Curiosity Rover Finds Largest Organic Molecules on Mars

NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered the largest organic molecules yet found on Mars, containing up to 12 consecutive carbon atoms, which resemble fatty acids vital for life on Earth. These findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were made within a 3.7 billion-year-old mudstone in Yellowknife Bay, suggesting Mars may have had conditions suitable for life billions of years ago. The molecules, detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument, could indicate past biological activity, although non-biological processes could also account for their presence. The discovery, while not definitive proof of life, offers valuable insights for future missions like ESA's ExoMars and the joint NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission. The preservation of these molecules in Mars' cold, arid environment provides hope that other signs of ancient Martian life might still be detectable today. This breakthrough underscores the potential for Mars to have once supported life, similar to early Earth.