NASA's Curiosity rover has identified more organic compounds on Mars as scientists investigate whether the Red Planet ever harbored life. The discoveries were made while exploring the massive Gale Crater, which is believed to be a now-dry lake.
In an experiment never before tried beyond Earth, the six-wheeled rover identified seven diverse organic molecules in rock from a dried lakebed near the planet's equator. Five of these molecules had never previously been observed on Mars. Astrobiologist Amy Williams, working on the Curiosity mission, stated that the experiment had never been run before on another world.
These chemicals are widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth. While the analysis cannot establish if the organic compounds are linked to potential ancient life on Mars, or if they were delivered by meteorites or formed through geological processes, the findings imply that chemical fingerprints should remain if microbial life once thrived on the planet.