NASA’s recent announcement marks one of the most exciting moments in Martian exploration in years. Just this past week, NASA revealed that the Perseverance rover returned what scientists are now calling some of the clearest evidence yet of a potential biosignature—possible signs of past alien life—hidden inside a Martian rock core dubbed Sapphire Canyon. NASA says that while abiotic explanations for the discovery at this site are still on the table, peer-reviewed analysis suggests the data tilts the odds toward a biological origin. Perseverance, which has explored Jezero Crater since 2021, continues to expand humanity’s understanding of Mars by analyzing rocks, monitoring the local climate, and even testing spacesuit materials to prepare for future crews, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

In even more recent developments, NASA’s Mars mission ambitions are influencing its newest astronaut selection. Fortune reports that this September, NASA announced its latest class of astronaut candidates, each slated to earn over $150,000 and potentially train for both lunar and future Red Planet missions. This new class reflects a commitment to long-term Mars human exploration, with officials noting that today’s astronaut trainees could one day set foot on Martian soil as part of international or NASA-led efforts.

Meanwhile, Mars orbiters and rovers continue to deliver new scientific insights. NASA’s Curiosity rover, still operating a decade after landing, captured stunning close-ups of alien rock formations and unusual “boxwork” patterns on Mount Sharp. ScienceDaily highlights that these images further the quest to decode the Red Planet’s watery history and help guide where robots—and eventually humans—should search for signs of ancient habitability.

Rounding out this week’s Mars news, experts speaking at a NASA science conference clarified that because returning Perseverance’s rock samples to Earth is a complex, decades-long challenge, planners are hard at work to devise faster, more cost-effective methods than previously envisioned. There’s broad consensus that bringing Martian samples to Earth is critical for determining if these biosignatures truly mean ancient microbes once called Mars home.

As scientific excitement surges and the search for life on Mars becomes ever more plausible, humanity is also closer than ever to a new era of explorers ready to answer our oldest cosmic question: are we alone? Thanks for tuning in and be sure to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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