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Probes May Drill For Liquid Water On Mars

Posted by timothy on from the tough-drillin' dept.

spike hay writes: "According to this article at Space.com, we may send a sample-return probe to Mars in 2005 that will drill a few hundred feet into the Martian surface to look for liquid water. Scientists believe that great quantities of briny water could exist under the surface permafrost, warmed by volcanism. Finding liquid water on Mars would help sustain future colonists, and it even may open up the possibility that life might still exist on Mars."

1 of 17 comments (clear)

  1. Return of samples of Mars important. by Yazeran · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is great news indeed.

    For the first time earth based scientists can have samples from Mars that thay can study and analyse in an earth based lab.

    The important differece between this and the analysis of the Mars soil by the Mars Pathfinder/Sojuner and earlier Mars missions that made soft landings on Mars is that they did the analysis on Mars, and they could only do a limited mumber and types of analysis.

    Having the samples here on earth (and unpoluted by atmospheric reentry as the Mars meteorites found in Antarctica is) allows scientists to do more sofisticated analysis.

    This way we will have a much more detailed knowledge of the Martian soil and Rocks than before, and just possible, fossil records of earlier Martian life could be found by microscopy analysis of the returned samples.

    Apart from sending geologists and other scientists to Mars this is the best thing to do.

    Yours Yazeran

    Plan: To go to Mars one day with a hammer.