Why we need to go back to Mars - Joel Levine

TL;DR

We need to return to Mars because it may preserve evidence about planetary history and possible life beyond Earth. Mars has subsurface ice, ancient signs of rivers and oceans, and atmospheric methane; on Earth, 99.9% of methane is produced by living systems. Ares, NASA’s robotic rocket-powered airplane, would examine the atmosphere, surface, and magnetism from above. Read on to see why those clues and capabilities matter.

Transcript

I want to talk about 4.6 billion years of history in 18 minutes that's 300 million years per minute let's start with the first photograph NASA obtained of planet Mars this is flyby Mariner 4 it was taken in 1965 when this picture appeared that well-known scientific journal the New York Times wrote in its editorial Mars is uninteresting it's a dead ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌥️ Mars has unique geological features, such as Olympus Mons (the largest volcano), Valles Marineris (the largest canyon), and Hellas Basin (the largest impact crater).
• 💦 The presence of subsurface water on Mars suggests a history of abundant liquid water, potentially supporting the conditions necessary for life.
• 🤨 The discovery of methane in the Martian atmosphere raises the possibility of biological activity on the planet.
• ✈️ Ares, a robotic rocket-powered airplane, is designed to explore Mars from the air, providing a new perspective and valuable data for future missions.
• 💨 Successful testing of Ares in wind tunnels and at high altitudes on Earth solidifies confidence in its ability to fly on Mars.
• 😨 Ares represents a significant step towards advancing our understanding of Mars and inspiring scientific and technological advancements.
• 🧑‍🔬 The study of Mars is crucial for national security and economic vitality, as it nurtures the next generation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technologists.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do we need to go back to Mars?

Mars may help answer whether life exists outside Earth and preserve geological history that Earth has lost through plate tectonics. Evidence of ancient water, subsurface ice, atmospheric methane, and unexplained crustal magnetism makes it a compelling target for further study.

Q: Why does Joel Levine consider Mars a likely place to find life beyond Earth?

Mars appears to have had rivers, lakes, and planetary-scale oceans early in its history, providing water that could have supported life. Methane has also been detected in its atmosphere, and on Earth 99.9% of methane is produced by living systems.

Q: What evidence suggests that Mars once had rivers and oceans?

Images from Spirit and Opportunity show features associated with fast-flowing surface water. The northern hemisphere also contains a depression of about four miles that is identified as the likely location of an ancient planetary-scale ocean.

Q: Is there water on Mars today?

There is no liquid water on the Martian surface today, but water exists as ice in the polar caps and below the surface. Measurements from the Odyssey orbiter indicated that some subsurface areas contain 16% frozen water by weight.

Q: Why is methane in the Martian atmosphere significant?

Methane was observed in three distinct regions of the Martian atmosphere. Because 99.9% of methane on Earth is produced by living systems, its presence raises the possibility of microscopic life on or below Mars, although the transcript does not establish its source.

Q: What makes Mars geologically remarkable?

Mars contains Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, and Valles Marineris, its largest canyon. It also has Hellas Basin, described as the solar system’s largest impact crater at 2,000 miles across, plus highly magnetized crustal regions that remain unexplained.

Q: What did the Viking missions accomplish on Mars?

In the summer of 1976, NASA sent two Viking orbiters and two landers, placing four spacecraft around and on Mars. A Viking lander produced the first photograph taken from the surface of any planet.

Q: How would Ares contribute to Mars exploration?

Ares is a robotic rocket-powered airplane designed to examine Mars from the air. It would collect high-resolution atmospheric measurements, search for biogenic gases, study the surface and magnetism, transmit images to Earth, and help inspire future scientists and engineers.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• NASA has extensively studied Mars since obtaining its first photograph in 1965, revealing fascinating features such as Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, and Valles Marineris, the largest canyon.

• Although there is no liquid water on Mars today, evidence suggests that it had rivers and oceans in its early history, and there is subsurface water in the form of ice.

• The presence of methane in the Martian atmosphere, a gas typically associated with living systems on Earth, has raised questions about the possibility of life on Mars.