Mars as captured by the Viking orbiter 1 in 2003
The molecular assembly index could help scientists interpret ambiguous results such as those coming from Nasa's Viking lander, which searched for biosignatures on Mars in 1976. Without knowing Martian soil's properties, it was near impossible at the time to determine whether the elements and compounds came from abiotic sources or biological processes
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© NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS