NASA has never been so happy to discover water. Nearly 10 years after its launch to Mars, the Opportunity rover has discovered traces of water conducive to the development of life, welcomed Friday the U.S. space agency.
vehicle powered by solar energy just finished the analysis of what is probably the oldest rock that has ever studied, called Esperance 6, which revealed that water conducive to the development life had flowed in abundance on the Red Planet, leaving behind clay minerals.
robot “disabled one shoulder”
This discovery is “one of the most important” made during the Opportunity mission because it highlights the very different from those who had so far been found in traces of chemical elements Water on Mars, a very dry planet today, pointed Steve Squyres of Cornell University, one of the leaders of the program.
oldest rocks as Esperance 6, have a neutral pH, indicating that the water the first time in the history of Mars “was more favorable in its chemical components, pH, level of acidity, development of chemical elements that can lead to the emergence of a form of life, “said Squyres.
“Disabled one shoulder,” as said Steve Squyres, the robot is now en route at a speed of 50 m per day to an area 1.5 km from the old location, where geological layers are much more numerous. Opportunity and its twin, Spirit were launched to Mars in 2003 and reached the Red Planet in January 2004 for an exploration mission originally scheduled to last three months. Both found the ancient traces of water on Mars.
AFP
No comments:
Post a Comment