In those drill sites, Curiosity detected deposits containing an iron carbonate material called siderite. According to Ben Tutolo, a University of Calgary associate professor of Earth, Energy, and Environment Studies as well as a NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover team, the data marks a major moment in the search for extraterrestrial life.

A new Martian study reveals signs of ancient water activity beneath the surface, raising the possibility that Mars may have once supported microbial life. The research, led by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT),