NASA rover discovered ancient microbial life signature on Mars

NASA's Perseverance collected a rock sample last year on Mars. After a year of scientific scrutiny, it's confirmed that sample provides evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars.

Called "Sapphire Canyon", the sample was taken from a rock named “Cheyava Falls”. Taken from a rock named “Cheyava Falls” last year, the sample, called “Sapphire Canyon. The finding by Perseverance rover is the closest we have ever come to discovering life on Mars.

Perseverance came upon Cheyava Falls in July 2024 while exploring the “Bright Angel” formation. The formation’s sedimentary rocks are composed of clay and silt. These materials on Earth are excellent preservers of past microbial life.