NASA's Curiosity rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars, detecting nitrogen-bearing molecules and benzothiophene, which are considered essential for life. This marks the first time benzothiophene has been identified on the Martian surface. The presence of these chemicals suggests that Mars may have been capable of supporting life billions of years ago. Professor Amy Williams from the University of Florida highlighted that these findings indicate ancient organic matter has been preserved on Mars for 3.5 billion years, which is crucial for assessing the planet's habitability. The discovery of benzothiophene also implies that Mars experienced bombardment by meteorites similar to those that contributed to life on Earth. While this discovery is a significant step forward, scientists emphasize the need for further analysis of Martian rocks to determine the exact origins of these molecules. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications.