Amid growing conflicts and never-ending political crises around the world, 2024 will certainly not be a very peaceful year for us Earthlings. But there are two who are not affected by all this agitation. away from the temptations of the earthlings, PersistencePersistence etc CuriosityCuriosity Continue your relentless scientific exploration on Mars.
Meter by meter, the two rovers continue their exploration of the Red Planet, which began many years ago now. Two missions for Long courseLong course which have already provided extraordinary information about the Martian atmosphere and the planet’s history, with the ultimate goal of knowing whether life was ever able to thrive on its surface.
And this year 2024, just like last year, has its share of discoveries!
Ease, the end of a high-flying mission!
The year ends with Perseverance now set to scale the rim of Jezero Crater where it landed in 2021, while Curiosity has also begun an ascent, but in Gale Crater, a region Joe has been looking for it for 12 years now!
However, before putting himself to the test on the pit’s steep slopes, Persistence had to say goodbye to his younger companion. easeease. This tiny helicopter drone, which had been with the rover since its landing, actually “gave up the ghost” last February. The machine actually damaged one of its blades, forcing the scientists to abort the mission, which was nonetheless a real success. With a total of 17 kilometers traveled during 72 successful flights, Ingenuity has indeed far exceeded its initial goals. It now rests in Neretva Valais, an ancient river channel that once fed the lake in Jezero Crater.
A very promising carbonate rock
This channel is not yet the first evidence that water flowed on Mars several billion years ago. And this is not the last. A little further, Perseverance encountered a particularly interesting rock that could help retrace the planet’s history and determine whether it was once capable of supporting life.
Thanks to its instruments, the rover was indeed able to determine that the Bunsen peak was a Carbonate rockCarbonate rocka Sedimentary rockSedimentary rock which would have occupied the crater at the bottom of the ancient lake. If living organisms once inhabited the lake, it is possible that the rock preserved their traces in the form of biosignatures. However, persistence is impossible to be sure of. So Rover got one. SamplingSampling from Bunsen Peak so that it can be analyzed on Earth. Encased in a tube, this sample of carbonate rock shouldn’t be leaving the Red Planet anytime soon, as the mission to bring the samples back has yet to be clearly determined.
Small traces that may indicate ancient microbial activity.
Continuing on its way, the rover then came to a rock with a very unusual shape. Atoko Point has really puzzled researchers because of its color and its origin. StructureStructurewhich suggests that it is a Igneous rockIgneous rock which will be crystallized in depth The crystThe cryst Mars The discovery is the first to help better understand the geological history of Jezero Crater.
A little further, it’s called a block. Chiwa Falls Which particularly angered the scientists. Preliminary analyzes by the rover revealed the presence of organic matter, traces of chemical interactions with liquid water, as well as traces of reactions often associated with its presence on Earth. MicrobesMicrobes. An important discovery that leaves PortPort Open to the hypothesis that primitive life may have developed on Mars, let us not be convinced for the moment.
Again, these potential fossil traces will have to return to Earth to reveal all their secrets. One hope lives on with the recent discovery of green spots on a rock that the rover encountered. The snakeThe snake RapidsWhile climbing the rim of the crater. Here, too, this mineral trace can be linked to responses associated with microbial activity. However, without forgetting that the biological origin of this trace is not certain.
Mars: An environment that would have been conducive to the emergence of life
For its part, curiosity is not to be outdone and has made significant discoveries over the past year. Analyzes carried out by the rover in Gale crater show thatEnvironmentEnvironment Ancient Mars would have been richer in oxygen than previously thought, as indicated by the large amount of oxides. ManganeseManganese I found SedimentSediment of the ancient lake which occupied the crater. However, KOxidationOxidation could provide manganeseEnergyEnergy Essential for capacity. BacteriaBacteria to develop.
With its discovery of Gediz Vallis, Curiosity then confirmed that it is indeed an ancient channel that has at least temporarily experienced the flow of liquid water. On this occasion, the rover also inadvertently discovered crystals of pure sulfur, the origin of which is currently a mystery, but which could once again help prove that Mars did indeed support life in the distant past. was the owner of the environmental conditions. Development
A sample return is expected… and required!
So the year 2024 was particularly busy for the researchers in charge of these two missions. The data, which continues to accumulate, still does not provide a clear answer to the question: Was there ever life on Mars? Even if clues are present, the return of samples taken through persistence is necessary to determine with certainty whether they truly represent a biosign or are simply the result of a biochemical reaction. AbioticAbiotic.
Waiting for this long-awaited mission to finally begin, the two rovers continue their journey. There is no doubt that 2025 will be a good year for research on Mars as well!
