Was there life on Mars? New podcast explores instruments aboard Mars rover

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., July 29, 2020—Could Jezero Crater hold the keys to unlocking an ancient and hidden past when life might have existed on the Martian surface? As NASA’s Perseverance rover takes off for its mission to Mars—scheduled to launch tomorrow—scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory take you on board the spacecraft to learn more about some of its incredible exploratory technology in Mars Technica, a new limited- series podcast.

“This podcast gives the inside scoop from the Los Alamos Planetary Exploration Team on the eve of the historic Perseverance trip to Mars,” says Roger Wiens, lead scientist for SuperCam—one of the advanced instruments aboard the rover—at Los Alamos National Laboratory. “We’ve learned so much about Mars, but we still can’t answer one big question: has life ever existed there? The technology onboard Perseverance was designed to help us find the answer.”

Mars Technica launches its seven-episode series with “Was there life on Mars?” Interviews with Wiens and Los Alamos scientist Nina Lanza delve into what we know about Mars—and what we hope to find out. 

Upcoming episodes explore topics including signatures of life, what secrets rock varnish might hold, and the unique battery that powers Perseverance.  

You can stream episodes via the Mars Technica website at https://mars-technica.simplecast.com. You will also be able to find and subscribe to Mars Technica on Apple Podcasts, with more platforms to come.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is managed by Triad, a public service oriented, national security science organization equally owned by its three founding members: Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. 

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

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