China has just made a crucial discovery for humanity’s future on Mars

China is one of the countries that has research work on Mars. One of their rovers is Zhurongpart of the Tianwen 1 mission, which found evidence of presence of water on the surface of the red planet.

condition, Published in the journal Science advancesaddresses the observations that the rover was able to make from tests using Visual and chemical analysis to cracks in the area Utopia Planetia.

According to the study, these cracks would have formed When the water froze on the planetbefore it dissolves and disappears, affecting the relief of the Earth.

In the composition of the soil, the rover found hydrated sulfates and silica, as well as iron oxide, indicating that the rocks were almost in contact with liquid water. 1.4 million 400,000 years ago.

The team behind the study believes that the discovery Provides clues for future missions exploration, especially at lower elevations where temperatures areRelatively warmer and more pleasant“.

A desert planet that once had water

The fate of water on Mars It is still unknown So far.

One of the most accepted theories is that the planet He had plenty of water On its surface, forming lakes and seas, but the loss of its magnetic field made it increasingly vulnerable to the solar wind.

These winds caused water to spread throughout the entire solar system, in the process It started about 4 billion years agoleaving some water traces dating back hundreds of thousands of years, which the rover was able to detect.

Although the Zhurong River is nearing the end of its useful life, which will reach Mars in 2021, it is still It continues to provide a large amount of dataBecause after completing its basic mission in three months, it continues its work, albeit irregularly, after emerging from a nine-month hibernation.

For China, the next step, as with NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program, is the intent Mars soil samples returned for the beginning of the next decade.