... The network of shorter valleys shown in the first perspective image is thought to have formed through volcanic activity melting subsurface ice and liberating water to the martiansurface via seeps and springs. ...
... but takes the next step in Mars exploration by determining whether this region, which may encompass as much as 25 percent of the martiansurface, is habitable," said Peter Smith, Phoenix principal investigator at the University of Arizona in Tucson ...
... Researchers using a powerful instrument aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have found a long-sought mineral on the martiansurface and, with it, unexpected clues to the Red Planet's watery past. ...
... Curiosity's images of conglomerate rocks indicate that atmospheric conditions at Gale Crater once enabled the flow of liquid water on the martiansurface. ...
... note however, the researchers add that this suggests that any microorganisms that may be transported to Mars from Earth by mistake are unlikely to be able to survive on the martiansurface, something that is of current concern for planetary protection ...
... To protect against the comparatively low energy of typical SEPs, astronauts might need to move into havens with extra shielding on a spacecraft or on the martiansurface or employ other countermeasures. ...
... Clues on the martiansurface, including features resembling dry riverbeds and minerals that only form in the presence of water, suggest Mars once had a denser atmosphere that supported the presence of liquid water on the surface. ...