A new discovery made on Mars throws a curve ball at the question of whether life ever existed on the Red Planet. NASA’s Phoenix Lander has uncovered a harshly reactive salt called “perchlorate” in soil samples taken from the ground. The finding stands in stark contrast to the original belief that Mars’s soil was in many ways similar to Earth’s and could support a variety of life. NASA’s principal investigator for Phoenix calls the find “surprising” but emphasizes that the analysis is not yet complete.
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Brackish Soil Sample Suggests Martian Dirt Is Toxic
Posted by: JR Raphael August 5, 2008 11:17 AMA new discovery made on Mars throws a curve ball at the question of whether life ever existed on the Red Planet. NASA’s Phoenix Lander has uncovered a harshly reactive salt called “perchlorate” in soil samples taken from the ground. The finding stands in stark contrast to the original belief that Mars’s soil was in many ways similar to Earth’s and could support a variety of life. NASA’s principal investigator for Phoenix calls the find “surprising” but emphasizes that the analysis is not yet complete.