Mars: Water vapors rising from the red planet suggest it ‘may have been habitable’

With the UAE and China successfully reaching Mars orbit, the Red Planet has already made headlines this week.

Now, a new study has put Mars back in the spotlight, with the discovery of water vapors rising from the planet.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Russia’s Roscosmos, made the discovery by measuring light as vapor passes through the atmosphere.

The findings offer insight into the Martian water cycle and could provide scientists with new clues as to whether Mars was once the home of life.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Russia’s Roscosmos, made the discovery by measuring light as vapor passes through the atmosphere.

Scientists, including two from the Open University, used an instrument aboard the orbiter called “Nadir and Occultation for the Discovery of Mars” (NOMAD) to study water vapor and “semi-heavy water”. “.

As hydrochloric gas rises, it gives researchers an indication of the history of water on Mars.

The Red Planet features several ancient dry valleys and river channels that have long indicated the possibility of liquid water flowing there once.

A new study has once again put Mars in the spotlight, with the discovery of water vapors rising from the planet.

As hydrochloric gas rises, it gives researchers an indication of the history of water on Mars

Much of it is now locked in the ice caps and buried underground.

Dr Manish Patel, NOMAD Co-Principal Investigator, said: “The NOMAD instrument fundamentally changes our understanding of the evolution of water on Mars.

“This fantastic instrument gives us an unprecedented view of water isotopes (variants of water with different molecular masses) in the atmosphere of Mars as a function of both time and location on Mars.

“Measuring isotopes of water is a crucial part of understanding how Mars as a planet has lost water over time, and therefore how the habitability of Mars has changed throughout its history.

In addition to helping scientists understand how a Martian water cycle works, the results also provide signs of magmatic activity.

Sue Horne, head of space exploration at the UK Space Agency, said: “This research is a key part of our quest to unravel the mysteries of the Red Planet.

“ Understanding water vapor on Mars would help answer the overarching question: was there life on Mars?

“British scientists and technology are playing a leading role in NASA’s Perseverance rover mission, which is due to land on Mars this month.

“The mission will collect samples from the surface of the planet to deepen our understanding of our neighboring world.

Two studies have been published in the journal Science Advances.

NASA MARCH 2020: THE MISSION WILL SEE THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER AND INGENUITY SEARH FOR LIFE HELICOPTER

NASA’s Mars 2020 mission will look for signs of ancient life on the Red Planet in an effort to help scientists better understand how life evolved on Earth.

Named Perseverance, the main car-sized rover will explore a former river delta in Jezero Crater, which was once filled with a 1,600-foot-deep lake.

The area is believed to have hosted microbial life 3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago and the rover will examine soil samples for evidence of life.

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover (artist’s impression) will search for signs of ancient life on Mars in an effort to help scientists better understand how life evolved on our own planet

The $ 2.5 billion (£ 1.95 billion) Mars 2020 spacecraft was launched on July 30 with the rover and helicopter inside – and will land on February 18, 2021.

Perseverance is designed to land inside the crater and collect samples that will eventually be sent back to Earth for further analysis.

A second mission will fly to the planet and return the samples, perhaps at the end of the 2020s in partnership with the European Space Agency.

This concept art shows the Mars 2020 rover landing on the Red Planet via NASA’s “ sky-crane ” system