NASA Announces Potential Signs of Life on Mars, Perseverance Rover Finds Initial Evidence

Liputan6.com, Jakarta On September 10, 2025, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced a significant discovery on Mars, indicating the presence of "potential signs of life" on the Red Planet.

The discovery is based on data collected by the Perseverance rover, which has been exploring Jezero Crater since its landing in 2021.

Even though the sample is safely stored in a tube millions of miles away on Mars, scientists remain intrigued by the rock because of its potential to reveal whether microscopic life once existed on Mars.

“Today, we are really showing you how we are kind of one step closer to answering humanity’s, one of their most profound questions, and that is, are we truly alone in the universe?” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

After a year of scientific scrutiny, a rock sample collected by the Perseverance rover has been confirmed to contain a potential biosignature. The sample is the best candidate so far to provide evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars. https://t.co/0BAO1dhMG8 pic.twitter.com/JsOXgrNDmY

— NASA Mars (@NASAMars) September 10, 2025

This crucial discovery was made by the Perseverance rover in Jezero Crater, a site believed to have once housed a large lake and river system billions of years ago.

The rock at the center of this discovery, named "Cheyava Falls," was found in a dry riverbed within the crater.

Another relevant rock sample, named "Sapphire Canyon," was also taken from the Bright Angel formation in Jezero Crater.

This area was chosen because its geological conditions favor the possibility of past water, making it an ideal location for searching for biosignatures.

Since its landing in 2021, Perseverance has systematically collected data and samples from various rock formations in Jezero Crater.

Analysis of this data led to the identification of patterns and minerals that fuel speculation about ancient life on Mars.

The nature of this discovery centers on what is being called a "potential biosignature."

Perseverance discovered intriguing minerals on the western rim of Jezero Crater, specifically in the clay-rich mudrock of the Neretva Vallis basin.

These minerals, when found in sediments on Earth, are often byproducts of the metabolism of microbes consuming organic matter.

The rocks studied also exhibit "leopard spot" and "poppy seed" patterns, which may have formed through chemical reactions known to support life.

These small nodules and spots, enriched in iron phosphate and iron sulfide, appear to have formed after sediment deposition under low-temperature conditions.

This chemical combination is thought to provide the energy source necessary for microbial metabolism, similar to processes that occur on Earth.

Scientists have observed that spots like these on Earth are often associated with the fossil record of microbes.

“The discovery of a potential biosignature, or a feature or signature that could be consistent with biological processes, but that requires further work and study to confirm a biological origin is something that we’re sharing with you all today that grows from years of hard work, dedication and collaboration between over 1,000 scientists and engineers here at the (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory and our partner institutions around the country and internationally,” said Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance project scientist at JPL, during a news conference Wednesday.

To confirm whether these findings are indeed signs of life, the rock samples collected by Perseverance must be analyzed using proper equipment on Earth.

The "Sapphire Canyon" rock samples have been placed in a sealed capsule and left on the crater's surface, awaiting a return mission.

However, it's currently unclear how NASA will return the samples to Earth as the agency grapples with a White House proposal to cut NASA's science budget in half.

“We’re looking at how we get the sample back, or other samples back,” Duffy said. “What we’re going to do is look at our budgets, we look at our timing, and you know, how do we spend money better, and you know, what technology do we have to get samples back more quickly? And so that’s a current analysis that’s happening right now.”

Initial estimates suggest that the samples may not be returned to Earth until 2040, far from the original plan of the early 2030s.