With the rover landing on Mars in February, the red planet could soon reveal its secrets. “We hope to find traces of life,” rejoices planetary scientist Arya Audrey, member of the science team for the March 2020 mission.
The French-Swiss origin of Valizan works on Martian meteorites. “I am focusing on the volcanic minerals that we will be able to find in the Jezero Crater, where the persistence has landed. The goal is to understand the evolution of the inner part of Mars,” she explained Tuesday at La Mattinali.
The geologist has been fascinated by the red planet for many years. “It’s just like Earth. It has huge volcanoes, a valley the length of the United States, weather and poles. It might have been home to life three or four billion years ago.” Years. Sure, there’s no life today, but we really don’t have any evidence, ” notes Arya-Audrey.
The rocks were brought back in 2031
So the primary goal of the March 2020 mission is to find signs of life. “We are looking for biomarkers, chemical effects,” notes a volcanic rocks specialist.
If bits of Mars are already on Earth – the meteorites were ejected many years ago – then the Perseverance craft will determine the exact origin of these rocks.
“We will also have a variety of rock types, which will help us understand the geological evolution of the planet. The stones will be returned to Earth in 2031,” says Arya Audrey, who is waiting anxiously for this moment.
Interviewed by David Berger
Web Text: Clouds Martinez