Curiosity Rover found on Mars simple organic matter, but scientists will need further research in order to eliminate the possibility that they were brought to the planet along with the spacecraft.

About the first message about the Martian organics and his refutation we already wrote. Now, the word takes NASA.

"Aboard the Rover is very sensitive instruments, we have found simple organic matter, but we need to find out if they have not arrived from the Land... We all need a lot of patience. We do not know now with certainty that these carbon compounds of local origin", - told reporters the scientific project Manager John Grotzinger (John Grotzinger) at a press conference in San Francisco, devoted to the first results of the work of the chemical laboratory SAM aboard the Rover.

The device SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars), which consists of a laser spectrometer mass spectrometer and gas chromatograph, became the first well-equipped chemical laboratory on Mars. Previously the Rover dipped with his arm a few soil samples from a small sandy sediment in a place that NASA scientists dubbed "rock nest" (Rocknest).

Then these samples were sent to the "womb" of the Rover on the survey instrument SAM.

According to Grotzinger, were found simple organic substances - perchlorates chlorine compounds, hydrogen, carbon. They could, in particular, to get to Mars with meteorites that contain carbon compounds, such as carbonaceous chondrites.

If it is proved that organics has native Martian origin, you will need to find out whether they have biological or abiogenic origin.

"We do not have conclusive evidence that discovered the planet organics has Martian origin. To make this claim, you must be absolutely sure that the compounds of carbon and chlorine - not part of the terrestrial organic matter, traces of which can be found in the Solar system," said in his turn, Paul Mahaffy (Paul Mahaffy), head of group of scientists working with the device SAM.

In addition, according to the scientist, the carbon found in the connection may be an inorganic nature - for example, the source could be carbon dioxide subjected to a series of chemical reactions.

"We hope that we will be able to detect and other samples of organics on Mars. However, we must note that the strict conditions on the surface of the red planet for millions of years could easily destroy any organic substance. So we'll during a mission to seek the surface, where the remains of ancient landscapes for any reason remains," he added Mahaffy.

In turn, Ralf Gellert (Ralf Gellert) scientific leader with another device - x-ray spectrometer (APXS is installed on the arm of marchada told about the results of the analysis of the chemical composition of Martian sand.


© NASA. Caltech/MSSS Martian sand under a microscope, the image of the device MAHLI, installed on the Rover's robotic arm Curiosity

According to him, the samples in the Gale crater, where it landed Curiosity, are very similar in structure to those samples that previously examined in other parts of the Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.

Curiosity Rover landed on Mars on August 6. On Board Curiosity has established ten scientific instruments total mass of 75 kg, which will enable the Rover to carry out detailed geological and geochemical studies, study the atmosphere and climate of the planet, to look for water and traces of organic substances and to determine whether there was once Mars suitable for life, and there the places suitable to live for now.