Key Sentence:
- Minerals found in ancient river deltas could prove the existence of Martians.
NASA scientists made an astonishing discovery on the surface of M – they believe that rock samples from ancient river deltas could signal that life once existed on this planet.
Samples were taken by the Perseverance rover “reveal a potentially habitable sustainable environment. That once existed on the Red Planet, which NASA scientists say means extraterrestrial life may exist. Since hitting the Martian surface in February, Persistence has rocked the bottom of the Jezero Crater. A site chosen because it is considered an ancient river delta. Its primary purpose is to dig deep into the sediments where rivers once flowed in search of extraterrestrial life.
NASA hopes the mineral salts found in riverbed rocks have captured tiny bubbles of ancient Martian water that. Over time, could act as microscopic capsules. The same type of salt mineral is known to preserve the old life of the earth.
“These samples are invaluable for future laboratory analysis on Earth,” said Mitch Schulte of NASA.
“One day, we may be able to determine the sequence and timing of environmental conditions that represent the minerals in these rocks. This will help answer major scientific questions about the history and stability of liquid water on Mars.
But for now, throw an alien welcome party – the equipment for complete sample analysis is too large and complex to fly to Mars. So instead, other explorers will sample the Martian surface in about ten years as a sample return campaign. “Detailed maps will be provided for possible future missions to fly to Mars and collect these samples for scientists to study,” NASA said.