Mars rover shows planet could have supported life LOS ANGELES
(AP) -- NASA scientists say tests on a Mars rock show the planet
could have supported primitive life. The analysis was done by
the rover Curiosity, which drilled into the rock, crushed it and
tested a tiny sample. The rover was the first spacecraft sent to
Mars that could collect a sample from deep inside a rock. At a
briefing at NASA's Washington headquarters on Tuesday, NASA
scientist said the rock contains clay minerals that formed in a
watery environment -- an environment that may be favorable for
microscopic organisms. Curiosity had already found a hint of the
site's watery past -- an ancient streambed that the six-wheel
rover crossed to get to the flat bedrock. The rover made a
dramatic landing near the Mars equator last August for a two-
year mission.