The perchlorate Martian mystery
By 
Rachel Brazil2023-11-20T13:59:00
Rachel Brazil looks at how the compounds might have formed on our neighbouring planet and whether they could be useful for future exploration
Nasa’s 1976 Viking mission sent two landers to the surface of Mars to look for signs of life. While they may not have found life, what they did find raised many questions – and may offer future explorers of the red planet a way to breathe more easily.
Nasa’s 2008 Phoenix mission to Mars unexpectedly detected perchlorate salts at the northern polar landing site. But how perchlorate salts formed on Mars and accumulated at such high levels is still a mystery.