A photo from open sources
Almost every month, the press writes about the adventures of the rover Curiosity, which finds water-containing minerals in the mountains rocks and other evidence that could indirectly confirm the existence of life on Mars in the distant past. But from the point of view direct evidence of the Martian rover stay only scratched surface of the red planet. This was stated by geochemist Yang Amend of the University of Southern California. Amend spoke at Space Telescope Science Insititute Conference in Baltimore 5 April.
Curiosity drill penetrated at best just a few centimeters into the crust of Mars. Amend believes that the life of the Red Planet hides deep beneath the crust in a kilometer or more from a dead orange surface. Even if ancient rivers and lakes on Mars evaporated, it is very likely that in the bowels of the planet significant amount of water in liquid or frozen form.
Microbiological chemistry is being studied at the Amenda laboratory. ocean hydrothermal springs. NASA recently highlighted funds to his astrobiological team for search experiments life deep in the bowels of the earth to better explore the possibilities the same search on our neighboring planets and moons. After all, under the bark ocean, it turns out, life is literally boiling and pleasing with its variety.
Scientists from Caltech, JPL, will also be involved in the project. Japan Agency for Researchers in Geological Sciences and Technology, as well as a number of other American institutions.
It is believed that a third of carbon biomass is locked underground bark. The team will have to go down much lower than sedimentary rocks at the bottom of the earth’s oceans into porous rocks to find life. The scene – the bottom of the center of the Atlantic Ocean – is located more than two and a half kilometers below the surface of the water. More “Martian” conditions require immersion in mines with a depth of half a kilometer, as, for example, in Death Valley in California.
This region under the deserts of the Earth is almost as alien as Mars – but much more affordable. It is completely unknown how many life forms hiding in pitch darkness under a rocky surface in conditions high pressure and low nutrient medium.
“We face frontier biology in search of new organisms, “says Amend.
The idea of the underground biosphere was widely covered in the novel by Jules Verne Journey to the Center of the Earth, 1864. Perhaps being inspired by Charles Darwin, Verne described how his geologists found prehistoric life forms deep beneath the Earth. Now underground the life of our planet will help scientists find life in other worlds.
Over the next five years, Amend will launch two-meter probes in the form of torpedoes called SEAL downhole in a mine shaft. His task there will be a search for any organisms that live deep underground. They deliberately received the name “intraterrestrial”.
New Life Detection Technologies Developed explorers of the depths of the biosphere, may be the forerunners of what will be sent to the moons and planets of tomorrow. They are include miniature ultraviolet microscopes for detection luminescent creatures.
The probes will search for germs, collect data for their analysis and try to grow them locally (as was part of the experiment Viking Mars in 1976). Other samples will be sent to laboratory for analysis. The ultimate goal of research is to figure out how more about the range of conditions in which it can develop a life.
Among the microorganisms found in these studies, there are firmicutes, spore-forming bacteria, able to survive in extreme conditions. But the most curious of everyone is a microbe desulforudis audaxviator that lives almost at a mile depth. This organism is one of the few able to survive without sunlight, oxygen or organic compounds. Millions of years he lives thanks to chemical sources foods that are derived from radioactive decay.
“This organism always has everything it needs,” – notes Amend. – “It breaks down water into hydrogen and oxygen to metabolism. ”
This bacterium is the only one at this depth. Her DNA is 99% represented by one species. It seems she will feel on Mars at home.
A photo from open sources
But to get to such deep-sea inhabitants on Mars, you need to deliver the rig to the Red Planet. Maybe in In the future, this will be the main goal of manned missions to Mars.
On the other hand, if people still don’t manage space tourism, perhaps once a muscular robot with artificial intelligence he will bring the rig to Mars, assemble it and be himself researcher and team.
Another difficulty is that on Mars, the drill cannot overcome the pressure of dirt, water or even gas to cleanse oneself from the trash. Engineers will have to develop new methods of clean drilling. Martian drill needs effective conservation method open wells without using heavy steel materials.
As an alternative method, put forward the creation of a series of robots, which will bite into the rock, crushing it.
In 2007, NASA discovered something similar to underground entrances. caves on Mars. They are located on the slopes of the volcano Arsia Mons, which is 30 times the size of Hawaiian Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on earth. These burrowed labyrinths can open the way to the underground voids. And if Vern lived in the 21st century, he would have the opportunity to write a sequel to his novel called “Journey to the center of Mars.”
Water Volcanoes DNA Life Mars NASA Robots Mars Rover Curiosity
