The discovery that opens new perspectives on exploring the Red Planet: Martian soil containing 2% water!

  

Mars soil contains about 2% water, and this discovery opens new perspectives for future exploration missions "red planet" manned on board, according to a survey on a sample of American rover Curiosity, according to AFP.

"One of the most spectacular results of the study conducted on the first sample analyzed by Curiosity refers to the high percentage of water in the Martian soil , which is about 2 %," said Laurie Leshin , researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the U.S. state of New York , co-author of the study published in the American journal Science.
The sample - which has been heated to a temperature of 835 ° C - a significant percentage of released carbon dioxide (CO2 ) , oxygen and sulfur compounds , however, the water gas was the most abundant element , said U.S. researcher .
Future astronauts could extract approximately one liter of water in a volume of 0.03 cubic meters of sand that Martian , and " that means a lot ," says Laurie Leshin .
"Until now , Mars was seen - outside its polar regions - like a desert , and although this is a considerably smaller proportion of water than that found in a terrestrial soil sample is a substantial amount and is an important resource " for future explorers " red planet , " she explained.
" This water is found almost everywhere on Mars soil surface under your feet if you were an astronaut . 's Enough to warm the soil than to get water," American researcher dezvăuit .
" Mars is covered with a layer of sand as a mixture and moving all over the planet in the frequent dust storms , and , therefore , a sample of the soil contains a collection of all rock microscopic and non Mars helps to make a good idea of ​​the Martian surface as a whole , "he said.
Water is abundant on Mars in the form of ice in the polar regions . In 2003, the European probe Mars Express orbiting the planet , confirmed the presence of water ice in the south polar cap . Shortly thereafter, the same probe revealed the presence of a layer of permafrost around the north pole , which extends over an area of ​​several hundred square kilometers.
In addition to analysis of Martian soil gas , the other four tests performed with other instruments onboard Curiosity robot were published Thursday in the journal Science. These results help scientists better understand the nature and structure of Martian soil and water role .
Arrived in the equatorial region of Mars Gale Crater on August 6, 2012 , Curiosity , the most sophisticated robot explorer , six -wheeled people ever sent to another planet , has already shown that " red planet " was favorable to microbial life her distant past , this being the main objective of his mission .
A study published last week but it worked like a cold shower for scientists hope to find life forms present on Mars rover Curiosity has since found no trace of methane in the Martian atmosphere .
In recent weeks, the rover resumed its journey to Mount Sharp , at a distance of eight kilometers , the main target of exploration of its mission which will last two years. His journey will take several months , especially with how Curiosity will stop on his way to analyze many interesting formations geologically .
Base Mount Sharp presents great interest to scientists because of its different sedimentary layers , which could help the scientists at NASA to date the periods during which Mars was a habitable planet .