[ad_1]
In the eyes of real estate, Mars currently occupies the spirit of contenders for space innovation. Billions are spent in the race to bring humans to the planet but can the sterile landscape be tamed? A new study on oxygen gives hope.
SpaceX, Blue Origin and Boeing all aspire to put humans on the ground of the red planet. NASA's US space agency has a long-standing interest, while Russia and even the United Arab Emirates have each described their ability to surrender, which the data suggests, is a sparse and unsustainable landscape.
However, a new study on the desert and cold world could give new impetus to explorers, suggesting that brackish water deposits might contain enough oxygen to support microbial life.
READ MORE: Is this life on Mars? New project makes walking on the red planet a virtual reality (VIDEO)
Published in the journal Nature, the study was conducted by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Using atmospheric models to test the reaction of oxygen in the water beneath the surface of the red planet, the team uncovered evidence suggesting that the life-sustaining chemical might be present to a greater degree. higher than expected.
"Even at the limits of uncertainties, our results suggest that there may be near-surface environments on Mars with enough O2 available to allow aerobic microbes to breathe," he says. the study says.
The study revealed that "High concentrations" probably in the polar regions because of the low temperatures observed in an extraterrestrial environment. "Our discoveries could help explain the formation of strongly oxidized phases in the Martian rocks observed with Martian rovers, and imply that aerobic life possibilities may exist on the modern planet", the study adds.
Large expanses of water have proved elusive on Mars, but over the years, the geological evidence obtained by NASA observers suggests that the planet was once soaked with water. In 2015, NASA's Orbiter Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter returned data showing hydrated minerals, suggesting that liquid water was flowing intermittently across the planet.
READ MORE: Emergency evacuation at 6000 km / h: How much has a Soyuz missile accident been unveiled (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
On development, Vlada Stamenković, lead author of the study, said the discovery could change everything.
"It's the thing of habitability; we never thought that this environment could have so much oxygen. It completely changes our understanding of the life potential on Mars, " he told National Geographic.
If you like this story, share it with a friend!
Source link
