Has an alien spaceship crash-landed on Mars? Mysterious debris spotted on the Red Planet could be from an extraterrestrial vehicle, study claims
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It has been described as one of the “most bizarre” objects ever discovered on the surface of Mars.
So could aliens be responsible for this ‘bony’ rock with peculiar pointed protrusions?
As far-fetched as it may seem, scientists say they can’t rule out that an emergency landing of an alien spacecraft on the Red Planet was responsible.
Researchers of a new study added that such a scenario “cannot be discounted with absolute certainty,” especially since “fragments, including what appear to be wheels, an axle and a cratered debris field, have been photographed at another Gale Crater site’.
However, they think the formations are most likely related to seismic activity on Mars.
Peculiar: Scientists say they can’t rule out the possibility that an alien spacecraft crash-landing on the Red Planet was responsible for creating these strange spikes in the rock above
Excitement: A NASA expert said the rock was the ‘most bizarre’ she’d ever seen in 20 years
The experts said the protrusions resemble what are known as “sand spikes” on Earth, which appear on our planet during earthquakes of magnitude seven and larger.
Professor Richard Armstrong, from Aston University, Birmingham, who is the first author of the paper, told MailOnline: ‘These structures are very unusual on Mars and unique in my experience.
“It’s not certain what causes the spikes and related structures, but the balance of evidence suggests some kind of “sand spike” that forms on Earth as a result of significant seismic activity.
“However, there are some differences between the Martian and Earth peaks, which some geologists have pointed out.”
For example, those on Mars don’t have the same convex ends as those on Earth.
They are also sometimes jagged, while terrestrial ‘sand peaks’ are not.
On the possibility that an alien spaceship is to blame, Professor Armstrong added: “It is unlikely that the spikes are space debris, but nothing can be ruled out.”
He said the so-called “wheels” would probably be a separate phenomenon.
Nevertheless, there has been feverish speculation about what the rock might be since the U.S. space agency’s Curiosity rover photographed it at the base of the 154km Gale crater in April.
At the time, NASA astrobiologist Dr. Nathalie Cabrol said it was “the most bizarre rock” she had ever seen in her 20 years of studying the Red Planet.
She hypothesized that Martian winds might be to blame, and that’s probably the hallmark the ‘remnants of ripples after much erosion’.
Fossilized fish bones, dinosaur remains, or pieces of an ancient Earth-made spacecraft have also previously been cited as possible causes for the spiky features.
Strange: NASA’s Curiosity rover captured the images of the rock, which have since been analyzed
Theories: There has been feverish speculation about what the rock might be since it was photographed in April at the base of the 96-mile-long (154 km) Gale Crater
Claim: Scientists believe the formations are most likely related to seismic activity on Mars
In all, at least 10 probes, including Britain’s Beagle 2 and the Mars Polar Lander, have crashed on Mars, while experts estimate there are now 15,694 pounds (7,119 kg) of human debris on the surface from discarded parachutes and main shields from successful missions.
Despite this, the researchers said the peculiar rock is unlikely to be caused by humans.
“Given that 10 or more craft may have crashed onto the surface, coupled with the jettison of equipment associated with the rovers’ landing, it is possible that the spikes and substrate are man-made and composed of debris that fell onto Gale Crater’s surface,” the authors wrote in their paper.
“Nevertheless, no debris field is visible and no evidence of any other debris that may have formed on Earth.
“Given the small size and the fact that there are no known human-made analogues and no logical explanation for the purpose of these spikes, it does not seem likely that these specimens are the remains of craft or equipment that fell into Gale Crater.”
“One can only speculate about extraterrestrial origins.”
Part of the reason for this is that similar rock formations have been found at the impact crater of the asteroid Nordlinger Reis in southern Germany.
Search: NASA’s Curiosity rover (pictured) has been roaming Gale Crater since August 2012
Curiosity is no stranger to photographing peculiar features of Mars that have left scientists scratching their heads.
Last June, the rover discovered some strange, writhing structures protruding from the Red Planet’s surface, now believed to be naturally occurring “hoodoos.”
Experts said the columns are likely made of cementitious substances that once filled ancient cracks in Martian bedrock.
But over time, the softer rock eroded away, leaving only the twisting towers of compact material protruding from the sand in the crater.
In February 2022, the rover captured an image of what appeared to be a coral-like “flower” in Gale crater, but was actually a microscopic mineral formation.
NASA scientists confirmed it was a “diagenetic crystal cluster,” smaller than a penny, that may have been formed by minerals precipitating out of water.
Studies of earlier versions have shown that the minerals, which sprout in different directions, were likely embedded in a rock that eroded away over time.
However, it seems that these minerals were resistant to erosion, so stay on the red planet’s dusty surface.
This past August marked Curiosity’s 10th anniversary on Mars. In February 2021, it was joined by NASA’s Perseverance rover.
The new study is published in the Journal of Astrobiology.
LAUNCHED IN 2011, THE NASA MARS CURIOSITY ROVER HAS IMPROVED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RED PLANET
The Mars rover Curiosity first launched on November 26, 2011 from Cape Canaveral, a United States Air Force station in Florida.
After traveling 560 million km (350 million miles), the £1.8 billion ($2.5 billion) research vehicle landed just 1.5 miles away from its designated landing site.
After a successful landing on August 5, 2012, the rover covered approximately 18 km.
It was launched on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft, and the rover made up 23 percent of the total mission’s mass.
With 80 kg (180 lb) of scientific instruments on board, the rover weighs a total of 899 kg (1,982 lb) and is powered by a plutonium fuel source.
The rover is 2.9 meters long, 2.7 meters wide and 2.2 meters high.
The Mars curiosity rover was initially conceived as a two-year mission to collect information to help answer whether the planet could support life, has liquid water, can study the climate and geology of Mars, and has been active for more than 3,700 sols since then.
The rover was initially envisioned as a two-year mission to collect information to help answer whether the planet could support life, have liquid water, study the climate and geology of Mars.
Due to its success, the mission has been extended indefinitely and is now over 3,700 sols active.
The rover carries several scientific instruments, including the mastcam, which consists of two cameras and can take high-resolution photos and videos in true color.
So far on the car-sized robot’s journey it has encountered an ancient streambed where liquid water used to flow, not long after also discovering that billions of years ago a nearby area known as Yellowknife Bay was part of a lake that could have supported microbial life.