ever supported life, including investigation of the role of water and planetary habitability. Astrobiology research on Mars will continue with the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in 2016, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover in 2021, and the later Rosalind Franklin rover. In 2008, the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer was operated at Mars, which could chemically analyze 8 samples. The Urey instrument was a funded study for a sensitive organic compound detector, considered for the early ExoMars program of the 2000s, but was never sent to Mars. Proposed missions The Biological Oxidant and Life Detection (BOLD) is a proposed Mars mission that would follow up the Viking soil tests by using several small impact landers. Another proposal is the Phoenix lander-based Icebreaker Life. See also Astrobiology Biological Oxidant and Life Detection mission Biosignature ExoMars Exploration of Mars Life on Mars Viking program Viking 1 Viking 2 Europa Lander (NASA) (The next NASA mission with primary science life detection) References Further reading External links Astrobiology space missions Viking program Extraterrestrial life