NASA's Perseverance Rover Finds Diverse Set Of Organic Molecules On Mars

Nasa's Perseverance rover has discovered diverse organic matter in the planet's Jezero Crater. Organic molecules are the key building blocks of life on Earth that are made primarily of carbon and hydrogen and often other elements like oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur. The discovery, which was published in the journal Nature, has implications in the search for potential signs of life on the Red Planet, researchers said.

''The presence and distribution of preserved organic matter on the surface of Mars can provide key information about the Martian carbon cycle and the potential of the planet to host life throughout its history,'' the authors wrote. 

One thing I'm #SamplingMars for is organic molecules, the “building blocks” of life. The rock I got these two samples from has signals suggesting they may be present. Signs of biology, or another process, maybe? Hear why scientists would love to study sample #6 or #7 up close: pic.twitter.com/cQheyDqybd

— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) July 12, 2023

Several different types of organic molecule have already been found in Martian meteorites on Earth as well as the Gale crater on the surface of the Red Planet. However, researchers are unable to rule out that the materials have a “biotic” origin or are the result of life on the planet. They also suggested a number of different explanations for the origins of organic matter on the red planet.

The molecules might have been formed by the interactions between water and dust or having been dropped onto the planet by dust or meteors.

“These potential organic molecules are largely found within minerals linked to aqueous processes, indicating that these processes may have had a key role in organic synthesis, transport, or preservation,” they wrote. 

Dr. Sunanda Sharma from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said that there are multiple origin hypotheses for the presence of organic matter on Mars from meteorite and mission studies.

Perseverance detected evidence of diverse types of organic compounds in the huge Jezero crater, which the rover has been exploring since it landed on Mars in February 2021.

Signals of organic molecules were detected on all 10 targets that Sherloc observed in the Jezero crater floor. Notably, The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (Sherloc) instrument on the rover is the first tool to enable fine-scale mapping and analysis of organic molecules and minerals on Mars.

“Not all organics are biological in origin. Observing spatial relationships between minerals and organics is necessary when evaluating organic origins and potential biosignatures. Everything we know of life on Earth is limited to what is preserved in the rock-mineral record. On Earth, biosignatures are found in certain minerals and some minerals are better at preserving organics than others,” said Ashley E Murphy, a researcher at the Planetary Science Institute and co-author on the new paper.

Last year, Nasa's Curiosity rover found rocks that contained organic carbon, possibly from bugs that once roamed Mars.