China's Rover Discovers Mars Had Water Much More Recently Than We Thought
Chinese scientists have discovered that water was likely present on the surface of Mars much more recently than previously thought.
As Space.com reports(Opens in a new window), based on hydrated minerals discovered by the country's Zhurong rover, signs of water were detected in samples from 700 million years ago. The rover's findings were published in a paper(Opens in a new window) in the journal Science Advances.
The Red Planet, now cold and dry, was until now believed to be wet some 3 billion years ago during its Hesperian period. A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, however, theorize there was surface water activity well into the current Amazonian period(Opens in a new window).
The hydrated materials were discovered using short-wave infrared spectral data obtained by the Zhurong rover at the Utopia Planitia landing site, suggesting the presence of "substantial" liquid, either from ground-water rising or subsurface ice melting.
"In situ evidence for aqueous activities identified at Zhurong's landing site indicates a more active Amazonian hydrosphere for Mars than previously thought," the study said.
Standing six feet tall and weighing around 530 pounds, Zhurong is the sixth rover to reach Mars. During its more than 350 Martian sols (days), the rover has covered about 1.24 miles and analyzed a range of features. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) in August extended its mission, further exploring the coastal Utopia Planitia area—a massive plain found within the Solar System's largest recognized impact basin.
The presence of and easy acces to water on Mars would be very good news for humans hoping to visit the fourth planet from the Sun—a move SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell expects to
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