NASA rover finds evidence Mars could have supported life

LOS ANGELES – Ancient Mars could have supported life, according to an analysis released Tuesday by NASA.

Gathering at NASA headquarters Tuesday, scientists described the minerals and chemicals present in a grey pinch of ground-up rock.

“Scientists identified sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon — some of the key chemical ingredients for life,” said a release from NASA.

The rock results come seven months after Curiosity made a dramatic landing in an ancient crater near the equator.

Scientists are thrilled with the achievement – a first on Mars. It involved boring a hole, scooping the powder and running it through Curiosity’s instruments.

“The range of chemical ingredients we have identified in the sample is impressive, and it suggests pairings such as sulfates and sulfides that indicate a possible chemical energy source for micro-organisms,” said Paul Mahaffy, principal investigator of the SAM suite of instruments at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. in a release.

“A fundamental question for this mission is whether Mars could have supported a habitable environment,” said lead scientist Michael Meyer in a release. “From what we know now, the answer is yes.”

With files from The Associated Press