Traces of clay found in Martian rock tested by Curosity rover
Melbourne, March 13 : NASA's Curosity rover, which is testing Mars rock, has found traces of clay - that points to a watery past.
At a briefing at NASA's Washington headquarters, NASA scientists have revealed that the rock contains clay minerals that formed in a watery environment - an environment that may be favourable for microscopic organisms, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Curiosity that made a dramatic landing near the Mars equator last August for a two-year mission had already found a hint of the planet's watery past - an ancient streambed that the six-wheel rover crossed to get to the flat bedrock.
It is the first spacecraft sent to Mars that could collect a sample from deep inside a rock.