The amount of ice found is so large that if it were to melt, it would cover the Earth on all its continents in an ocean half a kilometer deep
The American space agency has found water ice in large quantities, just below the surface of the planet Mars - this is what the BBC website reported today (Sunday).
The importance of this discovery is extremely great, and it raises again the question regarding the possibility of life on Mars. Internal sources at NASA imply that following the finding, the agency is expected to commit to landing a manned spacecraft on Mars in about 20 years.
For decades, Martian researchers have wondered about the signs that Mars was rich in water in the past. Until now it was not clear what happened to all this water. Now it seems that they were covered by the layer of rocks and dust on the surface of the star.
According to the BBC report, the American space agency will officially announce the find this Thursday, before the full disclosure of the findings in a scientific magazine. The research was carried out using the "Odyssey on Mars" spacecraft, which has been collecting data since February. The researchers reported the initial findings back in March, but now they have information confirming the existence of ice below the ground, south of the 60th parallel.
The amount of ice that was found is so large that if it were to melt, it would cover the earth on all its continents in an ocean that is about half a kilometer deep. This discovery is expected to change the direction of Mars exploration in the future. Moreover, the existence of water is essential for all forms of life. The finding therefore strengthens the possibility of life on Mars in the past, and perhaps even now.
