{"id":770557,"date":"2023-10-26T13:19:55","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T17:19:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=770557"},"modified":"2023-10-26T13:19:55","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T17:19:55","slug":"nasa-is-locating-ice-on-mars-with-this-new-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=770557","title":{"rendered":"NASA Is Locating Ice on Mars With This New Map"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-image-carousel grid-container grid-container-block padding-top-8 padding-bottom-8 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-image-carousel\">\n<div class=\"hds-carousel-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-carousel-slider margin-0\" id=\"image-carousel-slider\">\n<div class=\"display-block width-full\">\n<figure class=\"margin-0\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper hds-image-carousel-slide margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"371\" src=\"\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"The blue areas on this map of Mars are regions where NASA missions have detected subsurface water ice (from the equator to 60 degrees north latitude).\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%;object-fit: cover\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The blue areas on this map of Mars are regions where NASA missions have detected subsurface water ice (from the equator to 60 degrees north latitude). Scientists can use the map \u2013 part of the Subsurface Water Ice Mapping project \u2013 to decide where the first astronauts to set foot on the Red Planet should land.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/Planetary Science Institute<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-block width-full\">\n<figure class=\"margin-0\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper hds-image-carousel-slide margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%;object-fit: cover\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">These Mars global maps show the likely distribution of water ice buried within the upper 3 feet (1 meter) of the planet\u2019s surface and represent the latest data from the SWIM project. Buried ice will be a vital resource for astronauts on Mars, serving as drinking water and a key ingredient for rocket fuel.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/PSI<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-carousel-nav display-flex margin-left-auto margin-right-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"hds-carousel-nav-arrow hds-carousel-arrow-prev\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"hds-carousel-nav-arrow hds-carousel-arrow-next margin-right-0\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>The map could help the agency decide where the first astronauts to the Red Planet should land. The more available water, the less missions will need to bring.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Buried ice will be a vital resource for the first people to set foot on Mars, serving as drinking water and a key ingredient for rocket fuel. But it would also be a major scientific target: Astronauts or robots could one day drill <a href=\"https:\/\/climate.nasa.gov\/news\/2616\/core-questions-an-introduction-to-ice-cores\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ice cores<\/a> much as scientists do on Earth, uncovering the climate history of Mars and exploring potential habitats (past or present) for microbial life.<\/p>\n<p>The need to look for subsurface ice arises because liquid water isn\u2019t stable on the Martian surface: The atmosphere is so thin that water immediately vaporizes. There\u2019s plenty of ice at the Martian poles \u2013 mostly made of water, although carbon dioxide, or dry ice, can be found as well \u2013 but those regions are too cold for astronauts (or robots) to survive for long. <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s where the NASA-funded <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/where-should-future-astronauts-land-on-mars-follow-the-water\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Subsurface Water Ice Mapping project<\/a> comes in. SWIM, as it\u2019s known, recently released its <a href=\"https:\/\/ammos.nasa.gov\/marswatermaps\/?mission=MWR\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">fourth set of maps<\/a> \u2013 the most detailed since the project began in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Led by the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, and managed by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, SWIM pulls together data from several NASA missions, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (<a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mro\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MRO<\/a>), <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/odyssey\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2001 Mars Odyssey<\/a>, and the now-inactive <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mars-exploration\/missions\/mars-global-surveyor\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mars Global Surveyor<\/a>. Using a mix of data sets, scientists have identified the likeliest places to find Martian ice that could be accessed from the surface by future missions.<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1108\" src=\"\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%;object-fit: cover\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The ice-exposing impact crater at the center of this image is an example of what scientists look for when mapping places where future astronauts should land on Mars. It\u2019s one of several such impacts incorporated into the latest version of a series of NASA-funded maps of subsurface water ice on the Red Planet.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/University of Arizona<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Instruments on these spacecraft have detected what look like masses of subsurface frozen water along Mars\u2019 mid-latitudes. The northern mid-latitudes are especially attractive because they have a thicker atmosphere than most other regions on the planet, making it easier to slow a descending spacecraft. The ideal astronaut landing sites would be a sweet spot at the southernmost edge of this region \u2013 far enough north for ice to be present but close enough to the equator to ensure the warmest possible temperatures for astronauts in an icy region.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you send humans to Mars, you want to get them as close to the equator as you can,\u201d said Sydney Do, JPL\u2019s SWIM project manager. \u201cThe less energy you have to expend on keeping astronauts and their supporting equipment warm, the more you have for other things they\u2019ll need.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Building a Better Map<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Previous iterations of the map relied on lower-resolution imagers, radar, thermal mappers, and spectrometers, all of which can hint at buried ice but can\u2019t outright confirm its presence or quantity. For this latest SWIM map, scientists relied on two higher-resolution cameras aboard MRO. <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mro\/mission\/instruments\/ctx\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Context Camera<\/a> data was used to further refine the northern hemisphere maps and, for the first time, <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mro\/mission\/instruments\/hirise\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">HiRISE<\/a> (High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) data was incorporated to provide the most detailed perspective of the ice\u2019s boundary line as close to the equator as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists routinely use HiRISE to study fresh impact craters caused by meteoroids that may have excavated chunks of ice. Most of these craters are no more than 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter, although in 2022 HiRISE captured a <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/news\/9289\/nasas-insight-lander-detects-stunning-meteoroid-impact-on-mars\/?site=insight\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">492-foot-wide (150-meter-wide)<\/a> impact crater that revealed a motherlode of ice that had been hiding beneath the surface.<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%;object-fit: cover\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">In this artist\u2019s concept, NASA astronauts drill into the Martian subsurface. The agency has created new maps that show where ice is most likely to be easily accessible to future astronauts.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThese ice-revealing impacts provide a valuable form of ground truth in that they show us locations where the presence of ground ice is unequivocal,\u201d said Gareth Morgan, SWIM\u2019s co-lead at the Planetary Science Institute. \u201cWe can then use these locations to test that our mapping methods are sound.\u201d<a \/><\/p>\n<p>In addition to ice-exposing impacts, the new map includes sightings by HiRISE of so-called \u201cpolygon terrain,\u201d where the seasonal expansion and contraction of subsurface ice causes the ground to form polygonal cracks. Seeing these polygons extending around fresh, ice-filled impact craters is yet another indication that there\u2019s more ice hidden beneath the surface at these locations.<\/p>\n<p>There are other mysteries that scientists can use the map to study, as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe amount of water ice found in locations across the Martian mid-latitudes isn\u2019t uniform; some regions seem to have more than others, and no one really knows why,\u201d said Nathaniel Putzig, SWIM\u2019s other co-lead at the Planetary Science Institute. \u201cThe newest SWIM map could lead to new hypotheses for why these variations happen.\u201d He added that it could also help scientists tweak models of how the ancient Martian climate evolved over time, leaving larger amounts of ice deposited in some regions and lesser amounts in others.<\/p>\n<p>SWIM\u2019s scientists hope the project will serve as a foundation for a proposed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/nasa-international-partners-assess-mission-to-map-ice-on-mars-guide-science-priorities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mars Ice Mapper<\/a> mission \u2013 an orbiter that would be equipped with a powerful radar custom-designed to search for near-surface ice beyond where HiRISE has confirmed its presence.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>News Media Contacts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Andrew Good<br \/>Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br \/>818-393-2433<br \/><a href=\"mailto:andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Karen Fox \/ Alana Johnson<br \/>NASA Headquarters, Washington<br \/>301-286-6284 \/ 202-358-1501<br \/><a href=\"mailto:karen.c.fox@nasa.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">karen.c.fox@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ <a href=\"mailto:alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2023-150<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 article_a hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\t<!-- This should be a block --><\/p>\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-twitter  social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\" aria-label=\"Link to X.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow 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class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\tOct 26, 2023\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"article-tags\">\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/jpl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Jet Propulsion Laboratory<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mars\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mars<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Solar System<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\n<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\">\n<h2 style=\"max-width: 100%\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/get-involved\/citizen-science\/nasas-scientists-and-volunteers-tackle-the-october-14-solar-eclipse\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<div 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Most of the time we can easily forget\u2026<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 day ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/europa-clipper\/how-nasa-is-protecting-europa-clipper-from-space-radiation\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%;object-fit: cover\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">5 min read<\/div>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\">\n<h3 class=\"related-article-title\">How NASA Is Protecting Europa Clipper From Space Radiation<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/roman-space-telescope\/why-nasas-roman-mission-will-study-milky-ways-flickering-lights\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%;object-fit: cover\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">6 min read<\/div>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\">\n<h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Why NASA\u2019s Roman Mission Will Study Milky Way\u2019s Flickering Lights<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p>&#013;<br \/>\n&#013;<br \/>\n&#013;<br \/>\n Click here for original story, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/planets\/mars\/nasa-is-locating-ice-on-mars-with-this-new-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NASA Is Locating Ice on Mars With This New Map<\/a>&#013;<br \/>\n&#013;<br \/>\n&#013;<br \/>\nSource: NASA Breaking News&#013;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The blue areas on this map of Mars are regions where NASA missions have detected subsurface water ice (from the equator to 60 degrees north latitude). Scientists can use the&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":615444,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-770557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-NASA"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=770557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770557\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/615444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=770557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=770557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=770557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}