“Curiosity”: The animation shows the rover working with a laser beam with a range of eight meters.image: dpa
The Mars rover “Curiosity” has discovered complex organic molecules on the Red Planet. The find provides evidence that the chemical conditions for life could have existed there.
April 25, 2026, 2:24 p.mApril 25, 2026, 2:24 p.m
Steve Haak / t-online
The NASA rover “Curiosity” has discovered the largest variety of organic molecules to date on Mars. As the US space agency reports, 21 carbon-containing compounds were discovered during a rock analysis. Seven of them were detected on the planet for the first time.
NASA scientists cannot clearly clarify whether the molecules are of biological origin or the result of geological processes. However, the results, published by the researchers in the journal Nature, confirm that early Mars had chemical conditions that could, in principle, have made life possible.
Location with a special history
The new sample comes from a region on Mount Sharp that was characterized by lakes and rivers billions of years ago. The area was flooded several times over time and dried out again. This resulted in clay minerals that are particularly good at preserving organic molecules.
Among the substances discovered is a so-called nitrogen heterocycle compound. This structure is considered a possible precursor to RNA and DNA – molecules that are crucial for genetic information. Such compounds have not yet been directly detected on Mars or confirmed in Martian meteorites, according to the study’s lead author, Amy Williams, of the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Dragon bones or fish bones? The Curiosity rover discovered these strange formations on Mars. image: nasa/x
According to the researchers, another discovery is benzothiophene, a compound made of carbon and sulfur that is also found in meteorites. Scientists suspect that such molecules may have contributed to the emergence of prebiotic chemistry in the early solar system.
High-tech laboratory in the rover
The analyzes were carried out using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument, a mini-laboratory inside the Mars rover. Rock samples are heated so that gases are released and can then be examined. In addition, a chemical solution is used that breaks down larger molecules into smaller components.
In order to check the results, the scientists also tested the procedure on a known Martian meteorite on Earth. This resulted in molecules similar to those in the sample on Mars.
Importance for further missions
The results build on previous discoveries that found larger organic molecules on Mars. They show that such compounds can persist for billions of years despite strong radiation.
At the same time, the investigations provide important insights for future missions. New instruments to be used on future space probes are based on similar technologies and could enable even more detailed analyses.
The new data strengthens the evidence that Mars once offered life-friendly conditions. But whether life actually existed there remains unclear.
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