Q&A: Searching for Life on Mars with Anushree Srivastava

What if Mars once hosted life? That’s the big question Anushree Srivastava is helping to answer. As an astrobiologist, she studies some of the most extreme environments on Earth—like Arctic impact craters and deep underground mines—to understand how microbial life interacts with crystalline salts, just like it might have on ancient Mars.

Now, as a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Science’s Earth and Planets Laboratory, Srivastava is turning her attention to the Red Planet itself. She’s part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, analyzing data from the SHERLOC instrument aboard the Perseverance rover. Working alongside Dr. Andrew Steele, she’s hunting for chemical clues that could reveal whether Mars was once a habitable world. If there’s a story hidden in Martian rocks, Srivastava is determined to help uncover it—one spectral signature at a time.

We caught up with Anushree to learn more about her work, what excites her most about Mars exploration, and her advice for future scientists.

What’s something cool you’re working on that more people should know about?

I am working on NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission, which landed on Mars in February 2021. The coolest thing about my job is that I get to work with data sent directly by the rover! This data comes from the Raman spectroscopy capability onboard the rover, which is (lovingly) called SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals).

The most exciting part of my job as a mission scientist is supporting mission operations and having firsthand access to the detection of minerals or organic compounds on the surface of Mars. These findings could indicate the planet’s watery past, water-rock reactions, and whether that environment was potentially habitable.

This is an exciting time for humanity, as we continue to push our boundaries—not only reaching for the stars but also conducting science that seeks to answer one of the most fundamental questions: Are we alone?

 

Can you tell us about a collaboration that changed your perspective?

Absolutely. I’d like to highlight two major collaborations that completely changed my perspective on why I want to pursue mission science as a career.

First, in 2018, I joined the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity mission as a research scholar at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. That was my first experience working with an incredible team of scientists on a Mars mission, analyzing data firsthand, and contributing to research that was later published in Nature Astronomy. This project was creatively liberating—I couldn’t wait to wake up every morning, head to the lab, and help solve complex problems in Mars science and exploration.

That experience paved the way for my second, and most important, collaboration: my current work at Carnegie Science’s Earth and Planets Laboratory with Dr. Andrew Steele on the Mars 2020 mission. For this mission, we’re analyzing data from a Martian crater that contains a well-defined fan delta, carved by an ancient river. This is one of the most promising locations to search for ancient signs of life on Mars—or, at the very least, to study key geological processes. So, stay tuned!

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in science?

To have a truly fulfilling experience in science—or in any career—it’s essential to set a clear intention and stay true to it. Instead of focusing solely on success, reflect on how you can contribute, make a difference, and help advance knowledge. When you begin with a well-defined purpose, everything else tends to fall into place.

Coming from India, I didn’t have a clear pathway to achieving my goals in space and planetary exploration. However, I always knew I wanted to contribute to a larger mission and vision. Be invested in your work, and don’t hesitate to reach out to people in your field to explore career opportunities. It worked for me!