Discovery by Nasa rover in Chilean desert may help find alien life

A Nasa robot being tested in the most Mars-like environment on Earth has found samples that could help humanity find alien life, scientists say. The rover pulled up soil samples from beneath the Earth that contained strange and highly specialised microbes that were spread out in patches. The unusual discoveries appear to have developed to deal with the very limited amounts of water and nutrients in the soil, as well as its chemistry. The discovery not only shows that the lander will successfully be able to search for any potential life on Mars or elsewhere, but also shows the first time these particular hardy microbes – which could be similar to any currently living on the red planet – have been discovered. The findings have been published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology and scientists say they will help the search for signs of life when future missions head to Mars.