Several important research results have come out of the MDRS experiments. Crewmembers were able to detect methane in dry desert soils, developing techniques which could detect methane – an important biosignature – in the soil of Mars. Soil and vapor samples from the MDRS habitat were also found to contain significant amounts of methanogens, which were not previously suspected to thrive in a desert environment. This research supported the possibility of microbial life on Mars and demonstrated that crew members could detect such signs of life during an EVA.
