Mars

The robot with which they want to explore the tunnels of Mars is a ball bug stuffed with dandelion drones

by

The human being has been sending rovers to Mars for 30 years. We know a lot about its surface, but there are still many unexplored regions. A good example is its tunnels. The red planet has the largest known network of tunnels in the solar system, but there has been no vehicle capable of entering them and exploring them from within. Therefore, a team of scientists from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology takes several years working on a most original solution: sending a ball bug robot, filled with dandelion drones, to the caves. It sounds very strange, but it makes sense. Biomimetics to enter the tunnels. Professor Mostafa Hassanalian, from New Mexico Tech, has been working on this project for several years, but recently the topic has returned to the networks after he gave statements to space. In them he tells them, in broad strokes, the objective of his research. This is based on biomimetics. That is, in the development of technologies inspired by nature. Specifically, it aims to develop two types of drones: one inspired by scale insects and another that works like dandelion plants. The mealybug, known colloquially as a ball bug, can enter small places and protect its own body by shrinking into a ball. In this case it protects its interior, because it has hidden a lot of tiny robots that spread through the air like dandelion seeds. The problem. Mars is full of tunnels of volcanic origin. Some have been found extending up to 1,200 kilometers, with lava tubes more than 250 meters in diameter. They are not exactly small tunnels. The rovers currently on Mars, such as Curiosity either Perseverancethey do not have the ability to enter these tunnels. Therefore, if there is something interesting, we will not be able to know it until humans travel to the red planet. If what is there is dangerous, it is better to see it before entering. Methods are needed to see inside those tunnels. The solution. Hassanalian’s team has come up with two types of robots. On the one hand, the one that imitates the cochineal is a sphere that can be inserted through a hole dug in the ceiling of the tunnels. Once inside these, the ball opens, like a cochineal that stops turning into a ball, and releases its contents: thousands of small, very light drones, which can travel kilometers away thanks to the wind. Limitations overcome. These types of devices would encounter several obstacles, for which Hassanalian has already thought of a solution. The first would be that we have no idea if there will be enough wind inside the tunnels. We know that Mars can be very windy, reaching 100 kilometers per hour. However, the tunnels could be guarded. Therefore, this scientist plans to incorporate a fan in the main robot to help propel the mini dandelion drones. In addition, the holes that would be made in the ceiling to introduce the robot would help propel the little seeds. On the other hand, sunlight cannot access the interior of the tunnels, so they could not be powered by solar energy. This is solved using piezoelectricity. That is to say, materials that generate electricity when subjected to mechanical pressure. Multitude of sensors. The drones will be loaded with humidity and temperature sensors that will allow the internal conditions of the tunnels to be analyzed. In addition, they would also help map the conduits and make a plan of the Martian tunnel network. All of this would be sent to researchers via radio signals. At the moment, these two types of robots have not been built or tested, but the idea is very promising. With enough funding to make it happen, we would have a very ingenious solution to look into those blind spots on the red planet. And all thanks to an animal and a plant from our own planet. Image | MagnificentDave Huth | Nex México Tech. In Xataka | Elon Musk says it will take 1,000 Starships and 20 years to build the first sustainable city on Mars

NASA has looked at Torrevieja from space and has seen a huge mass of pink water essential to finding life on Mars

by

From space everything looks different. In fact, distance allows us to distinguish strange shapes, such as the Great Dam of Zimbabwe or the eye of the saharabut also colors that go more unnoticed at ground level. Thus, on June 7, 2021, an Expedition 65 astronaut aboard the International Space Station pointed his camera toward the southeast of Spain and took a photograph that looks like a watercolor: Mediterranean blue, a muted green and an intense pink reminiscent of quartz. The color palette is finished off by the white reflection of the sun. The three colors correspond to bodies of water a few kilometers from each other, in Alicante: the Mediterranean, and the saline lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja. What seems like an aesthetic coincidence is actually chemistry visible from orbit. Each tone reveals something: the degree of salinity, which microorganisms dominate the water, and in what fragile balance they coexist. The lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja. The Torrevieja lagoon has been used as a salt mine since the 13th century and today are the largest salt producer in Europe, with an average of 650,000 tons per year, a figure that varies depending on solar radiation, wind and precipitation. It does not function as a natural lagoon, but as an industrial system where water moves according to production needs. The La Mata lagoon acts as a prior concentration chamber: receive sea ​​water through artificial channels and runoff from intermittent streams of the Sierra de San Miguel de Salinas. From there, the water is pumped to the Torrevieja salt mine, where brine from the Pinoso salt diapir through a 55 kilometer pipeline. The result is that the concentration of salt in the Torrevieja lagoon can overcome 260 grams of salt per liter, much more than the 38.5 g/liter Mediterranean that bathes its coast. Two adjacent lagoons but with completely different chemical worlds. Why do they have such different colors?. Each time water of different composition is pumped to produce salt, the chemistry of the system is altered, which determines What organisms can live and in what quantity. Two lagoons a kilometer apart, two different microbial communities and two opposite colors. The pink color of the Torrevieja lagoon is produced by microorganisms. More specifically, in conditions of high salinity and intense solar radiation, the microalgae Dunaliella salina accumulates β-carotene as protection against light. The halophilic archaea that share the lake reinforce that tone: they have red pigments distributed throughout their cell membrane, which makes them visually more decisive in the final color of the water. In La Mata, the lower concentration of salt favors a different microbiota where chlorophyll predominates over carotenoids: that explains the green color. Context. The salinity gradient between both lagoons goes beyond chemistry: it is what allows a different and exceptional biodiversity. The wetland houses up to 400 taxaten species of threatened birds and one of the most important Audouin’s gull breeding colonies in the Mediterranean. Without that difference in salinity, many of those ecological niches would disappear. The NASA image is also more than a photograph: it portrays the fragile balance between industry, microbiology and conservation that climate change is already testing as temperatures rise and salinity fluctuations alter the living conditions of Dunaliella salinaor what is the same, that that striking pink color seen from space could disappear. Why is it important. Dunaliella salina is the organism that supports the base of the food chain in hypersaline lakes around the world. Since 1966 it has been grown commercially to produce β-carotene, which has applications in pharmacology and cosmetics. But it is also an organism that NASA has on the radar because it constitutes a form of life in extreme conditions. It should be remembered that the data from the Perseverance rover indicates that there were hypersaline waters in the Jezero crater of Mars. Studying life in these types of lakes helps understand the potential in these old Martian lakes. What makes Torrevieja pink is the best laboratory we have to know what to look for on another planet. In Xataka | 60 years ago, NASA took a look at the Sahara from space and found a very strange “perfect eye” In Xataka | Europe has been watching Colombia for a decade from space and what it has seen is a tragedy: the death of a glacier Cover | POT

Without gas stations in space we will not reach Mars. NASA knows this and is finally doing something about it

by

Much of a spacecraft’s fuel is consumed in maneuvers to leave Earth’s orbit. For this reason, as manned missions move further away from our planet, we must begin to think about use space gas stations. These are not fuel pumps floating in space, but satellites, or even ships, capable of transferring fuel to a ship that needs it to travel further. At the moment, this is one of the weak points of many missions, so it is important to start working on technologies that allow it. At NASA they are very aware of this problem, hence this year they are going to launch LOXSATa mission that will test 11 different technologies to guarantee the transfer of propellants. 9 months ahead. LOXSAT is a NASA mission in collaboration with the company Eta Space. The objective of this mission is to test different cryogenic fluid management technologies so that in the future propellant tanks can be created in space. The mission will remain in low Earth orbit for 9 months. Meanwhile, 11 technologies will be tested focused on achieving four objectives: reducing boiling, improving propellant transfer, maintaining stable pressure and measuring propellant levels. The big problem. Cryogenic propellants, such as liquid oxygen at extremely low temperatures, are very efficient, but they have a major disadvantage. And in microgravity conditions, when the transfer between ships is carried out, the temperature cannot be kept low enough, so the fuel boils and suddenly transforms into gas. This causes a huge increase in pressure, which can endanger the ships involved. It seems to be that precisely this problem is the one that is giving SpaceX the most headaches. Like Blue Origin, this company must demonstrate its ability to refuel in space to be part of the Artemis missions, but it is not being easy. This is the reason why with LOXSAT methods will be tested to maintain stable pressure and reduce boiling. Space gas stations. The objective of this mission is to perfect the technology so that in the future there can be fixed propellant tanks in space. In other words, they hope that as we colonize space terrain we have gas stations so as not to run out of fuel. China on the heels. Ideally, in the future, large ships could exchange propellant. No space agency has achieved anything like this. However, China has indeed achieved it with satellites, in their Shijian missions. Plus, they did it in a higher orbit, so they are ahead of NASA in the particular race that has been uniting them for so long. Of course, at the moment, China has not tested cryogenic propellants, but tried hydrazine replenishment. There is still room for improvement. Write down the date. The mission will depart aboard an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab. The launch will be in the summer, no earlier than July 17, from New Zealand. Images | POT In Xataka | Jeff Bezos’ space company has overtaken SpaceX in a key milestone to go to the Moon and Mars: zero evaporation

NASA has an appointment with Mars today (although its ship already has its eyes set elsewhere)

by

The Psyche spaceship, launched by NASA in 2023 to study the asteroid with the same name, it will reach its destination in 2029. However, today it will make its first stop along the way. If we stop at gas stations and roadside bars to stretch our legs and have a coffee, Psyche will approach Mars at almost 20,000 kilometers per hour, to tune some of its instruments while taking photographs worthy of the best wallpaper. In fact, we can already see some of them. Too close for space. Psyche won’t stop at the gas station like we did, but she will make a great approach. At 3:28 PM EDT (9:28 p.m., Spanish peninsular time), will be located 4,500 kilometers from the red planet. That, in spatial terms, is very little. Gravity assist. At this stop along the way, Psyche will take the opportunity to take some photographs and adjust her instruments, but she will also use Mars as a springboard to reach her destination faster. When a ship approaches a moving planet, it is attracted by its gravitational field. It does not touch the planet, but that interaction changes its trajectory and helps it gain speed with less propellant expenditure. We can imagine it as a ball being thrown towards a moving vehicle. This changes its trajectory and also gives it speed on the return trip. Psyche uses solar-electric propulsion, with xenon gas as fuel. Thanks to that push, known as gravitational assist, you can save quite a bit of propellant. A whole entourage. The result of this interaction will be studied by the two NASA rovers that are currently on Mars, Curiosity and Perseveranceas well as by American and European orbiters that are carrying out their respective missions. Not only photographs will be taken. Possible changes to the Martian surface and atmosphere will also be detected. first photos. Psyche has already taken a very interesting photoin which the night side of Mars is seen as the spacecraft approaches it. The result is something similar to a half moon, although logically it has nothing to do with it. The real goal. Thanks to Martian gravitational assistance, Psyche will reach the asteroid with the same name in 2029. This is located in the asteroid beltbetween Mars and Jupiter. Shaped like a potato and 278 km long and 232 km wide, it is a metallic asteroid, one of the least abundant types in that location. That’s why it’s so interesting to explore. In fact, it is believed that it is actually the iron-nickel core of a planet in formation that could not complete the process because it was destroyed by cosmic collisions. For all this, Psyche (the ship and the asteroid) has a lot to teach us about the birth of a planet and, possibly, about the dawn of the solar system. As we often say, to know where we are going, it is also important to know where we come from. That is what makes this type of research so important. Image | POT In Xataka | NASA has sent its spacecraft to observe a dead robot on Mars. The reason: seeing how it accumulates dust

NASA’s new ion engine, a fundamental piece to reach Mars

by

Ion engines are not new. There are many satellites that have used them to stabilize themselves in their orbit. It has also been used in small ships like that of the Psyche missionwhose objective was to explore the asteroid with the same name. However, NASA wants to go further and create an ion engine so powerful that in the future it can be used to take humans to Mars. There is still a long way to go; But, according to their latest evidence, they could be on the right track. The most powerful ion engine. Until now, the most powerful ion engine that has been used to go to space has been that of the Psyche mission. With it, a speed of 200,000 kilometers per hour has been reached. Instead, NASA scientists have recently tested a much more powerful engine on Earth. It is a lithium-powered magnetoplasmadynamic thruster, which uses an electric current, which interacts with a magnetic field to accelerate a lithium-ion-based propellant. All this is done in a vacuum chamber 8 meters long. After the tests, 120 kilowatts of power have been reached: 25 times more than with Psyche. It is still not enough to travel to Mars, but, after the success of the tests, these researchers hope to be able to scale the process until they achieve 4 megawatt engines. Several of those could be used to conquer the red planet. Different ions. Broadly speaking, an ion engine consists of a vacuum chamber in which an electromagnetic field accelerates electrically charged atoms through a nozzle, generating thrust. Those charged atoms are the ionic propellant. Traditionally, xenon is used, although metallic plasmas have also begun to be explored. That’s where lithium comes into play. Advantages. Ion-powered engines use 90% less propellant than chemical ones. That, in itself, is already a great advantage. On the other hand, although they start with a very low speed, they have the advantage that, in the absence of friction, as occurs in the vacuum of space, they keep accelerating for a long timeso they can reach very high speeds. This is how has been achieved that many satellites can adjust their orbit. A key piece is missing. In order to start this electromagnetic field, an energy source is needed, which is normally obtained through solar panels. However, to go to very distant places where the Sun does not reach so easily, it would be necessary to look for alternatives. For this reason, NASA scientists consider that this ion engine should be complemented with the nuclear thrusters that Both this agency and others have been studying for some time. In the case of NASA, They have made a lot of progress with Space Reactor-1 Freedoma nuclear-powered spacecraft, whose first launch is scheduled for 2028. Investment is needed. In order to scale what has been achieved so far, strategic investments will have to be made, as NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has already pointed out. in statements collected by Space. The scale they want to make is not small, so they are still waiting to receive adequate financing. In the meantime, you can at least be proud that the first 5 firings of this initial prototype went perfectly. Image | POT In Xataka | The West stopped building nuclear power plants because they were too expensive: China is teaching it a lesson

We have been thinking about a single path to Mars for decades. A group of scientists has just found a “shortcut”

by

If you travel to the Moon It’s quite a challengethe next step is only for the brave. To date, no one has traveled to Mars and even unmanned trips encounter multiple drawbacks. The first of them is the duration of the trip itself, since it can extend up to 8.5 months, one way. Almost nine months of space route, with all the inconveniences that may arise during it. That is why the shortcut that a team of scientists from the State University of Rio Janeiro has just proposed is so interesting. With it, the trip could be shortened to 153 days, round trip. The key is in the asteroids. The authors of this study They have looked for shortcuts on the route to Mars in a quite interesting way: by noticing other travelers. After studying the trajectories of several asteroids, they have focused on those whose orbit intersects both that of Mars and that of Earth. Until now, the trajectories are designed from the Earth’s orbital plane. If the orbital plane of one of these asteroids, specifically 2001 CA21, is also taken into account, new paths are opened, which were hidden from our planet. One of those paths, according to the study, would drastically reduce the duration of trips to Mars. The asteroid is not a vehicle. It is important to note that this study does not propose using asteroids as a vehicle to Mars. They simply use them to open horizons to other trajectories. We from Earth see only a few “roads”, but asteroids like this have other options. By looking for connection points between the Earth’s orbital plane and that of these asteroids, it can be linked to these other routes, some of which turn out to be more direct. Traditional tours. Normally, to travel from Earth to Mars something known as the Hohmann trajectory is used. This consists of beginning to make a turn around the Sun in our own elliptical orbit; to, when the time comes, take advantage of its gravitational pull and extend the ellipse to the Martian orbit. Broadly speaking, the ship does not go in a straight line to where the destination planet is, but rather travels to where it will be at a given time. It is not a short trip, but with it, by taking advantage of the gravitational pull, fuel consumption is greatly reduced. Planned trajectory for ESA’s ExoMars For this to be carried out, launch windows must be taken advantage of in which the Earth, the Sun and Mars are properly aligned. All this lengthens trips a lot. A change of plane. The orbits of the different objects that revolve around each other are not all in the same plane. Each one has its own plan. Like a sheet of paper that is spinning. The Earth’s plane is not exactly the same as that of Marsbut very similar. That of the asteroid in this study, however, is very different and is much more inclined. That is why it allows us to open the window to new trajectories. As explained in Wired, It is something like opening a secondary window in a video game to see a scenario that we do not see in the main one. Multiple launch windows. Taking into account the need to have a proper alignment between the Earth, the Sun and Mars, there are soon three interesting launch windows to travel to the red planet: 2027, 2029 and 2031. By studying them one by one, the authors of this study saw that it is in 2031 when the best alignment with the plane of the asteroid occurs and, therefore, a much faster opportunity for travel. In the best case, Mars could be reached in 33 days. The complete trip would be 153 days, although in less optimistic cases it could be 226 days. Be that as it may, it is still much less than those 9 months, one way, that it takes now. Other asteroids. Although the study has been carried out with specific data from a single asteroid, these scientists believe that, in reality, the orbital planes of others could be taken whose trajectories also intersect with Earth and Mars. Basically, the key is to look outside the box. Or, much more literally, out of shot. There are many interesting routes out there. More powerful propulsion systems. All this sounds beautiful, but there is a big drawback that we must take into account. And, in order to carry out this process, much more energy is needed. Therefore, it would be necessary to resort to practically unfeasible quantities of fuel or to new, more powerful propulsion systems. Today this is not possible, so advances in this regard should go in parallel with the development of advances in propulsion systems. Many examples are already being investigated, such as the use of nuclear energy. Even has been proposed use lasers, although it is a project that is very much in its infancy. There is still a long way to go, never better said, but if the future is in these short and alternative trajectories it must also be in new propulsion systems that leave traditional ones behind. Image | NASA | THAT In Xataka | ExoMars, this is Europe’s most ambitious mission to Mars

NASA wants to head to Mars in December 2028. To achieve this, it is going to use something: nuclear reactors

by

Virtually all major space companies They agree that the future of space exploration involves feeding ships with nuclear energy. For this reason, NASA has already set a date for its first interplanetary trip with nuclear-electric propulsion. It will be possible thanks to Space Reactor-1 (SR-1) Freedom, which will be launched in December 2028 heading to Mars. Destination: the red planet. NASA has long shown interest in carrying out this launch in 2028. Now, the company has assured that everything is going at a good pace and that, if it continues like this, the date could be closed around the last month of this year. In order to meet deadlines, technologies previously tested by NASA are being used. Some, for example, come from the Lunar Gateway Station, whose development is currently paralyzed. With these technologies, together with a new nuclear reactor system, a trio of helicopters similar to Ingenuity, baptized as Skyfall, will be taken to Mars. The classic and the new. The SR-1 actually runs on a closed Brayton system, which is very common for power. Normally, in these types of systems A combustion reaction takes place, which produces energy in the form of heat. This is used to heat a gas, which expands and drives a turbine. The result is mechanical energy that can be used, for example, to obtain electricity. Then, when the gas cools, a new cycle begins, which is why it is said to be a closed cycle. In the case of the SR-1, everything is almost identical. The only difference is that, instead of a fuel, a nuclear fission reaction is used to obtain the heat. Thus it is not necessary to transport large quantities of fuel into space. Just a chain reaction like those used in nuclear power plants. electric motors. The electricity obtained in this closed cycle is used to power electric motors in a process that is activated 48 hours after launch. Afterwards, you can stay active during the entire year of the trip to Mars. On the other hand, this same electricity can also be used for other purposes, such as communications with Earth. Also on the Moon. The main application of nuclear energy in space will be in very long-distance travel, where the ships are so far from the Sun that solar panels are no longer useful. However, it can also be useful at much shorter distances. If this trip to Mars goes well, NASA plans to be able to use these technologies at a lunar base installed in Shackleton Crater. Strategically it is a good locationbut it has the disadvantage of being continually in shadow, so solar energy cannot be used. Nuclear fission could be much more useful. 60 years of research. In reality, the SR-1 is the result of 60 years of research, with an investment of 20 billion dollars. Although it may seem like something new, there is a lot of work behind it. Still, if NASA’s projects go as planned, they will be time and money well spent. Image | POT In Xataka | The West stopped building nuclear power plants because they were too expensive: China is teaching it a lesson

We’ve found molecules linked to life on Mars, but let’s not break out the champagne just yet

by

The Curiosity rover has carried out a chemical experiment on Mars that has never been done on another planet. Thanks to it, it has detected organic molecules that until now had gone unnoticed by us. Does that mean that there is or was life on the red planet? It could be, but it could also be due to many other things. Although we always read this type of news with joy and it gives a lot of sensational headlines, we must analyze the results with the optimism of what they mean for science, but the caution of what they imply in the search for extraterrestrial life. Chemical advances millions of kilometers away. Curiosity’s SAM instrument has carried out an experiment known as thermochymolysis. In it, a reagent called tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) is used. to break large molecules into small fragments. Thanks to this, organic molecules can be detected that are invisible with other methods. Among other organic molecules, some rich in nitrogen have been found, which could be related to DNA synthesis. The discovery of benzothiophene, present in some biological processes, also stands out. Let’s not go up. The authors of the study that has just been published thanks to the Curiosity rover they call for caution with its results. They insist that all the molecules found could come from abiotic processes or have reached Mars from other points in space. For example, benzothiophene could be formed by geological or hydrothermal processes. In addition, its presence has been found in meteorites and asteroids on Earth. It could also have reached Mars like this. Only two tries. Regardless of whether the findings have to do with life or not, this study is very relevant for two reasons. On the one hand, because it was the first time that this experiment could be carried out outside of Earth. And, secondly, because Curiosity I only had two tries to do it, but he made good use of them. This is because TMAH was in the exact dose needed, inside two sealed capsules. If the first failed, the second could be tried. If this one did it too, goodbye experiment. That it was done without problems has been a great achievement. This is an annotated close-up of three holes that NASA’s Curiosity drilled into Martian rock at a location nicknamed “Mary Anning” in October 2020. The sample where the rover found a large number of organic molecules came from “Mary Anning 3.” (A nearby site nicknamed “Mary Anning 2” was left unused.) NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS A very old search. Science has been obsessed with the search for life on Mars since in the 17th century some scientists detected with their telescopes what appeared to be the presence of water ice. Already in the 21st century, advances in space exploration allowed orbiters and rovers to be sent to Mars in order to analyze possible signs of life. Some were found. For example, in 2018 methane was detected in its atmosphere. This could be the result of microbial activity, but also geological processes. In 2020 Curiosity found carbon isotopes and later, in 2025, the longest carbon chain found to date. It is true that carbon is necessary for life, but it can also be related to many abiotic processes. In none of these cases has it been possible to demonstrate that there is life behind it, so we still cannot prove that there is life on Mars. Maybe we lack tools. In 2023 a study was carried out in the Atacama Desert to analyze the tools normally used to search for life on Mars. This desert is one of the largest Martian analogues we have on Earth. It has many similar characteristics to those of the red planet; but, of course, it also has more than proven life. However, when analyzed with Mars exploration tools, many of the traces of life that should have appeared were not detected. This shows that perhaps we haven’t found life on Mars yet because we don’t have the right tools. Although there may also simply not be any. The future. Curiosity has carried out this experiment directly on Mars. However, the ideal would be to send rock samples to Earth, to use other more complex analysis technologies there. Another rover, Perseverance, is prepared to collect samples and send them to Earth. In fact, it was scheduled to do so. However, the mission was canceled by the United States Congress last January. Meanwhile, other space agencies aim to replicate the TMAH experiments. This is the case of the ExoMars mission of the European Space Agencywhose Rosalind Franklin rover will also travel with this reagent to carry out thermochemolysis. We’ll have to wait to see what he discovers. Whatever it is, as always, we will read it with caution. Image | POT In Xataka | ExoMars, this is Europe’s most ambitious mission to Mars

the brutal ESA image that summarizes the geological violence of Mars in a single photo

by

The noticeable changes in the mars landscape They are very slow. It is estimated that they may take up to millions of years to occur, as it is considered a fairly static planet in that regard. However, scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) have detected a change that occurred much more quickly. So much so that humans of the same generation have been conscious. From Viking to Mars Express. The High Resolution Stereoscopic Camera (HRSC) The Mars Express has taken some images that have caught the attention of the ESA scientists in charge of analyzing them. In them you can see a large area covered in ashes. These ashes already appeared in other photos taken by NASA’s Viking orbiters in 1976. However, there were much fewer of them then. It is surprising how much they have proliferated in just 50 years. volcanic origin. The origin of these ashes is quite clear. The volcanic material is known to be rich in ‘mafic’ minerals, which form at high temperatures. Olivine and pyroxene are two good examples. These minerals have a dark appearance, very similar to the ashes that appear in the photos. Therefore, it must have a volcanic origin. In addition, Mars is characterized by having great volcanic activity and by hosting the largest volcano in the Solar System: Olympic Mons. All clues lead to the volcanic origin. The wind spread or uncovered them. What is not so clear is how so many ashes have appeared in such a short time. ESA researchers believe it must be because of the wind. It may be that the Martian winds moved them, spreading them over a wider space, or that they uncovered them. Perhaps they were already there, but the wind moved the ocher dust characteristic of the surface of Mars that would be covering them. Comparison of Viking (left) and Mars Express (right) images A crater among the ashes. Something curious about the photo is that in it you can see many signs of the changes that the Martian surface has experienced over time. On the one hand, we see the aforementioned ashes. And, on the other, the 15 kilometer wide crater that appears in the photo between them. This is surrounded by a striking ring of apparently lighter material, known as an ‘ejector blanket’. It is a structure that is formed from the material thrown by the impact that formed the crater itself. In the photo you can also see some wavy lines inside the crater that mark where the icy material known to be under Mars has been spreading. Changes and more changes. This photograph, which in turn is located in an impact basin called Utopia Planitia, is the living image of how the Martian surface has been modified by impacts, volcanoes and ice that tries to escape between the cracks. Now, at least, we know that not all of these changes are as slow as we thought. Some occur in the blink of a spatial eye. Images | THAT In Xataka | In 2011, a collector bought a meteorite in Morocco. It has turned out to be direct evidence of thermal water on Mars

We have covered the ISS in moss with a single objective. And now the possibility of “terraforming” Mars is closer

by

Last year, scientists published the results of a study in which they told how they had covered the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) with moss. Although the study It was published in Decemberit was not a Christmas decorative strategy. They wanted to check if this primitive plant is capable of surviving the inhospitable conditions of space. The results were so positive, they could take humanity one step closer to terraforming Mars. A primitive plant to start a new life. The first plants that appeared on Earth were bryophytes, more specifically mosses. They are very resistant plants, capable of growing directly on rocks. From there, they can photosynthesize if they have the right water and nutrients. It is a process in which they capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generate oxygen. In addition, they generate organic matter that, upon death, becomes the perfect substrate. so that other more complex plants can grow. That is why the study was carried out to see if moss can survive in space. It was proven yes, so it could be an interesting candidate for terraforming Mars or the Moon. The study. Basically, what was seen in the study is that the mosses exposed on the outside of the ISS were able to survive for 283 days exposed to extremely cold temperatures and very intense ultraviolet radiation. When they were returned to Earth after that period, more than 80% had survived. In fact, planting them made them germinate. Carl Sagan already predicted it (more or less). The dream of terraforming other planets is not something new, although it is true that for a long time it was almost a fantasy. In 1961, for example, Carl Sagan made an interesting proposal to terraform Venus. It is known that this planet neighboring Earth It is covered by a dense layer of clouds. Since clouds here on Earth are usually made of water, the famous astrophysicist proposed planting cyanobacteria inside them. These microorganisms have the ability to carry out photosynthesis, like plants. Therefore, they could consume carbon dioxide and generate oxygen. The problem is that it was later discovered that the clouds of Venus are actually made of sulfuric acid, so their proposal became unattainable. Proposals to terraform Mars. No further proposals have been made to terraform Venus, but there have been proposals to do the same with Mars. It’s also pretty inhospitable, but it has a lot more potential. In fact, last year was published in Nature a study that talked about the possibility of turning the red planet into something similar to Earth with only four steps. The first would be to melt the ice, so that it becomes an immense ocean of liquid water. For this, the temperature would have to be increased by at least 30ºC. heat is needed. The second step, therefore, is to obtain that heat. It was proposed to use solar sails that direct most of the solar radiation to these ice reserves. Aerosols could also be dispersed in the atmosphere that cause a kind of greenhouse effect, further retaining solar radiation inside the planet. A vaulted habitat. Although Mars has its own atmosphere, it would have to be reinforced with something that would allow it to create a biosphere. Therefore, it would be interesting to build vaults into which to introduce the first Martian inhabitants. Life that brings more life to Mars. Finally, it would be necessary to use genetically modified-extremophilic microorganisms. These are microorganisms capable of surviving in extreme conditions. For example, microorganisms that survive in media with high salt concentrations or very high or very low temperatures are Extremophiles. Even so, it would be necessary to genetically modify them to make them even more resistant to extremely low temperature and pressure conditions. These microorganisms would be photosynthetic, so that they generate oxygen and organic matter. Moss comes into play. Following the results of the International Space Station experiment, it is clear that moss could be a good complement to these extremophile microorganisms to terraform Mars. Unfortunately, it is estimated that to have the technologies necessary to meet all the requirements we will have to wait at least 100 years. It’s a long time, but with everything humanity has waited for, it would only be a little longer. For now, as the road safety advertisements say, the important thing is to arrive. There are already space agencies trying to date that first step. Let’s start there. Image | Julius A OBARO (Wikimedia Commons) and Freepik In Xataka | Chernobyl was filled with mushrooms after the nuclear accident. Thanks to them we discovered a “new form of photosynthesis”

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.