Research led by NASA suggests a habitable past on Mars based on the discovery of minerals in Martian rocks associated with life on Earth.

"The idea was for our payload to get us just up to the potential biosignature designation and have the rest of the story told by instruments here on Earth."

Martian mudstones contain features that NASA says are the "clearest sign of life" yet on Mars, according to new findings from NASA’s Perseverance rover released Sept. 10.

Mars’ Jezero Crater holds signs of ancient water and strange mineral reactions, some linked with organic compounds. With Perseverance’s samples and AI-refined mineral maps, scientists are closing in on whether Mars once had the chemistry needed for life.

Prize: NASA could offer a prize—say $3 billion to the first company and $1 billion to a second company—for delivering something like 1 kg of Mars rocks and soil back to Earth. NASA has used prizes very sparingly in the past, but this option could appeal to the Trump administration as it would require very little funding up front.

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance has uncovered rocks in a dry river channel that may hold potential signs of ancient microscopic life.

NASA’s Perseverance rover made a thrilling discovery on Mars: a rock sample containing minerals that on Earth are tied to microbial life. While not proof, it is one of the strongest clues yet that Mars may have once hosted organisms.