Is there other life in the universe? Purdue scientist is ready to search for the answers

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Every rock on Mars is a time capsule for Briony Horgan, potentially holding information from billions of years ago that could help answer the questions about life in the universe today.

Horgan, an associate professor of planetary science at Purdue, soon will have an opportunity to delve into those questions by searching for evidence of past microbial life as part of the NASA Mars rover Perseverance mission. Horgan’s research and a presentation led NASA to select the rover landing site.

One of science’s missing pieces of the puzzle is understanding how common simple life forms such as microbes are in the universe. Finding evidence of microbial life, even from billions of years ago, opens the door to new research (Horgan speaks about the mission in Youtube video).

“This is exciting because it is the first time we are really searing for ancient life in our solar system or beyond,” Horgan said. “This is a chance to understand how rare or how common life like us is in the universe.”

Briony Horgan, associate professor of planetary science, stands in front of the VOSS Model on Purdue’s campus. Horgan is working to determine whether we are alone in the universe or if life once existed on other planets such as Mars. (Purdue University/John Underwood)

The NASA rover Perseverance is expected to touch down on Mars in February. It is about a quarter of the way through its flight after launching on July 31.

To help the mission’s odds of finding evidence of life, the Mars rover will land in Jezero Crater, just north of the planet’s equator. Horgan was part of the science team that studied whether the site, which used to be a lake and large river delta, would be a good target for Perseverance.

“It has everything we want in a landing site, not just ancient lake and mineral deposits, but it allows us also to get out of the crater and get out on the surrounding terrain to get at even older rocks that could tell us about the earliest parts of Mars history,” Horgan said. “We’re excited to see everything in and around the crater.”

Almost 30 years of Mars research has led to this mission, and Horgan is excited about the location’s possibilities. She has played a key role in the mission, including an important finding from mineralogy research she led on the location that contributed to Jezero Crater’s selection and helping design the camera that will be the scientific eyes for Perseverance.

At this point, Earth is the only data source to help determine how and where life forms and evolves. But Horgan said erosion and plate tectonics have destroyed much of the evidence.

“But on Mars those rocks are just sitting on the surface waiting for us,” she said. “If we show signs of ancient life on Mars, that is going to open up a whole new field of science trying to understand the origins of not just life on Mars but also on our own planet.”

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 5 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://purdue.edu/.

Writer, Media contact: Brian Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu

Source: Briony Horgan, briony@purdue.edu, @ironywithab

Journalists visiting campus: Journalists should follow Protect Purdue protocols and the following guidelines:

• Campus is open, but the number of people in spaces may be limited. We will be as accommodating as possible, but you may be asked to step out or report from another location.
• To enable access, particularly to campus buildings, we recommend you contact the Purdue News Service media contact listed on the release to let them know the nature of the visit and where you will be visiting. A News Service representative can facilitate safe access and may escort you on campus.
• Correctly wear face masks inside any campus building, and correctly wear face masks outdoors when social distancing of at least six feet is not possible.