NASA scientists are hinting they've made a groundbreaking discovery about Mars but won't yet say if they found life on the red planet.
The Curiosity rover team is waiting for data from SAM, one of the rover's instruments, to reach Earth. SAM takes soil and air samples on Mars.
"The data is going to be one for the history books. It's looking really good," John Grotzinger, the principal investigator for the rover mission, told NPR.
"We're getting data from SAM as we sit here and speak, and the data looks really interesting," Grotzinger said. "The science team is busily chewing away on it as it comes down."
Aside from hailing the data as earth-shattering, NASA is staying mum about what's been revealed. Grotzinger said it would be several weeks before his crew is ready to talk about the findings.
If SAM turns up methane on Mars, it's proof life at one point existed on the planet.
Scientists are likely cautious about presenting the data too early because previous samples from SAM showed signs of methane, but turned out to be samples accidentally brought along from Florida.
A spokesman for the Curiosity crew didn't return the Daily News' request for comment.
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