This Mars rover could finally reveal whether life ever existed on Mars

The Rosalind Franklin rover is closing in on one of humanity's greatest questions: did life ever exist on Mars? According to ScienceDaily, scientists confirmed this morning that the rover's instruments can detect subtle variations in organic molecules that might preserve evidence of ancient life for billions of years. If those molecules exist in the Martian subsurface, this rover should find them. But testing revealed a wrinkle: meteorite samples examined in the lab showed fossil fuel contamination from passing through Earth's atmosphere—a reminder that even our most precious space samples can pick up earthly hitchhikers.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton