“This finding by Perseverance, launched under President Trump in his first term, is the closest we have ever come to discovering life on Mars. The identification of a potential biosignature on the Red Planet is a groundbreaking discovery, and one that will advance our understanding of Mars. NASA’s commitment to conducting Gold Standard Science will continue as we pursue our goal of putting American boots on Mars’ rocky soil.” Source: Sean P. Duffy, acting NASA Administrator, commenting on September 10 that its Perseverance Mars rover had collected a rock sample from an ancient dry riverbed in Jezero Crater that may contain preserved evidence of ancient microbial life on the planet.
