The Newest Sign of Life on Mars
NASA is the same scientific community that has once again stirred up the water with the new discoveries of its Mars missions. This recent discovery is courtesy of the Curiosity rover which has been roaming Gale Crater since August 2012. The most recent evidence that Curiosity has come across points to the possibility of water being present on Mars in one of its most treasured states, that being as liquid brine under the Martian surface. The find has not only strengthened speculations regarding early life on Mars, but also made available avenues into future research.
An Overview of the Curiosity Rover
The Curiosity rover, which was launched in 2011, is a testament to all the great things that can be done with space technology. Its general mission is to study the geological history of Mars including evidence of previous water operation, which may represent a possibility of humanity. Curiosity is armed with the latest in imaging and analysis technology, exploring the Red Planet and relaying findings and images to data back to the scientists on Earth.
Important Tools Applied in the Research
- ChemCam: Lasers are used to vaporize rock and soil samples to give important data about their composition.
- Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM): It examines gases isolated by solid samples to ascertain their organic chemistry.
- Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS): Identifies which elements there are on the surface of rocks and dust.
Finding Evidence of Earth Liquid Water Under the Floor
Recent measurements carried out by Curiosity alludes to the presence of liquid brines beneath the surface of Mars. Brines are a mixture of salts with water, which reduces the freezing temperature, permitting water to be in a liquid state in very low temperatures that sometimes occur on Mars.
The Discovery How it was discovered
The discovery was made when Curiosity noticed atypical seasons in the water content of the soil. These trends conformed to the prior expectations regarding ways in which some of the salts may dissolve to a waters solution when conditions permit. These briny solutions might exist as thin layers of liquid beneath the surface when it is warmer and the ice melts slightly.
The Findings Implications of Liquid Water
This finding is a revelation. Scientists have debated over the decades whether there was ever evidence of liquid water on the surface of Mars, and, should it have been the case, how long it remained. Although past results revealed that the red planet contained flowing water several billion years ago, the idea that there is your liquid water in the present is one to get a thrill about because it implies that Mars could possibly sustain microbial life still to date.
The Implication This Has on Future Missions
The detection of possible liquid water on the surface of Mars is an important study in relation to future exploration programs:
- Possible Life Habitats: The presence of liquid water under the surface means that it can be a habitat to microbial life. This would prove to be a big leap in our pursuit to know the possibilities of extraterrestrial life.
- Human Exploration Resource: Water is an important resource in supporting human life and it could also be utilized in future manned missions to Mars. There ought to be knowledge of the availability of water in locations, which would make such efforts easier to plan and logistically.
- Scientific Research Opportunities: Now it is possible to conduct further studies to characterize the environment surrounding these brines and evaluate the possibilities of creating scientific bases around the potential sources of water.
FAQ
Why is the fact that liquid water was found of significance?
Known forms of life need liquid water. Its existence in Mars augments the probability of microbial life forms existence and creates new research directions.
Is this liquid water usable by humans on Mars?
Yes, liquid water would potentially be harvested and purified as drinkable water, to grow crops, and to provide oxygen among other purposes thus a liquid water source would be a useful commodity of future Mars settlements of humanity.
How does this affect the search of ancient Martian life?
Liquid water under Mars ground implies that environments in which microcopic life may have lived until today, and this observation is one additional variety of evidence that support that life occurred at least in the past or might occur on the red planet right now.
What will be the effect of this revelation on future Mars missions?
In the future, missions could be initiated to more detailed analysis and even the search of possible life in the areas of wealth of these underground waters.
This finding reaffirms the active status of Mars and leads on to keep humanity fascinated with the Red Planet. With every discovery and every bit more of knowledge we learn about Mars, we learn a little more about the world near us and how we fit into the picture of the universe.
