The landing of people on the red planet will become an outstanding astronomical event in the future. NASA experts note that the availability of accessible water is a key criterion for safe living in extraterrestrial conditions.
Water, as well as safety, are one of the main conditions for choosing the place of the future landing of a manned expedition to the most interesting planet of the solar system - Mars. There is ice on this planet, but it needs to be mined by drilling using sophisticated technology. In a scientific article published in the American Geophysical Journal, astronomers point to the plain of Arcadia. This low-lying place is located in the western hemisphere of the planet. Found his probe InSight lander.
The absence of large craters and depressions indicates some safety for people who land on a neighboring planet. In addition, there are significant reserves of water in the form of ice. And it is very shallow, so it will be quite easy to mine.
The presence of water reserves is a great advantage for the expedition. This means that large quantities of water will not need to be transported from Earth, which will save fuel. And the payload can be used for other purposes. Scientists will also be able to freely replenish vital moisture reserves, which will positively affect the duration of their stay in extraterrestrial conditions.
There is another place on Mars, rich in water. These are the poles of the planet.However, the conditions here are extremely harsh, even by Martian standards. After all, the temperature in these monstrously dangerous places can drop to minus 150 degrees. In addition, there is very little sunlight. That is why astronomers are looking for places that are rich in water and where the temperature would not be so low.
According to Sylvain Pico of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the National American Space Agency, the presence of water on the Martian plains has many advantages. After all, water has a high heat capacity. And this means that it smooths out temperature fluctuations. Because of this, the surface of the planet in the summer does not heat up so much, and in winter it does not cool so quickly. Consequently, there are no extremely low temperatures compared to areas without moisture.
Calculations show that in the region of the Arcadia valley, Martian ice is only a few centimeters under a layer of dust. So it will be possible to produce vital moisture without the use of expensive equipment. It will also help save money for a manned expedition.
The presence of ice on the planet is interesting because it allows you to understand the features of climate in the past and allows you to predict its change in the future. An analysis of ice deposits on the red planet will help to find out what climatic cycles were on Mars in the past and why water disappeared on this planet.
