NASA’s Curiosity Rover, a versatile robotic vehicle exploring Mars, has reported high concentrations of methane in the Martian atmosphere. This surprising discovery by the rover indicates around 21 parts per billion of methane, a threefold increase from the 2013 finding. It is worthwhile to note that methane on Earth is predominantly generated by life forms, and its fluctuating levels on Mars appear to follow the planet’s seasonal changes. However, contrary findings by the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), a more technologically advanced European spacecraft launched in 2016, bring a shade of mystery as it failed to detect any methane in its initial scientific observations.
NASA’s Curiosity Mission
In an ambitious endeavor to understand Mars better, NASA sent Curiosity, their largest and most sophisticated rover to date, to the red planet. The rover touched down on Martian soil in August 2012, tasked with the vital mission of seeking chemical and mineral evidence signifying past habitable conditions on Mars.
Unveiling the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) marks the first of several collaborative projects between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. It was specifically engineered to probe particular trace gases in the Martian atmosphere like methane, water vapor, nitrogen oxides, and acetylene. These specific gases might offer clues pointing to potential biological or geological activities on Mars. Furthermore, it provides crucial data on the planet’s atmospheric seasonal transitions and scans for subsurface water-ice. The TGO began its operations following successful orbit insertion in October 2016.
| Name | Launched by | Launch Date | Mission Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curiosity Rover | NASA | August, 2012 | Find chemical and mineral evidence of past habitable environments |
| Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) | ESA and Roscosmos | October, 2016 | Detect trace gases and monitor seasonal changes |
Looking Ahead: Future Mars Missions
The exploration of Mars continues unabated as a new fleet of rovers is gearing up for launch next year. These comprise one from NASA and another borne out of a Russian-European partnership, both carrying state-of-the-art instruments to scout for life’s essential elements. Augmenting this effort will be the ExoMars 2020 mission slated for a 2020 launch. A key feature of this mission will be a novel rover capable of drilling approximately 6 feet (or two meters) below the Martian surface, furthering our search for signs of ancient life on Mars.
