△ Renderings of trace gas orbiters (Image source: ESA website)
On the 15th local time, the European Space Agency issued an announcement that the Mars exploration project jointly implemented by the agency and the Russian State Space Corporation (Roscosmos) found through its trace gas orbiter (TGO) that there is a large amount of water underground in the central area of the Martian Mariner Canyon, which may exist in the form of ice or aqueous minerals. The area of this watery zone is said to be equivalent to the size of the entire Netherlands.
△ Mars Mariner Canyon water containment area mapping (Image source: ESA website)
The researchers said that most of the water previously found on Mars was in the polar region, and this time the water-rich "oasis" could be found below the surface of the earth near the equator, thanks to the high-resolution superheat neutron probe (FREND) on the trace gas orbiter. By mapping neutron fluxes, more areas where water has not previously been detected may be revealed.
ESA believes that a better understanding of what form and where water exists on Mars is important, which will not only have great significance for future field exploration of Mars, but will also help to find signs of possible habitable environment and life on Mars.
Source: CCTV News