The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is making news with its Mars rover, Perseverance. The rover has recently uncovered evidence of organic compounds in the Jezero Crater on Mars, suggesting the possibility of past habitability. The landing site presents an intriguing mix of minerals such as carbonates, clays, and sulphates, indicating its history as an ancient lake basin.
A Brief Understanding of Organic Compounds
Organic compounds are molecules that primarily contain carbon and hydrogen. They often include other elements like oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur too. These compounds are fundamental building blocks of life on Earth as they form the basis for proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and other biomolecules. While these compounds are key to life, they can also be produced by non-biological processes like volcanic activity, meteorite impacts, cosmic radiation, and lightning strikes.
Significant Discoveries Related to Organic Matter on Mars
Previous missions had already identified chemical compounds of Martian origin in various meteorites and the Gale Crater. However, only the Mars Phoenix Lander and the Curiosity Rover had previously detected organic carbon on Mars using advanced techniques like evolved gas analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The recent research conducted through the Perseverance Rover introduces a novel instrument, the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC), which locates basic chemical compounds on Mars. This study suggests that Mars possesses a more intricate organic geochemical cycle, vastly expanding possibilities for habitability.
Exploring Mars with the Perseverance Rover
Launched in July 2020 and successfully landing on Mars in February 2021, the Perseverance Rover is a car-sized vehicle designed to explore the Martian environment, specifically the Jezero Crater. It’s powered by a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator that converts the heat from radioactive plutonium decay into electricity. The rover aims to seek signs of ancient life, collect rock and soil samples for possible return to Earth, study Mars’ geology and climate over time, and demonstrate technologies that could support future human exploration of Mars.
Mars Missions: A Global Endeavor
Exploration of Mars is not just a project for NASA. Numerous space agencies worldwide, including the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the European Space Agency, and China’s National Space Administration, have conducted their own Mars missions. India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, also known as Mangalyaan, is particularly noteworthy as it made India the only nation to succeed in orbiting Mars on its very first attempt. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has also launched its first interplanetary mission, the Hope Mars Mission, to conduct its own exploration of the red planet.
Cracking Competitive Exams: A Practice Question
For those preparing for competitive exams, consider the following statements:
1. The Mangalyaan, launched by ISRO, is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission.
2. It made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit Mars after the USA.
3. It made India the only country to achieve success in making its spacecraft orbit Mars on its first attempt.
Which of the given statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
Ans: (c) Only statement 1 and 3 are correct.