Scientists may have found the best place for humans to land on Mars
A newly identified region on Mars may hold the key to future human landings. Researchers found evidence of water ice less than a meter beneath the surface, close enough to be harvested for water, oxygen, and fuel. The location strikes a rare balance between sunlight and cold, helping preserve the ice. It could also offer clues about whether Mars once supported life.
Before humans can make the long trip to another world, scientists must identify a safe and practical place to land. New research led by a University of Mississippi scientist suggests one region on Mars may meet many of the requirements for future human missions.
Erica Luzzi, a planetary geologist and postdoctoral researcher with the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute, led a study that uncovered signs of water ice located just below the Martian surface. The research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, points to a possible local water supply that astronauts could rely on during extended stays on Mars.
"If we're going to send humans to Mars, you need H2O and not just for drinking, but for propellant and all manner of applications," Luzzi said. She carried out the work during her postdoctoral research at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute within NASA Ames Research Center.
She explained that ice close to the surface is especially valuable because it could be accessed more easily than deeply buried deposits. This approach, known as in situ resource utilization, allows explorers to use materials already available on another planet rather than transporting everything from Earth.
Ice Just Beneath the Martian Surface
By studying high resolution orbital images, the research team examined the Martian landscape and found signs of ice less than 1 meter below the surface in Amazonis Planitia. This area lies in Mars' mid latitudes and is already being considered as a possible destination for future human landings.
"The mid-latitudes offer the perfect compromise -- they get enough sunlight for power, but they're still cold enough to preserve ice near the surface," Luzzi said. "That makes them ideal for future landing sites."
The team used images from HiRISE, the most detailed camera ever sent to another planet. These images revealed craters that expose ice, patterned ground known as polygonal terrain, and other surface features that often indicate ice just below the surface.
Why Water Ice Matters for Astronauts
Accessible water ice would allow astronauts to produce drinking water, breathable oxygen, fuel, and other essentials needed to survive and work on Mars for long periods.
"For the moon, it would take us one week, more or less, to go back and forth to Earth for resupply," said Giacomo Nodjoumi, a postdoctoral researcher at the Space Science Data Center of the Italian Space Agency and a co author of the study. "But for Mars, it would take months. So, we have to be prepared for not having resupply from Earth for extended periods of time.
"The most important resources are oxygen to breathe and water to drink. That's what makes our candidate landing site really promising."
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