NASA's 1970s Mars tests may have erased life signs
A scientist suggests that NASA's experiments in the 1970s may have destroyed traces of life on Mars, according to the ScienceAlert portal.
4:36 PM EST, November 24, 2024
In the 1970s, NASA conducted the Viking mission, which aimed to search for life on Mars. Dirk Schulze-Makuch from the Technical University of Berlin claims that the methods used in these experiments may have been destructive. The experiments involved testing Martian soil samples for biosignatures.
Viking experiments
One of the experiments used a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GCMS), which detected chlorinated organic compounds. Initially, these were considered contaminants, but it is now understood that they are naturally occurring on Mars. Other experiments, such as labeled release and pyrolytic release, may have destroyed evidence of life, as reported by ScienceAlert.
Schulze-Makuch suggests that adding water to the samples may have "drowned" microorganisms adapted to dry conditions. He argues that life on Mars might be suited to extremely dry environments, and that introducing water could have been harmful to potential life forms.
A new approach to searches
The scientist proposes that future missions focus on hygroscopic compounds, such as salts, instead of water. He believes this approach could help find life on Mars. Schulze-Makuch further emphasizes that nearly 50 years after the Viking mission, it's time for a new mission searching for life.
In an article published in "Nature Astronomy," Schulze-Makuch highlights the necessity for further research related to Mars and the potential traces of life there. This research will contribute to a better understanding of the Martian environment.
