ExoMars Mission Sets Out To Find Life On Mars

ExoMars mission sets off to find life on Red Planet. Russia and the EU launch new spacecraft to seek evidence of methane - and presence of life - on Mars.

Scientists have spent five decades sending spacecraft to Mars in search of life. The missions to the Red Planet have successfully discovered the presence of methane on the planet.

Now, Russia and the European Union have launched a new mission to see if methane's presence could show there is life on Mars.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter was sent to the planet, launched from Kazakhstan on Monday, will use highly sensitive instruments to explore Mars' atmosphere, seeking the presence of methane in particular.

"Methane is a hot topic so trying to understand the origin of the methane as well as when, where and how it is produced on Mars is very important," Jorge Vagio, an ESA project scientist said.

I know you must be asking,  'How will Methane prove that life exists in Mars?'

Here's why, Methane is The simplest aliphatic hydrocarbon, CH₄, being a constituent of natural gas. Most Living organisms emits Methane in trace quantity, while others do in large quantities. So if life does exist in Mars, traces of Methane found will tell us.