Traditionally, habitability has been linked to the stable presence of liquid water, which has led to the current surface of Mars being considered too dry to support active life. However, a recent international study in which the Centro de Astrobiología participates shows that microorganisms that inhabit rocks in terrestrial deserts, such as the Mojave Desert, can reproduce even in the absence of liquid water, with water activity values down to 0.34 – well below previously known growth limits.

By comparing these results with environmental measurements of the Martian surface made by the meteorological stations of the Centro de Astrobiología, REMS and MEDA, the study suggests that the Martian regolith could capture water vapor from the atmosphere, generating microenvironments capable of sustaining the replication of microorganisms.