NASA scientists explored Scotland’s Stoer formation to follow up on last year’s announcement of potential biosignatures on Mars and prepare for future research, while the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin
rover, due to launch in 2028, aims to bore two metres beneath the Martian surface in search of ancient biological traces.
In a dual effort to unravel Mars’ potential for ancient life, NASA scientists conducted fieldwork in Scotland’s Stoer formation, examining rocks that resemble the planet’s ancient lakebeds and river valleys. The expedition, led by NASA’s Goddard Instrument Field Team, focused on the region’s 1.2-billion-year-old mudstones and siltstones, which hold microbial evidence from a time before land plants existed. These Earth analogs, according to NASA, could help interpret data from the Perseverance rover’s discovery of reduction spots in Jezero Crater, potential indicators of ancient microbial activity.
ExoMars Rover’s Mission: Drilling for Martian Origins
The European Space Agency’s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin
rover, manufactured in Stevenage by Airbus, is scheduled to launch in 2028 and arrive on Mars in 2030. Its primary goal is to bore two metres beneath the Martian surface at Oxia Planum, a site chosen for its clay-rich sediments formed during Mars’ wetter era. Scientists believe this depth could bypass the sterilizing effects of cosmic radiation, increasing the chance of detecting preserved biological material. Susanne Schwenzer, professor of planetary mineralogy at the Open University and an interdisciplinary scientist on the mission, stated, If life is the same there, it may be that we are all from the same ancestor.
Planetary Analogs and the Search for Panspermia
The Stoer formation’s geological similarities to Mars, including layered clay minerals and ancient water activity, make it a critical site for planetary analog research. This work, as noted in the NASA article, aims to refine techniques for interpreting Mars’ geological record and preparing for future rover investigations. Meanwhile, the ExoMars team has rehearsed navigation in Spain’s Tabernas desert near Almería, a Mars-like environment, to prepare for autonomous operations due to the 4–21 minute communication delay between Earth and Mars.
Scientific Implications and Unanswered Questions
Both missions hinge on the hypothesis of panspermia—the idea that life could have traveled between planets. Schwenzer stated, Is panspermia possible? Is it possible for life to travel from one planet for another? We don’t know but these are all questions we have to answer.
However, the ExoMars mission faced delays after the conflict in Ukraine prompted ESA to cut ties with Roscosmos, requiring NASA and the UK Space Agency to provide replacements. Despite these challenges, Benoît Pouffary, head of exploration, preparation, research and technology at ESA, stated, I do believe that life may have happened on Mars, it seems something that is credible.
The NASA expedition, meanwhile, highlights how Earth’s geological history can inform the search for extraterrestrial life, with findings expected to influence future Mars exploration strategies.
The ExoMars rover’s instruments, including a panoramic camera from University College London and an infrared spectrometer from Aberystwyth University, will identify drilling targets. If successful, the mission could redefine humanity’s understanding of life’s origins. As Schwenzer described the prospect as almost frightening to think about, because it changes everything,
adding: Today our view is of Earth as a little world alone but if we find evidence there was life in another time, and another area of our solar system, it suggests life is everywhere, absolutely. The way we imagine our universe would be changed forever.
The NASA team’s work in Scotland, meanwhile, underscores the interconnectedness of planetary science and the critical role of Earth-based analogs in shaping our exploration of other worlds.