01 April 2019
First independent confirmation of methane on Mars
... by Curiosity, which was around 6 to 7 ppb - so double this amount. Does this mean Mars is filled with methane-spewing microbes? Methane can also be formed via abiotic processes, therefore the presence of organic matter or microorganisms are not...
24 June 2019
Unusually high methane spike detected by Curiosity
...). So while it might conjure up the tantalising prospect of activity from living organisms, even if they are as tiny as bacteria, methane can also be attributed to more mundane non-biological processes, such as the interaction between water and rock...
07 July 2021
Methane detected on Enceladus could be a sign of life, study shows
... as sediments as well as in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. Could organisms of this type be behind the excess of methane found spouting out of Enceladus? "We wanted to know: Could Earthlike microbes that 'eat' the dihydrogen and produce...
20 December 2017
Methane-producing microorganisms suggest life in the Universe is common
...different carbon signatures from ones that produce and consume methane. "By 3.465 billion years ago, life was already... Earth; that's clear – primitive photosynthesisers, methane producers, methane users," said Schopf, the study's lead author...
29 July 2020
Puzzling new gas signatures found on Mars
... new gas signatures which could help in solving the methane mystery on Mars. Launched in 2016 with the landing... range where we expected to see the strongest signs of methane,” says Olsen. Discovering an unforeseen CO2 signature that has never...
18 December 2017
Prometheus to power future European launchers
... SpaceX for example uses kerosene-based engines to power the first stage of its Falcon 1 launch vehicle. Methane propellant is already widely available and its high efficiency, standardisation and operational simplicity makes it a perfect candidate...
