LONDON: Nasa's Mars 2020 rover, which will look for signs of past life on the red planet, will use smart X-ray techniques originally developed to find the oldest life on Earth, according to a mission scientist. The Mars Exploration Program with a planned launch in 2020 builds on the success of prior rovers, to make coordinated measurements that could detect signs of ancient life or bio-signatures in their original spatial context. These techniques, known as spatially resolved bio- signature analysis derive from geochemical analysis of early life on Earth. Previous missions to Mars have used a relatively broad brush analysing average chemistry over roughly the size of a postage stamp to 'follow the water' and seek ancient habitable environments, said the mission's Deputy Project Scientist Ken Williford, from Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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