Posted on 11/20/2008 11:39:43 PM PST by JoeProBono
Scientists led by a University of Texas geologist report that data from an unmanned NASA space probe suggests there's much more ice on Mars than previously thought.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, according to an article in the journal Science, has identified several dirt-covered glaciers — including one that is three times longer than the city of Los Angeles and up to a half-mile thick. The glaciers may be remnants of warmer conditions on the Red Planet.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
“I bought some sushi one time, took it home, cooked it, and it was good! Tasted like fish.” — some wag writer
Assuming that this is water ice, it means that long time exploration and even some settlement on Mars is practical. With oxygen drived from the water and water to drink food can be grown (in greenhouses), so air, food, and water would be available and obviously shelter can be provided.
I doubt that life on Mars will ever be practical or self-sustaining. A human presence on Mars will cost a lot of money to maintain, regardless of is found there. And that’s not even taking into account what will happen to resource “exploitation” when the Luddites get hold of NASA budget.
Might be the tenth time water ice has been discovered on Mars. Likely with the hyped world economic decline the man to Mars program is being delayed.
Cool!
/bingo
Years ago I read a science article about an idea of gathering methane gas from the atmosphere of Jupiter, and sending a stream of containers of liquid methane back to Earth orbit, theoretically making settlement of Mars and/or the asteroid belt (for metal ore) profitable.
here’s a selection from the pile of files in the Mars folder:
defrosting dunes
discounts Mars ocean
Evolution of Martian Climate
evidence of water ice on Mars
Frozen Water Mars North Pole
Ices, water on Mars
Long Period Of Episodic Floodin
Mars Home to Ancient Lakes
Mars too salty for life?
Mars Water Odd Surface Features
Mars was diff 100K yrs BP
Mars, icecaps?
Martian “cones”
Martian Flood
Martian floods are recent
Martian transient floods
Ocean?
reactive salt in Martian soil
riddled with deep water?
Water on Mars
Water on Mars? recently?
Weather on Mars?
Why is Mars red?
Asimov wrote an anti-McCarthy allegory (there was a political movement to prevent the waste of water to make spaceflight possible) which had the human colony on Mars go mining the rings of Saturn for water.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.