The two Viking orbiters sent by NASA to Mars in 1975 found that liquid water was present on the planet's surface in the past, suggesting life may have been present on the Red Planet.
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Study
As per the new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, robots currently probing Mars may not be able to detect signs of life on the Red Planet.
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Testing
The team tested samples from Red Stone, located in the Atacama Desert of Chile, which is similar to the ancient river delta, Jezero Crater,on Mars.
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Results
Even though some of the instruments used in the experiment were highly sensitive, they could hardly detect organic signs of life in the Red Stone samples.
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Conclusion
The findings indicate that Mars probes may have a hard time hunting for life. The study further emphasizes the importance of bringing back Martian samples to Earth for further analysis.
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Mars SampleReturn mission
Fortunately, NASA and ESA are planning to bring back Martian samples for in-depth analysis via the Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign.