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NASA’s Curiosity rover has identified the most diverse set of organic molecules ever detected on Mars, including seven compounds never before found on the Red Planet, according to data from a 2020 rock sample analyzed in recent laboratory work.
The findings, which include carbon-based molecules resembling precursors to DNA, were revealed after years of laboratory analysis following the rover’s drilling and analysis of the sample in 2020.
This discovery contributes to ongoing research into Martian chemistry and the potential for past habitability, supporting broader scientific efforts to understand the planet’s geological and biological history.
