--- title: "New NASA research raises questions about microbial life on Mars" description: "According to NASA study, liquid water existed on Mars as recently as 2–2.5 billion years ago." author: "Vallabha Buddepu" published: 2022-01-28 canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/news/1307/new-nasa-research-raises-questions-about-microbial-life-on-mars category: "space and research" tags: ["satellite assembly", "technology news", "space science"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # New NASA research raises questions about microbial life on Mars ## HIGHLIGHTS NASA [researchers](https://www.mindstick.com/news/1544/mars-looks-more-seismically-active-than-before-thought-said-researchers) looked examined data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The information was gathered during a 15-year period. The chloride salt crystals left remain were used by scientists. ## WHY IN [NEWS](https://www.mindstick.com/developersection/news) Today, Mars is known for its unending red desert plains. It wasn't always like this, though. According to new NASA study, there was water on Mars and it flowed on the surface for longer than previously thought. The Red Planet, like Earth billions of [years ago](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81912/humans-lived-in-america-more-than-30000-years-ago), rippled with rivers and ponds, providing a suitable [environment](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/308/need-to-create-a-supportive-work-environment-for-women) for microbial life. However, when the planet's [atmosphere](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2058/robin-wordsworth-re-creates-the-atmosphere-of-ancient-mars) weakened over time, that water evaporated. The water was thought to have vanished three billion years ago. However, two scientists reviewing data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) during the previous 15 years have discovered evidence that drastically alters the timetable. According to their findings, liquid water existed on Mars as recently as 2–2.5 billion years ago. As a result, water flowed on Mars for a billion years longer than previously thought. The researchers used chloride salt deposits left behind by evaporating freezing meltwater. Water flowed on Mars until relatively recently, according to some valley [networks](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/156393/what-are-the-different-types-of-networks), although there was no clear proof. Salt deposits, which are the first mineral evidence, prove the [presence](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12492/how-to-enhance-your-presence-on-facebook) of liquid water. **also read :** https://tinyurl.com/2p8ja4da The findings were published in the open-access journal AGU Advances. They also offer intriguing new concerns, such as how long microbial life on Mars may have lasted. The study's main author Ellen Leask and Caltech professor Bethany Ehlmann mapped the chloride salts over Mars' southern hemisphere using data from an MRO instrument called the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars. After more than a decade of providing high-[resolution](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12502/looking-for-an-mba-degree-we-guide-you-with-the-perfect-resolution) image, stereo, and infrared data, MRO has led to new insights on the nature and timing of these river-[connected](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12941/link-building-and-search-engine-rankings-how-are-they-connected) ancient salt ponds, according to an article on the NASA website. The salt crystals were originally spotted 14 years ago by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, which was launched in 2001. Since its debut in 2005, MRO, which has higher-resolution [equipment](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/301024/best-home-gym-equipment-for-2022) than Odyssey, has been examining the salts. --- Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/news/1307/new-nasa-research-raises-questions-about-microbial-life-on-mars Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.