The NASA Curiosity rover is set to enter an unexplored area that may harbor ancient or even living extraterrestrial life.
According to NASA, in the 12th year of its mission, the Curiosity rover will venture into a region that scientists believe to be the bed of an ancient river, expected to contain evidence of life.
This area, known as Gediz Vallis, features winding channels filled with pebbles and has never been explored by any spacecraft.
Curiosity Rover Searching for Life – (Photo: NASA).
According to Space.com, scientists believe this area could help explain how Mars’s terrain was formed in the first place.
Gediz Vallis snakes through Mount Sharp, a region with intriguing mountainous terrain. Billions of years ago, this mountain was thought to be fertile and wet.
Over time, Mars gradually dried up, and the remaining wind and water eroded the mountain into the layered landscape that Curiosity has recorded.
The spectacular landscape of the area has led scientists to believe that some natural phenomenon contributed to the formation of Gediz Vallis.
The ancient river may have originated from landslides from the mountain, or it could have been formed by flowing water, which is the most fascinating aspect for astrobiologists.
“If the river or the debris within it was formed by liquid water, that would be truly interesting. It means that after a long dry spell, water has returned in a larger flow,” said scientist Ashwin Vasavada from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Most importantly, the presence of an ancient river amidst a fertile landscape means the possibility of life existing.
NASA hopes that Curiosity may find evidence of extraterrestrial life that once existed in this region, or if luck is on their side, something that is still alive.
| Curiosity is a robotic lander designed to search for life. The original mission of Curiosity was only slated for 2 years, but it has remarkably persisted and is now entering its 12th year of extended mission. |
