Mars: water vapors rising from the red planet suggest it was ‘possibly habitable’

Now that both the UAE and China have successfully hit Mars orbit, the Red Planet has already dominated the headlines this week.

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

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

The findings provide insight into Mars’s water cycle and could give scientists 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 travels through the atmosphere

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

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

The red planet has several ancient parched valleys and river channels that have long hinted at the possibility that liquid water would ever flow.

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

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

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

Dr. Manish Patel, co-principal investigator of NOMAD, said, “The NOMAD instrument is fundamentally changing our understanding of the evolution of water on Mars.

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

‘Measuring water isotopes is a crucial element in understanding how Mars as a planet has lost its water over time, and thus how the habitability of Mars has changed throughout history.’

The findings not only help scientists understand the workings of a water cycle on Mars, but also provide signs of magmatic activity.

Sue Horne, head of space exploration at the UK Space Agency, said: “This research is an important part of our search for the mysteries of the Red Planet.

Understanding water vapor on Mars would help answer the single most important question: Was there life on Mars?

British scientists and technology are starring in Nasa’s Perseverance rover mission, which will land on Mars this month.

“The mission will collect samples from Earth’s surface to increase our understanding of our neighboring world.”

A few studies have been published in the journal Science Advances.

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

NASA’s Mars 2020 mission will look for signs of ancient life on the red planet to help scientists better understand how life evolved on Earth.

The main rover named Perseverance will explore an ancient river delta in the Jezero Crater, which was once filled with a 1,600-foot deep lake.

The region is believed to have been home to microbial life some 3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago, and the rover will examine soil samples to look for evidence of life.

Nasa’s Mars 2020 rover (artist’s impression) will look for signs of ancient life on Mars to help scientists better understand how life evolved on our own planet

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

Perseverance aims to land in the crater and collect samples that will eventually be returned to Earth for further analysis.

A second mission will fly to the planet and return the monsters, perhaps by the late 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