As a result of NASA's Curiosity Rover's long-term record of collecting data on Mars, scientists have been able to determine for the first time how much organic carbon is present in Martian rocks.

A press release issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Tuesday detailed recent research that used data collected by the rover. In organic molecules.

Several measurements help us estimate how much organic carbon is available as feedstock for prebiotic chemistry and potentially biology, according to Jennifer Stern of Goddard Space Flight Centre.

The study found that the surface of Mars contains at least 200 to 273 parts per million of organic carbon, according to the study.

Putting these findings into perspective, Stern said, 'This is equivalent to or even more than amounts found in rocks from arid locations on Earth, such as parts of the Atacama Desert in South America.

Having said that, it is important to keep in mind that it is not sufficient to prove the existence of life on Mars based on the presence of organic carbon. In an article published by NASA, it is mentioned that organic carbon can come from non-living sources.

According to NASA, Mars' surface has become inhospitable to life now, but evidence suggests that billions of years ago the planet's climate was more like Earth's.

Science has speculated that Mars had an atmosphere that was thicker and had liquid water that flowed into rivers and seas based on the data collected by Curiosity.

The presence of organic carbon in sufficient quantities, if present, could have sustained Martian life if it ever evolved because liquid water is necessary for life as we understand it.

The presence of organic carbon on Mars is not only not new, but NASA says prior measurements only revealed details of particular compounds or reflected only a part of the carbon in the rocks.