Ice on Mars could hold secrets of ancient life
NASA experiments show that amino acids—the basic ingredients for life—can survive the equivalent of 50 million years of radiation exposure if they're trapped in pure Martian ice.
This means Mars's ice could be holding onto clues about life from way back.
The study, led by Alexander Pavlov of NASA, suggests that pure ice on Mars is an ideal place to search for preserved biomolecules.
How the study was conducted
Scientists froze E. coli bacteria in both pure ice and ice mixed with Mars-like soil, then blasted them with radiation to mimic what would happen over 50 million years on Mars.
More than 10% of the amino acids survived in pure ice, but almost none made it in the soil mix.
Ice acts as a shield
Turns out, pure ice acts like a shield, protecting amino acids from radiation damage, while minerals in soil actually make things worse by letting destructive particles move around.
Pavlov says this points to ice-rich areas near Mars's surface as the best places to look for signs of ancient or even recent life.
Future Mars missions could focus on ice deposits
Ice deposits on Mars that are less than two million years old could be treasure troves for future missions.
Studying these spots might finally help us answer the big question: has there ever been life beyond Earth?