Breakthrough discovery on Mars. NASA reveals new photos
NASA has revealed an exciting breakthrough in their exploration of Mars. High-definition surface images of the Red Planet now show where the most abundant ice is—information crucial to potentially launching a manned mission in the 2030s. The task for engineers now is to pinpoint an ideal landing spot for this future mission.
9:09 AM EDT, October 30, 2023
NASA experts displayed a map illustrating Martian ice distribution, a sight that is not only impressive, but also potentially pivotal for manned expeditions to Mars. The presence of water, in the form of ice, and beneath the planet's surface, will be key to ensuring the success of this planned expedition.
The success of finding ice on Mars was largely due to the Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) program, initiated in 2017. The aim was straightforward: to capture as many precise photos of the Martian surface as possible. Why? To inform and guide future decisions about landing a manned mission there.
NASA and its partners have been making steady progress in the quest to conquer Mars.
The program for manned missions to the Red Planet was established at the dawn of the 21st century. Preparations to put humans on Mars has been ongoing for two decades. The discovery of ice, from which astronauts could extract life-sustaining water, could be a critical breakthrough in these endeavors.
NASA anticipates launching a manned mission to Mars within the 2030s. The agency has already unveiled its vision of a spacecraft and a two-person habitat designed for a month-long stay on Mars. In addition to the two Mars-bound astronauts, another pair would remain in orbit as overseers.
The Mars lander, intended to serve as a habitable base on Mars, is designed to be as light and compact as possible to ensure operational feasibility in the alien environment. In a place like Mars, every kilogram equates to critical resources for preserving human life.
This brings to light the significance of discovering water resources. Such availability of resources could potentially extend astronauts’ time on Mars up to 30 days, according to NASA's estimates.
Based on these findings, NASA strategists are now poised to identify an apt landing site for the first astronaut team. The project, undertaken by the Institute of Planetary Sciences and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has gathered extremely high-resolution photos that have even exposed small impact craters unveiling ice deposits.
