Mars Reconnaissance. Is the red planet hides a life? – Policy

No wonder. Posted in the direction of Mars in 2005, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (Mars orbit is 10 years) is the most advanced spacecraft ever was sent to the Red Planet, which is to gather information about her more than all previous missions combined. MRO is so packed with sensors, detectors, cameras and all kinds of analyzers that can virtually explore all. Main objective: to investigate the climate history of Mars, look for traces of water and choose the best places for future manned missions.

I MRO reveals. The last days of a rash of recent information about Mars. Let’s choose the most interesting ones.

Special subsurface radar MRO examined thoroughly the biggest and the northern polar ice cap. It has been found in the belt of 100 to 300 meters inside the cap, a clear, apparently fairly quickly resulting accumulation of ice water. Scientists believe that it is evidence of the existence of ice ages on Mars, similar to those that existed on Earth. Accumulation was created just before the end of the last ice age on Mars, roughly 370,000 years ago. Genesis Martian ice ages is very similar to Earth.

On the other hand, another group of researchers observed on the northern plateaux of the planet traces of giant tsunami waves that arose after hitting the ocean substantial Mars meteorites. The first hit 3.4 billion years ago. Founded wave engraved in the land Martian powerful mark on the length of 150 km, then stepped back. The second meteorite struck far and a few million years later. He carved a similar mark, but not retreated because froze. It was a period of rapid cooling to Mars. This is another proof that Mars had the ocean, where it was heavily salted water.

A third discovery made by researchers from NASA and the SETI Institute is another confirmation of the existence of liquid water ocean. If Mars was water under its surface (although the ocean is gone) must be many hydrocarbons and clay, rich in calcium and iron. And indeed, traces of such deposits had discovered in many places on Mars, among others, in the pool or in the crater Huygens Lucaya.

This discovery indicates that Mars once was much wetter than it is today. And warmer.