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Since the Curiosity rover landed on Mars in 2012, NASA has known that the planet contains complex organic molecules that indicate that it could have harbored extraterrestrial life.
But a new report from New Scientist suggests that Curiosity may not have been the first rover to find evidence of life on Mars.
The report suggests that during the 1970s, NASA's Viking mission also found traces of complex organic matter.
However, the report indicates that the remote-controlled robot may have burned traces of uncovered material
(Image: Getty)
This idea is based on the fact that Phoenix Lander of NASA, who was on Mars ten years ago, discovered the perchlorate – a toxic compound. Although this compound is highly flammable on Earth, it is cool on Mars, so it is unlikely to burn.
In the 1970s, the Viking rover heated samples of Martian soil to 500 degrees – a temperature hot enough to burn Perchlorate, next to complex organic molecules.
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NASA researchers believe this problem could be discovered after the discovery of Phoenix data
In 2013, Curiosity discovered organic molecules, as well as chlorobenzene molecules, that are produced when carbon reacts with perchlorate. This indicates that the Viking lander may have discovered organic molecules in the 1970s, but burned them accidentally.
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