The Perseverance rover arrived at the Jezero crater on the planet Mars on 18 February. Its main mission is to search for fossil remains of possible Martian microbial life. Next Wednesday 10 March at 5pm, Carlos Briones, from the Centre for Astrobiology (CAB, CSIC-INTA), will explain the characteristics of the mission, the technological and scientific challenges involved and will help us to reflect on the cultural impact that finding life outside the Earth can have.

The impressive images of the arrival of NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars are the prelude to one of the most fascinating adventures ever undertaken on the red planet. The Perseverance mission is arguably eminently astrobiological. Described by some as the most sophisticated geochemical robot in history, it will analyse samples of the Martian subsurface in search of fossil remains of hypothetical Martian life from the past, billions of years ago. In its infancy, Mars was similar to early Earth and could have hosted the same kind of abiotic chemistry processes that led to the emergence of terrestrial life. The information gathered by Perseverance about the planet's present-day geology and climate will also be essential in the design of future manned missions. In addition, a portion of the samples collected will be saved so that they can later be brought back to Earth by joint NASA-ESA missions. The discovery of microbial life on Mars would be one of the greatest scientific discoveries in human history.

Carlos Briones is a CSIC researcher at CAB (a joint CSIC-INTA centre associated with NASA) interested in the origin of life, the evolution of viruses and the development of biosensors to search for traces of life on Earth and other planets. Briones is intensely active in disseminating science through social networks, lectures, collaborations with the media and the publication of books. The most recent is "¿Estamos solos? En busca de otras vidas en el Cosmos" (Ed. Crítica, 2020) where he explores the past, present and future of the search for life in the universe and the cultural inspirations of this obsession reflected in literature, film and art. Also, the author of fiction and poetry, Carlos Briones' work is a remarkable example of the integration of science, the humanities and the arts.

The event can be followed online on Wednesday 10 March from 5 p.m.