Researchers from NASA suspect that a huge discovery is about Mars is about to unfold, as traces of organic salts have been found on its surface. If it turns out to be true, then it would provide a strong backing to the notion that Mars once supported life. Scientists are yet to completely rule out other compounds.

As per the research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, these salts are basically the remnants of organic compounds, which are theoretically capable of sustaining microbial organisms. This makes the discovery more interesting as it could help identify any signs of ancient life on Mars.

Lack of supporting tools

However, the research is very challenging due to the limited tools available, making it hard to determine whether the team has discovered organic or inorganic salts. The team relies on two instruments aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover.

One is the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument that breaks down samples to understand what they are made of by seeing the gases it releases at different temperatures. SAM has hinted at organic salts, as per the paper, but another instrument dubbed Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument (CheMin) will verify them.

“We’re trying to unravel billions of years of organic chemistry,” said James Lewis, lead study author, “and in that organic record there could be the ultimate prize: evidence that life once existed on the Red Planet.”

ESA ExoMars might be helpful

Since NASA’s Perseverance rover doesn’t feature the right set of tools for the job, the team will have to wait until ESA’s ExoMars rover arrives at the Martian surface with ideal instruments that can analyze the chemistry of Martian soil down to 2m, as per NASA.

Mars has also shown many signs that indicate that it was once active tectonically. The activity happening underneath the surface is believed to be the main reason behind the formation of valleys and trenches on the planet. New research suggests that volcanic activity on Mars has occurred in the last 50,000 years.