The discovery of water on Mars opens the way for a manned trip “around 2030″ – L’Express

From reliable sources: there is water on Mars. NASA had promised a sensational announcement for Monday, September 28, she did not lie. The US space agency claimed to have evidence revealing the presence of salty liquid water on the planet Rouge.

In the journal Nature Geoscience , American and French scientists have detailed the discovery. They found minerals signs “hydrated” -nécessitant the presence of water-in impressive dark marks on the surface of Mars. See the animation showing the evolution of these “dark traces” on several Martian seasons:

Beyond confirming almost certain presence of water on Mars, a hypothesis supported by long many scientists, this discovery revolutionizing the understanding of the red planet. It also boosts the ambition to send men to Mars and the search for extraterrestrial life form.

How this evidence she was discovered?

The information required for this discovery were obtained using the images provided by the observations of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This device NASA, equipped with a spectrometer, allowed the scientists to conclude that “Mars is not the dry, barren planet we thought it was.”

Is there life?

Not so sure, because liquid water is not enough in itself. To grow properly, life also needs a balanced temperature, a sufficiently large severity, the presence of an atmosphere etc. But as FTVI remember, there are on Earth, including Antarctica, bacteria capable to grow and reproduce in similar humidification to those observed on Mars.

Soon a trip to Mars?

“Our exploration of Mars has always been guided by the search for water in our quest for life in universe. Now we have convincing scientific evidence that validate what we suspected, “said John Grunsfeld, a former astronaut and Associate Administrator for NASA.

Are we going to send men to Mars? Comments shall suggest that “Mars has the resources for future travelers,” said John Grunsfeld. So it is “possible” to organize a human mission “in the near future,” he told NASA. Reddit’s community site -where NASA organizes a cat – scientists from the US space agency will even further by giving a date “around the 2030s.”