Mysterious gullies on Mars dug by sliding blocks of CO2 ice

Some dunes on Mars are covered with meandering gullies defying what we know for gully formation here on Earth. Planetary scientist Dr. Lonneke Roelofs from Utrecht University investigated how these gullies were formed. In a test setup, she observed that blocks of CO2 ice ‘dug’ these gullies in a unique way. Other researchers had previously …

Small chip, grand mission: searching for signs of extraterrestrial life

Is life possible – or has it ever been possible – on other planets? The (Origin of) Life Marker Chip (LMCOOL) seeks the answer. This innovative chip is being developed by a Dutch consortium led by Dr Niels Ligterink of TU Delft, with funding from the NSO Instruments Programme. A Dutch-built instrument capable of detecting …