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- Our first visit to Mars was in 1965. I was in the Air Force stationed in France when I saw the first images. These images coming back from Mars were somewhat disappointing. It appeared to be a dry, cratered place unlikely to support any form of life.
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- Since then return visits have found saltwater ice lurking just below the surface, with occasional liquid water flowing to the surface. Over 40 missions have been launched to study Mars. Only 20 have been successful.
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- Beneath a thick layer of dust lies vast glacial deposits. If this layer were to suddenly melt the amount of water would cover the entire planet 3 feet deep.
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- The dry surface even shows evidence of once being etched by flowing liquid water. There are carved out river gullies. There are shorelines containing minerals the need water to form ( gypsum).
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- Recent measurements using the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Spacecraft have confirmed in 4 locations crater walls that have flowing water present. By measuring the ratio of water H2O to heavier isotope HDO, hydrogen-deuterium-oxygen astronomers conclude that 4.5 billion years ago Mars had an ocean covering 20% of its surface. 6 million cubic miles of water that is a bit larger than the Atlantic Ocean.
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- Another discovery was the localized abundance of methane.. This would be a gas released in a geological process between water and subsurface rock. Or, it could be a gas releases from some subsurface biological process?
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- Still another discovery was lava flows that were only a few million years old.
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- Another theory being evaluated is that the solar wind slowly eroded ancient Mar’s thicker and warmer atmosphere. A precursor may have been the planet’s core solidifying and its early magnetic fields disappearing. Solar ultraviolet radiation broke up the water molecules. Hydrogen escaped into space. Oxygen got oxidized in the rocks turning them rusty red. Thus Mars became the red planet of today.
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- Scientist discovered an auroral glow of dust in the upper atmosphere. Is this dust lofted upward by strong atmospheric currents. Or, is this dust raining down being pulled from the two moons, Phobos and Deimos? Or, is this dust off streams of comet tails and asteroids?
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- The comet C/2013 A1 missed impacting the planet by 87,000 miles in October 2014. The flyby resulted in a strong increase of electrically charged atoms in the upper atmosphere. Comet C/2013 A1 had charged magnesium and iron atoms ( ions) in its tail.
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- Mars has a massive volcano rising 70,000 feet above the average surface level. And, the deepest basin is 27,000 feet below surface level. ( 13 miles above and 5 miles below surface level).
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- The atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon mostly in the remaining 5%. Only 0.146% is oxygen.
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- We need to learn much more before sending the first humans to Mars. Rocks and soils need detailed chemical and biological analysis. Are there chemicals in the soil that could degrade a space suit or other life support systems? Is Martian dust toxic to humans? Can explorers extract oxygen or water resources from the surface or below the surface?.
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- Mars was once warmer and wetter. Asteroids and comet impacts have pelted Mars with a steady supply of organic molecules. Could life have evolved in this environment? Is it habitable? Or, will it ever be inhabited? We are on our way. Stay tuned an announcement will be made shortly.
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- Other reviews available upon request. Short comments taken from each one:
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- #1779 - How to survive a trip to Mars.
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- #1777 - Mars and Venus, our Sister Planets. Mars watery surface must have lasted for 40,000,000 years before disappearing.
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- #1630 - Is there still water on Mars? Calculating the mass of Mars gets 6.39*10^23 kilograms. Earth is 59.7*10^23 Kilograms. Mars is 10.6% the mass of the Earth.
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- #827 - Mars has an eccentric elliptical orbit that takes 687 days to complete its trip around the Sun. The closest it gets to Earth is 34,400,000 miles.
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- #384 - Mars’ density is 3,900 kg/m^3. Earth’s density is 5,500 kg/m^3. Mars’ density is 71% that of Earth’s Conclusion is that Mars does not have an iron core like Earth. The math supports this conclusion.
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- #24 - (2003) Using the orbit of the moon Deimos to calculate the mass of Mars
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