A NASA rover carrying a tiny piece of the Pilbara is set to touch down on Mars overnight as Australia plays a key role in one of the most ambitious projects ever attempted in the search for life.
The three-and-a-half billion year old West Australian rock is nearing the end of a 470 million kilometre journey to the red planet, and upon its arrival, will be used to calibrate equipment looking for evidence of ancient life.
The tiny rock sample collected six years ago near Marble Bar will be used as part of a NASA project searching for life on Mars.
The rock was collected six years ago near Marble Bar, a region similar to the Martian landscape of the Jezero Crater, which researchers believe was once flooded with water.
Australian geologist Abigail Allwood invented the high-tech x-ray tool which will scan rocks on the planet from the rover.
