NASA's Curiosity rover finds largest organic molecules on Mars

Researchers examining pulverized rock samples aboard NASA's Curiosity rover have discovered the largest organic molecules ever found on Mars, according to a new study published on Monday.

The findings suggest that prebiotic chemistry may have advanced further on Mars than previously observed, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists probed a rock sample inside Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) mini-lab and found the molecules decane, undecane and dodecane. These compounds, which are made up of 10, 11 and 12 carbon atoms, respectively, are thought to be fragments of fatty acids preserved in the sample.

Fatty acids are key organic molecules on Earth that serve as chemical building blocks of life, according to NASA.

While Curiosity's previous discoveries included small, simple organic molecules, this new finding of larger compounds offers the first evidence that organic chemistry on Mars may have progressed toward the complexity necessary for the potential origin of life, NASA said.

Launched on November 26, 2011, Curiosity is the largest rover ever sent to Mars. It landed on Mars on August 5, 2012.

(Cover: NASA's Curiosity rover takes a selfie in the clay-rich Glen Etive crater on Mars, October 11, 2019. /VCG)