The search for life on Mars extends to the study of its moons

Two researchers from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) published a perspective article in the journal Science describing the efforts of this decade to find out if Mars has ever welcomed life. In their article, Ryuki Hyodo and Tomohiro Usui describe the top three efforts involved in finding evidence of life on Mars over the next ten years, and why they and other JAXA members believe the best chance of finding evidence of life on Mars can be found on one or both of its moons.

As Hyodo and Usui note, NASA is currently conducting a study of the Jezero crater on the surface of Mars with its Perseverance rover. This work will be part of a subsequent joint effort between NASA and ESA to collect samples from Mars and bring them back to Earth. The Japanese project Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) is also planned, which will involve sending probes to the two moons of Mars and returning samples before the end of the decade.

Hyodo and Usui note that the two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, are smaller than the moon of Earth. They are also much closer to the planet. The researchers note that the probes sent to study the surface of Mars will only be able to test a very small part of its surface – imagine, they suggest, a probe landing in the middle of the Sahara desert; he would find signs of life, no doubt, but only find a tiny fraction of it. They suggest that a probe on one of Mars’ moons might have better luck. They note that previous research has suggested that Mars was once humid. Previous research has also shown that Mars has been hit by numerous asteroids over millions of years. Some of the larger strikes have resulted in pieces of the surface exploding in space – such a piece has even been found here on Earth. They suggest that many pieces of the planet were thrown into space, some of which undoubtedly reached the surface of one or both of its moons. Such chunks, they note, would likely make up a large portion of the Martian surface. Because both moons have almost sterile environments, material with evidence of life may still be there.

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