NASA rover finds strongest evidence yet of ancient organic matter on Mars

NASA’s Perseverance rover has uncovered new evidence that ancient Mars may once have had conditions suitable for life, after scientists detected complex organic carbon compounds in rock samples collected from the planet’s Jezero Crater.

Researchers analysing two mudstone samples from the Bright Angel rock formation said they contained hundreds of organic carbon signatures, making them the strongest such detections yet found in the crater, The Independent writes.

Organic carbon is a key ingredient of life on Earth, forming the basis of all known living organisms. While its presence does not prove life existed on Mars, scientists say the discovery adds to growing evidence that the planet once possessed the chemical conditions needed to support microbial life.

The findings come from samples collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover in an area where the mission had previously identified potential biosignatures — chemical or physical features that could be linked to ancient biological activity.

The study’s authors said the newly detected carbon compounds are particularly significant because they appear to be macromolecular carbon, a complex form of organic matter often associated on Earth with extremely ancient rocks and, in some cases, traces of early microbial life.

Scientists cautioned, however, that the origin of the carbon remains uncertain. It could have been delivered by meteorites or cosmic dust, formed through non-biological geological processes such as hydrothermal activity, or potentially be linked to past biological activity.

Using Perseverance’s Raman spectrometer, researchers mapped the distribution of carbon within the rocks. One sample contained organic carbon embedded within a silicate-rich matrix, while the second showed carbon associated with carbonate and sulphate minerals.

The team said the carbon appeared relatively well preserved, suggesting it may have been exposed to the Martian surface only recently or is resistant to the planet’s harsh environmental conditions.

The discovery follows another recent finding by NASA’s Curiosity rover, which identified previously unseen organic molecules in rock samples from Gale Crater, around 3,200 kilometres away from Jezero Crater. Scientists said that discovery also strengthened evidence that ancient Mars possessed chemistry capable of supporting life.

Despite the promising results, researchers say determining whether the carbon compounds have a biological origin will require detailed laboratory analysis on Earth.

Perseverance has been collecting and storing rock samples as part of NASA’s Mars Sample Return programme. However, plans to bring the material back to Earth remain uncertain after the agency restructured the project in an effort to reduce costs.

NASA is considering alternative approaches to retrieve the samples, including using a commercial lander or a specialised retrieval spacecraft. Under previous estimates, the first Martian samples could arrive on Earth sometime between 2035 and 2039.

Scientists say that only once the samples are examined in terrestrial laboratories will it be possible to determine whether the organic compounds represent evidence of ancient life or were produced through non-biological processes.

By Aghakazim Guliyev