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    Mars’ Hidden Water Discovery Challenges Elon Musk’s Ambitious Terraforming Plans

    nephilaBy Science & Tech 5 Mins Read

    NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine: “The presence of liquid water on Mars has profound implications for the possibility of life beyond Earth.”

    The mystery of Mars’ missing water has been partially unraveled, but the findings present a significant setback for Elon Musk’s ambitious dreams of transforming the red planet into a habitable world. Recent discoveries by NASA’s Insight lander reveal that while there is indeed a substantial amount of water on Mars, it’s trapped deep beneath the surface, far beyond the reach of current technology.

    Since its arrival on Mars in 2018, the Insight lander has been equipped with a seismic sensor that allows scientists to study the planet’s subsurface. After years of analysis, geophysicists have discovered vast amounts of water—enough to cover the entire planet with a 2km-deep ocean. However, this water is located between 11km and 20km underground, trapped within fissures and pores.

    This discovery presents a significant challenge to Musk’s controversial plan to “terraform” Mars by detonating nuclear warheads over its polar regions. His idea, first proposed in 2015, suggests that such explosions would release frozen CO2 and water, creating an atmosphere thick enough to support human life. But the reality, as pointed out by astrophysicists, is far more complex.

    For years, scientists have debated what happened to the water that once flowed in Mars’ lakes, rivers, and possibly oceans. Some hypothesized that the water evaporated into space due to the planet’s weak atmosphere, while others believed it might still be hidden beneath the surface. NASA’s Insight mission has now provided a clearer picture, revealing that while water exists, it is buried so deep that it is inaccessible with current drilling technology.

    Insight’s seismic sensors have shown that there are no significant lakes of water-ice near the surface, with the first 5km of Mars’ crust revealing nothing of note. The discovery that water is present only at depths of 11km to 20km complicates any efforts to use it for terraforming or sustaining human life on Mars.

    Elon Musk has long been vocal about his desire to establish a human colony on Mars, even setting a goal to put one million people on the planet by 2044. However, the new findings pose a serious challenge to these plans. The deep water reservoirs on Mars may have formed billions of years ago and are now sealed off by the immense pressure at such depths, making extraction extremely difficult.

    Moreover, even if Musk’s radical idea of using nuclear explosions were feasible, there simply isn’t enough CO2 or water in the polar ice caps to create a viable atmosphere or restart a planetary water cycle. The thin Martian atmosphere, which is only 1% as dense as Earth’s, would require much more than what’s currently available to become capable of supporting human life.

    Critics of Musk’s vision for Mars are increasingly vocal. Britain’s Astronomer Royal, Martin Rees, has labeled the idea of mass migration to Mars as a “dangerous illusion,” arguing that science and technology are not yet capable of overcoming the immense challenges posed by such a hostile environment.

    While Musk remains undeterred, insisting that he wants to die on Mars, the odds are not in his favor. More than 60% of attempts to land on Mars have ended in failure, underscoring the difficulties that any mission to the red planet faces.

    The discovery of Mars’ deep water reservoirs is a significant scientific achievement, providing valuable insights into the planet’s history and its potential for future exploration. However, it also highlights the limitations of current technology and the immense challenges of making Mars a second home for humanity.

    As scientists continue to study Mars, it’s clear that any plans for colonization must contend with harsh realities, including the inaccessibility of essential resources like water. For now, Mars remains a distant and inhospitable world, where dreams of terraforming and human settlement face formidable obstacles.

    Quotes

    • Planetary Scientist John Grunsfeld: “This discovery is the culmination of our search for water on Mars, a search that has taken decades.”
    • Astrobiologist Chris McKay: “Wherever there’s water on Earth, there’s life. The potential for life on Mars just got a lot more interesting.”

    Major Points:

    • NASA’s Insight lander has discovered significant amounts of water trapped deep beneath Mars’ surface, challenging the feasibility of Elon Musk’s plans to terraform the planet.
    • The water, enough to cover Mars with a 2km-deep ocean, is located 11km to 20km underground, making it inaccessible for current technology.
    • Musk’s idea to use nuclear explosions to release frozen CO2 and water to create a habitable atmosphere on Mars is criticized by experts as unrealistic.
    • The discovery underscores the difficulties of sustaining human life on Mars, despite Musk’s ambitious plans to establish a Martian colony by 2044.
    • Scientists argue that while the discovery is significant, the technological and environmental challenges of making Mars habitable remain insurmountable at present.

    James Kravitz – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News

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