ALJAZEERA: Scientists have discovered that soil on Mars contains about 2 percent water, according to research being hailed as a major breakthrough in the quest to discover if the red planet is, or ever has been, habitable for living organisms.
A paper published today in the journal Science confirms earlier studies finding that ice is present under the Martian surface — and the new report goes further, concluding that water can be extracted from soil samples.
It is the latest discovery using the Mars Science Laboratory mission’s Curiosity rover, which was launched from Cape Canaveral in 2011 and touched down on Mars’ Gale Crater in August 2012. The rover is tasked, in part, with finding out if Mars has ever hosted life… (more)
