Life on Mars May Have Originated After a Cosmic Bombardment

Specialists from the Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences have presented a model according to which ancient life on Mars could have emerged after intense bombardment by icy bodies. Modeling the development of the early Solar System has shown that the planet received record volumes of water from beyond the orbit of Jupiter and the outer asteroid belt, leading to the formation of vast water reservoirs.

Scientists estimate that approximately 3 billion years ago, the surface of the Red Planet may have been covered by a stable ocean, and conditions during this period were optimal for the emergence of simple organisms. The level of possible Martian life could have been comparable to that of terrestrial single-celled life of the same time. The modeling also narrows the time and geographic scope of the search for traces of ancient microbial life, increasing the chances of detecting them in rocks of the appropriate age.

Actually, recent scientific theories suggest that 

cosmic bombardment may have been the very thing that made Mars habitable. 

While it sounds counterintuitive, here is how a rain of asteroids could have kickstarted the potential for life:

• Impact-Induced Hydrothermal Systems: Giant meteorite impacts between 4.2 and 3.5 billion years ago likely melted subsurface ice and released early waters from the planet’s interior. These events created hydrothermal springs—similar to those in Yellowstone—which act as “microbial oases” rich in nutrients and energy for early life.
• Atmospheric Warming: The energy from these massive impacts (some from objects as large as the state of West Virginia) could have temporarily heated the Martian atmosphere, thickening it enough to allow liquid water to flow across the surface during a time when Mars was otherwise cold and icy.
• Delivery of Ingredients: Studies from the University of Copenhagen suggest that icy asteroids may have delivered the vast amounts of water and organic molecules(like amino acids) necessary for a global ocean and the building blocks of life.
• Timeline Shift: New analysis of Martian meteorites, such as the Black Beautyspecimen, suggests that the “Late Heavy Bombardment” ended on Mars nearly 4.48 billion years ago—about 500 million years earlier than on Earth—giving Mars a significant head start in developing habitable conditions. 

Latest Evidence
In late 2025 and early 2026, the NASA Perseverance Rover identified “potential biosignatures” in the Jezero Crater, specifically in a rock core nicknamed “Sapphire Canyon.” The sample contains mineral patterns and organic carbon consistent with low-temperature chemical reactions often driven by microbes on Earth. 

Please like subscribe comment your precious comment on universe discoveries

Full article source google