Hopefully, they don't discover that printing money destroyed all life on mars.

Depends on how old the Earth is. Were there Dinosaurs?

Your comment is going over my head, hippie. I can tell there’s some tongue in cheek there but I can’t tell where it’s directed lol. Dinosaurs on earth? Dinosaurs on Mars? Is that gonna be the next Jurassic park movie? Lol

Organic matter may have nothing to do with life at all. All organic matter means is that the substance is carbon based. Chemical reactions, that have absolutely nothing to do with life can create organic matter.

Keith

Calling it matter, is part of the problem. Organic chemicals and peat moss, should not be confused.

When the sun was hotter than it is now, the surface temp of mars would have been different. Was the surface temp and the atmosphere capable at any time of sustainable life?

I don't know, but there is a lot of evidence that there was once water on mars. That is interesting to me.

And from the article linked above: "According to NASA, several rock samples containing organic matter were found in Jezero Crater, a 28-mile wide crater home to what scientists believe was once a river delta that formed about 3.5 billion years ago."

So the climate was probably very different a long time ago, different enough to support life?

Yep...
What good will become of it?
What significance will it bring?
More $$,more $$ ect.

Obviously we (conservatives ) will need a place to escape from the liberal trash. -- it does waste lots of money (as does anything that our gov does) -- just wish I could actually believe the true science anymore. Knowledge should never be discouraged.

All the money spent is still here on earth. People on the project earned wages, paid taxes and raised families. Lessons learned during the project are still being used elsewhere and forever, I hope. Probably could of spent the money in other ways, but if the government is doing the spending, might be just as well on Mars.

What have we got ? Artificial limbs, lasik , cat scans , solar cells, insulin pump, suits for firefighters, are just a few items invented for space that are used in everyday lives. Oh yes the camera on your phone so you can take pictures to post here. The list is really long.

I love space to a certain extent, but of all the things we as humans do best....why are we not trying to mine it, harvest something, profit off of it. At the end of the day, Mars is a waste of time behind saying oh yeah we were here because we as humans have an absolutely terrible track record at trying to "control mother nature".

My other problem is that we dont even understand the earth all the way, what are we doing? Great at some point in time that is meaningless to everybody alive today, Mars had water and maybe had some living things on it. And yes @Hippie dinosaurs and man lived together on the earth, how long ago is really the question.

Most compounds with Carbon are considered organic. But not necessarily all compounds with Carbon are organic.

They find organic compounds all the time in astronomy. Its nothing special. If it was something like sugar, alcohol or other complex molecules then there would be cause to get excited.