Sean Cate

Sean Cate

October 11, 2024

Life On Mars? NASA’s Curiosity Rover Has Made Some Amazing Discoveries

NASA’s Curiosity rover has been exploring Mars since 2012, and in that time, it has made some groundbreaking discoveries that have reshaped our understanding of the Red Planet. From ancient streambeds to mind-blowing geological finds, Curiosity continues to surprise scientists as it roams the Martian surface. In this slideshow, we’ll take a look at some of the most incredible discoveries made by the Curiosity rover, including the latest, which shocked researchers with its unusual composition.

The Latest Discovery: Sulfur Crystals on Mars

The rock was broken open when Curiosity ran over it.
Credit: NASA

In 2023, NASA’s Curiosity rover made a “mind-blowing” discovery when it drove over a rock in the Gediz Vallis channel, cracking it open to reveal a treasure inside—yellow-green sulfur crystals. This find was particularly surprising to scientists, as pure sulfur is rarely seen in nature and hadn’t been found on Mars before.1

Curiosity’s project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada, described the discovery as “the strangest find of the whole mission,” noting that this kind of luck doesn’t happen with every rock. Sulfur on Earth usually forms in extreme volcanic conditions or hot springs, raising intriguing questions about the geological history of Mars.

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Sticking the Landing

Curiosity's touchdown on the night of Aug. 5 was a big deal, both for the rover's mission and the future of Mars exploration.
Credit: NASA

Curiosity’s adventure on Mars began with a daring and unprecedented landing. The rover was gently lowered to the Martian surface by a rocket-powered sky crane in August 2012—a feat of engineering that NASA had never attempted before. This precise landing paved the way for future missions to land large payloads on the Red Planet, potentially setting the stage for human exploration.2

Finding Evidence of Ancient Water

Curiosity snapped a photo of a rock nicknamed “Snow Lake” in June, which is similar to the rock the rover smashed.
Credit: Zumapress

One of Curiosity’s first major discoveries was evidence of an ancient streambed, indicating that water once flowed on Mars. In 2012, Curiosity found smooth, rounded pebbles in Gale Crater that appeared to have been transported by water flowing through the area. Scientists believe that the water was knee-deep and flowed for thousands of years, suggesting that Mars may have been habitable billions of years ago.

Mars Rock Drilling: Unlocking the Secrets of the Past

The discovery was made while probing the Gediz Vallis channel.
Credit: Zumapress

Curiosity made history in 2013 by becoming the first rover to drill into a Martian rock and collect samples. This allowed scientists to study the environment from billions of years ago, beneath the planet’s surface. The rover’s drill uncovered key chemical ingredients for life—sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and carbon. These elements suggest that ancient Mars had the right conditions to support microbial life.3

Organic Compounds Detected

Curiosity spotted some of the key chemical ingredients for life in the gray powder it drilled out of the John Klein rock
Credit: NASA

Curiosity also detected organic molecules in Martian rocks, adding another piece to the puzzle of Mars’ potential to support life. Organic compounds are the building blocks of life, and while their presence doesn’t necessarily confirm past life on Mars, it shows that the raw ingredients for life existed.4

According to NASA scientists, these findings motivate ongoing studies to explore whether Mars was once home to life.

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Methane Fluctuations in Mars’ Atmosphere

The Red Planet
Credit: NASA

Another exciting discovery made by Curiosity involves the detection of methane in Mars’ atmosphere. Methane can be produced by living organisms or geological processes, and Curiosity observed a tenfold increase in methane over a two-month period. While the source of this methane remains unknown, its presence raises the possibility that microbial life could have existed on Mars.

A More Habitable Past

The red planet's barren landscape today
Credit: NASA

Curiosity’s findings suggest that Mars had a more hospitable environment in its ancient past. In addition to detecting essential life ingredients, the rover found that Mars once had flowing rivers and lakes that persisted for millions of years. These discoveries indicate that Mars could have supported life billions of years ago, with environments that were likely not too salty or acidic.

Radiation Risks for Future Astronauts

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) is helping prepare for future human exploration of Mars. RAD measures the type and amount of harmful radiation that reaches the Martian surface from the sun and space sources.
Credit: NASA

Curiosity also made valuable contributions to future Mars exploration by measuring radiation levels on the Martian surface. These measurements are crucial for understanding the health risks astronauts might face on a mission to Mars. Curiosity found that radiation levels on Mars are similar to those experienced by astronauts aboard the International Space Station, which means that a round-trip mission to Mars is feasible, though not without risk.

Curiosity’s Social Media Fame

“Selfie” of the Curiosity rover with inset showing the SAM instrument prior to installation on the rover. In this image, the rover is in front of Mount Mercou, a 19.7-foot (6-meter) tall outcrop, and next to the “Nontron” sampling site. This area is in the transition region between the “clay-bearing unit” that the rover has finished exploring and the “sulfate-bearing unit” that the rover is now exploring.
Credit: NASA

Beyond its scientific achievements, Curiosity has also captured the public’s imagination. The rover’s daring landing and ongoing discoveries have inspired millions, with its Twitter feed gaining over 1.3 million followers. Through regular updates and stunning images from the Martian surface, Curiosity has brought planetary science to the masses, sparking a renewed interest in space exploration.

What’s Next for Curiosity?

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its black-and-white navigation cameras to capture panoramas of this scene at two times of day. Blue, orange, and green colors were added to a combination of both panoramas for an artistic interpretation of the scene.
Credit: NASA

Curiosity’s mission was extended to 2025, allowing it to continue exploring the Martian surface and contributing to our understanding of Mars’ habitability. Its latest discovery of sulfur crystals highlights the continuing potential for groundbreaking discoveries. As the rover climbs higher up Mount Sharp and investigates new areas, scientists hope Curiosity will continue to unlock the secrets of Mars’ ancient past.

Since its arrival on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity rover has vastly expanded our knowledge of the Red Planet. From discovering ancient water sources and organic compounds to the latest sulfur crystal find, Curiosity has laid the groundwork for future missions, including the potential for human exploration. With its mission extended, who knows what else this incredible machine will discover on its continuing journey across Mars?

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Sources

  1. NASA’s Curiosity rover makes ‘mind-blowing’ discovery on Mars.” NY Post. Patrick Reilly. July 20, 2024.
  2. Mars Rover Curiosity’s 7 Biggest Discoveries (So Far).” Space. Mike Wall. May 28, 2013.
  3. Science.” NASA
  4. SAM’s Top Five Discoveries aboard NASA’s Curiosity Rover at Mars.” NASA. William Steigerwald. August 4, 2022.