Scientists have chosen three places on Mars to search for life. Based on the recommendation of a group of 150 astronomers, geologists and biologists, NASA will decide exactly where the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) should land
Scientists have chosen three places on Mars to search for life. Based on the recommendation of a group of 150 astronomers, geologists and biologists, NASA will decide exactly where the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) should land. Scientists have chosen three areas where traces of living organisms are most likely to be present, using a vote, according to New Scientist magazine.
All three places that may have been inhabited in the past are craters that once contained water. The choice of scientists fell on the Gale Crater, Holden Crater and Eberswalde Crater. Scientists believe that in the past there was an isolated lake at the site of Gale Crater, at the site of Holden Crater - a lake into which several rivers flowed into and out of which, and where the Eberswalde Crater is now there was once a river delta.
There is currently no liquid water on Mars, so astronomers have inferred a "wet" past in the selected locations based on circumstantial evidence. So, all three craters are rich in phyllosilicates - minerals that are formed from igneous rocks during their prolonged contact with water. Gale Crater has been found to contain large amounts of sulfates, which are the energy source for many terrestrial bacteria.
The Mars Science Laboratory is slated to launch to Mars between September 15 and October 4, 2009. The estimated sequence of events during and after the MSL landing on Mars can be seen here. The device will be engaged in photographing the area, assessing the level of radiation and taking samples of soil and rocks. The main task of MSL will be to search for substances that could indicate that Mars was inhabited in the past. For terrestrial organisms (and other scientists have not yet met) water is a critical condition for existence. That is why these three regions were chosen for the place of future research. The first direct evidence of the presence of water in the soil of Mars was obtained by the Phoenix probe.
The initiators of the future mission are not sure that it will help answer the question about the habitability of Mars. Nevertheless, MSL, like the rest of the spacecraft launched to our closest neighbor in the solar system, will be able to expand the knowledge of scientists about it.