[Regnum] NASA scientists have discovered possible traces of ancient life forms in samples collected by the American Mars rover Perseverance. This was announced on September 10 by the head of scientific programs of the American agency Nicola Fox.
According to NASA, the device discovered unique textured spots on the rocks in the Neretva Valley with a coloration reminiscent of a leopard. After studying the images and data, scientists suggested that the spots may form as a side effect of microbial activity.
"It's a kind of leftover trace. It's not life itself. And it certainly could have been associated with ancient life. It could have existed billions of years ago, but it certainly wasn't today. And you know, as we say, it could have been created by ancient life," Fox said during a press conference.
On September 5, NASA announced the launch of a simulation in which four volunteers will spend a year in conditions simulating life on Mars. They will be located in a 3D-printed module located at NASA's Space Center in Houston. The simulation participants will find themselves in conditions as close to reality as possible, with limited resources, possible equipment failures, communication delays, isolation, and various stress factors. The experiment should provide data that will be used in future studies of the Moon, Mars, and other planets.
Earlier, Chinese scientists confirmed for the first time the existence of a solid core on Mars. Specialists from China and the United States noted that this discovery creates an important basis for comparing the evolution of Mars, Earth and other terrestrial planets.