Dr. Cabrol of NASA determined to find subsurface life on Mars

Mars Rover Curiosity Artist Rendition NASA

Nathalie Cabrol believes that studying Mars is not a waste of time and money. According to new research data from NASA’s Curiosity rover indicates that there may be liquid water on the surface of Mars.

Nathalie Cabrol is a senior research scientist at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence institute in Mountain View, California and is a member of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover team. Determined to prove that our Earth isn’t the only planet supporting life in our solar system, the chief scientist of NASA believes that signs of alien life could be found sooner than 2025.

Dr. Cabrol believes that Mars once had the right conditions necessary to support life nearly billions of years ago. She also believes that it could be uninhabitable by humans again someday. To extend her beliefs a bit further, there are good chances that microbial life still exists in Mars. According to her, it is hard to “stop the process” of life if it has once begun. Extending her views, if life was already present in Mars a long time ago, she is still “pretty sure it is still there”.

NASA’s Curiosity rover found liquid water on Mars. However, the water isn’t pure and is in fact, very salty. The water is believed to be stored just below the surface. Present conditions on the red planet aren’t exciting enough for scientists to believe that life is still present out there. The red planet is extremely cold and its atmosphere is very thin (165 times thinner than Earth’s).

This is why Dr. Cabrol is looking for life in the subsurface. NASA is currently designing a mission for the 2020 Mars mission, which will perform tests to find the possible traces of ancient life.

Dr Cabrol believes that even though there’s a good chance that humans might someday live on Mars, initially, all of them would have to wear space suits or stay sheltered. Mars could also be someday “terraformed” by humans. Terraform means to transform the current environment into one where human beings could place their habitat. That being said, Dr Cabrol believes that Mars “will never be Earth v.2”.

About the author

Nitika

Nitika Munshi

Nitika is an MCA graduate and works as an all-around news writer at PC-Tablet. In free time, she works on Photoshop and plays GTA V on her Xbox. A tech-enthusiast at heart, she explores ways that businesses can leverage the Internet and move their businesses to the next level.

Web Stories

5 Best Projectors in 2024: Top Long Throw and Laser Projectors for Every Budget 5 Best Laptop of 2024 5 Best Gaming Phones in Sept 2024: Motorola Edge Plus, iPhone 15 Pro Max & More! 6 Best Football Games of all time: from Pro Evolution Soccer to Football Manager 5 Best Lightweight Laptops for High School and College Students 5 Best Bluetooth Speaker in 2024 6 Best Android Phones Under $100 in 2024 6 Best Wireless Earbuds for 2024: Find Your Perfect Pair for Crystal-Clear Audio Best Macbook Air Deals on 13 & 15-inch Models Start from $149