One goal of this work is to help us better understand and recognize carbon-based microbial biosignatures for life on Mars. When we walk on Mars, it'll be hard to spot a icroscopic-sized fossil. But if we see stromatolities or microbialites, we can send a rover there, and it may turn out to be a marker for Mars life. Pavilion Lake is located in a box canyon, similar to some of the canyon features on Mars, according to McKay. Scientists say future research at the site will include a winter dive under the ice and studying the formations for a full year, under seasonal conditions.
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.
Ames Research Center is NASA's Center of Excellence for astrobiology and manages the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The robot serpent, able to independently dig in loose extraterrestrial soil, smart enough to slither into cracks in a planet's surface and capable of planning routes over or around obstacles, could be ready for spacetravel in five years, NASA engineers predict. It is a direct model of a 'polybot' developed by Mark Yim ofXerox Palo Alto Research Center, Palo Alto, CA, with whom we are cooperating. All of the identical hinge-like modules are easy to make, and we attached the snake segments together in achain. Our first test robot does what we tell it to do, no matter what the results are.