Scientists suggest the salt deposits could house ancient bacteria from an era when Mars may have had an environment conducive to life. In 2028, the ESA and NASA will launch the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover to drill deep below the Martian surface to search for remnants of microbial life .

Sometimes, salt deposits on Mars seem to smile back at you,” the ESA said. It’s no secret that researchers have long tried to find signs of life on the Red Planet and beyond. New evidence, including these images of Mars’ “aqueous past,

In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers recently identified a smiley-face-shaped structure on Mars that may offer new clues about the Red Planet's ancient climate and the potential for life. Captured by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter,