Will the Trace Gas Orbiter discover evidence of alien life ? Image Credit: ESA
ESA's Trace Gas Orbiter has started its mission to seek out traces of biologically-produced methane on Mars.
The spacecraft, which achieved a stable orbit earlier this month, is now actively seeking out traces of methane in an attempt to determine whether or not there is life on Mars.
According to scientists, an answer to the mystery may come within the space of only a few months.
"If we find traces of methane that are mixed with more complex organic molecules, it will be a strong sign that methane on Mars has a biological source and that it is being produced - or was once produced - by living organisms," said ESA's Mark McCaughrean.
"However, if we find it is mixed with gases such as sulphur dioxide, that will suggest its source is geological, not biological. In addition, methane made biologically tends to contain lighter isotopes of the element carbon than methane that is made geologically."
I would guess any life on Mars is, or was, similar to the extremophiles we have on Earth; able to live with chemicals/radiation that might kill most "common" life forms. Many of them exist in harsh environments and consume compounds other organisms cannot. I'm not sure what they excrete or exhale in the process, but I wonder if all biological organisms on Earth give off Methane and whether any extremophile organisms on Mars would as well? Could life be so exotic compared with what we are familiar with that we might not readily recognize it as life so easily?
Methanogen bacteria are widely found on Earth. They metabolize carbon dioxide and water and excrete methane. They can exist below the surface, within what we think of as 'solid' rock. They appear to be a good model for the sort of living organisms we might find on Mars. If below the surface, they could avoid exposure to harmful radiation, and could have access to a dependable source of water.
Excited to see the results. Even if the source turns out to be geological, that will be a significant result. I've had my ears perked up ever since they discovered methane a few years back and hopefully this will get them closer to nailing it down.
Earth and Mars have been exchanging materials for billions of years. A sizable impact on either world can blast soil, rock, and maybe life, from one to the other. Mars, being substantially smaller and less dense probably cooled enough to be hospitable to life, before Earth did. There's a reasonable chance, then, that Earth was seeded with life from the Red Planet.
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