Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 One of the Phoenix Mars Lander’s instruments has “tasted” an unexpected compound in the soil of the Red Planet.
The chemical compound, perchlorate, is an oxidizing agent found in rocket fuel and is often considered a contaminant hazardous to human health. Still to be confirmed, the finding does not rule out the possibility that Mars could harbor some form of life, scientists said at an August 5 press briefing.
“These compounds are quite stable,” said Peter Smith of the University of Arizona in Tucson and the principal investigator of the mission. “They are not likely to tear apart organic material, and so their presence does not limit the search for habitability in the icy soil of Mars.”
This response comes after a weekend of speculative media reports on the perchlorate find, suggesting that Mars could not harbor life because of the chemical’s presence. But the discovery is neither good nor bad for the prospects for life on Mars, Smith said, pointing out that in Chile’s Atacama Desert, some microbes use oxygen from naturally occurring perchlorate for energy.