Did NASA’s 1970s tests erase signs of life on Mars?
A scientist suggests that NASA's experiments in the 1970s may have inadvertently destroyed traces of life on Mars. This information is reported by the ScienceAlert portal.
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. These experiments involved testing Martian soil samples for biosignatures.
Viking experiments
One of the experiments involved research using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GCMS), which detected chlorinated organic compounds. Initially, these were considered contamination, but it is now known that they are natural to Mars. Other experiments, such as labelled release and pyrolytic release, may have destroyed evidence of life - as reported on ScienceAlert.
Schulze-Makuch suggests that adding water to the samples may have "drowned" microorganisms adapted to dry conditions. He points out that life on Mars may be adapted to extremely dry conditions, and adding water could have been harmful to them.
A new approach to searches
The scientist proposes that future missions should focus on hygroscopic compounds, such as salts, instead of water. In his opinion, this could help find life on Mars. Schulze-Makuch further emphasises 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 will contribute to a better understanding of the Martian environment.
