Overview
- A Science Advances paper published June 24, 2026 reports SHERLOC measurements that detected macromolecular organic carbon on and within mudstones in the Bright Angel formation of Jezero Crater.
- High‑resolution data from the same outcrops show ‘leopard spot’ textures carrying vivianite and greigite, two iron minerals that mark redox reaction fronts capable of supplying energy for microbes.
- The rover also collected the Sapphire Canyon core from Cheyava Falls in July 2024, and that cached sample now figures centrally in calls to return material to Earth for definitive laboratory analyses.
- Mission scientists stress that plausible abiotic pathways—such as meteoritic delivery, hydrothermal chemistry, or sedimentary reactions—have not been excluded by rover instruments.
- If returned and studied on Earth, the samples could settle whether the signals are biological and they would shape future Mars Sample Return priorities and funding decisions as the program faces schedule and budget pressure.