On Mars, a good point from which to start – Media Inif

Erica Luzzi, planetary geologist and researcher at the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute, the first author of the study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Consequently, Credits: E. Furthermore, Luzzi

To further deepen the news just published on the water sources that could support future exploration missions on Mars. For example, we offer you the interview with media inaf from the first author of the study published on Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, Erica Luzzi. Furthermore, With an international experience gained by working on NASA. Consequently, participating in ASA mars, good point which start campaigns and collaborating with different universities in Europe and the United States, Luzzi has contributed to field campaigns in extreme environments and has published numerous studies on Martian geology, on analogues of Encelado and on the mapping of resources for future human exploration missions.

The research. However, we remember, reveals the position of what could constitute a potential source of water for future human explorations, presenting the geomorphological analysis of an area on the border between Arcadia Planitia and the northern part of the Amazonas Planitialocated in the middle latitudes of Mars.

Luzzi, you have identified water ice near the surface of Mars, in a potentially favorable area for future human missions. How did you find out and what makes this discovery so crucial for the exploration of the red planet?

«This area had already been identified as candidate landing site in a conference abstract that nakedbek et al. 2021, mars, good point which start but no detail analysis had ever been done. First of all, we conducted a geomorphological and morphometric investigation of the typically periglacial forms found in the study area. Among these. the most indicative is represented by thermal contraction polygonsfrom the polygonal fractures caused by the thermal contraction of land containing ice. The size of these polygons is proportional to the depth of the icetherefore given the diameter of the 9 thousand polygons that we measured. we estimate that at the time of the formation of the polygons the ice was almost superficial, with a depth in the order of tens of centimeters. To ensure that this ice is also present today. we have examined a catalog of recent impact craters that have exposed almost superficial ice. This evidence, which we consider how ground truthprovides us with certain information capable of confirming the observations from satellite images. One of these craters mars, good point which start is adjacent to our study area. and the ice that has exposed is 50-60 cm from the surface. Therefore. given the wide distribution of periglacial shapes and the confirmed current presence of ice in the area, we estimate that a vast ice deposit is present near the surface “.

In your study you also talk about the astrobiological implications of the presence of ice. How realistic, in your opinion, is the possibility that these deposits can contain traces of past or present life?

«It is impossible to say it with certainty. but the ice is certainly an excellent means to preserve biomarkerespecially considering that the surface of Mars is rich in perchors that during any analysis destroy organic molecules. Ice can protect any biomarker from the destructive action of the perlorats. In addition. bacterial life forms have been found on earth inside the ice, therefore it is not excluded that mars, good point which start this can also happen on Mars. However, we are far from having certainties in astrobiological terms. We can limit ourselves to saying that the ice would be a good place to search. “

The next step is to send robotic missions for more detailed analyzes. What are the main technological and operational challenges to arrive at a definitive confirmation on the ground?

«The great positive side of this candidate landing site It is precisely that the ice is almost superficial. therefore the first robotic missions would not require drill On a large scale to pierce in depth. Certainly the because they remain a problem for the analysis of organic molecules. the planning of the extraction must take into account that he avoids ice contaminations with the perlorats. Also. being the area almost completely flat in terms of topography, the landing itself does not put particularly difficult challenges, it is An mars, good point which start ideal area to land both robotic and human missions. A criticality could be represented by the sublimation drive that currently dominates the Martian atmosphere at these latitudes. so that any ice extraction should also be rapid as well as uncontaminated, thus avoiding prolonged exposure of ice champions with the atmosphere “.

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