The search for life on Mars - recent results and challenges
Institutskolloquium
- Datum: 21.11.2025
- Uhrzeit: 10:30 - 12:00
- Vortragende: Dr. Sandra Siljestrom
- Dr. Siljestrom a Research Scientist at the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden in Stockholm, specializing in the intersection of geochemistry, astrobiology, and space technology. Her primary focus is contributing to international space exploration efforts, where she serves in both scientific and technical roles. Key Missions & Experience: NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover: she is currently a Participating Scientist on the NASA Mars 2020 team, specifically working on the Returned Sample Science program. Her critical task is to help select the rock and soil samples that the rover is collecting for eventual return to Earth. ESA Rosetta Mission: Dr Siljestrom served as a Co-Investigator (Co-I) for the COSIMA instrument during the successful ESA Rosetta Mission. ESA ExoMars Rover (2028): currently a Co-Investigator for the MOMA instrument (Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer), an exciting future mission focused on the search for signs of life on Mars. Background: Her academic path includes an M.Sc. in Engineering Biology (Linköping University, 2006) and a Ph.D. in Geochemistry (Stockholm University, 2011), followed by post-doctoral work at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Since 2011, Dr. Siljestrom has maintained her research position at RISE.
- Ort: IPP
- Raum: Günter-Grieger Lecture Hall (Greifswald) and Zoom
- Gastgeber: Dmitry Moseev
- Kontakt: dmitry.moseev@ipp.mpg.de
Mars today is a cold and dry desert seemingly devoid of life. However, in the past, about 4 billion years ago, the red planet was a much different place with thicker atmosphere, flowing water on its surface and thus with much better potential to harbour life. The first mission to Mars to search for life, the Viking mission, in 1975, found neither traces of extant or extinct life nor organic molecules on the surface of Mars, which was both disappointing and to some extent surprising. However, lately the exploration of Mars by NASA Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have shown promising results, including the identification of at least two past habitable environments on Mars in Gale and Jezero craters, and the find of the building blocks of life such as organic molecules. In this lecture I will present some of the latest results and challenges in the search for life on Mars. This includes the find of a potential biosignatures in Jezero crater by the Perseverance rover as recently announced by NASA. I will also discuss future plans for exploration of Mars including the ESA Rosalind Franklin rover, Mars sample return, and potential human exploration.
Mars today is a cold and dry desert seemingly devoid of life. However,
in the past, about 4 billion years ago, the red planet was a much
different place with thicker atmosphere, flowing water on its surface
and thus with much better potential to harbour life. The first mission
to Mars to search for life, the Viking mission, in 1975, found neither
traces of extant or extinct life nor organic molecules on the surface of
Mars, which was both disappointing and to some extent surprising.
However, lately the exploration of Mars by NASA Curiosity and
Perseverance rovers have shown promising results, including the
identification of at least two past habitable environments on Mars in
Gale and Jezero craters, and the find of the building blocks of life
such as organic molecules. In this lecture I will present some of the
latest results and challenges in the search for life on Mars. This
includes the find of a potential biosignatures in Jezero crater by the
Perseverance rover as recently announced by NASA. I will also discuss
future plans for exploration of Mars including the ESA Rosalind Franklin
rover, Mars sample return, and potential human exploration.