Posted on Sep 29, 2015
On Monday, NASA held a press conference to discuss the first confirmed presence of liquid water on Mars.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) departed from Cape Canaveral almost nine years ago in an effort to examine the red planet's aquatic history. "Our quest on Mars has been to 'follow the water,' in our search for life in the universe, and now we have convincing science that validates what we've long suspected," said John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "This is a significant development, as it appears to confirm that water—albeit briny—is flowing today on the surface of Mars." The New York Times reported that, despite Mars once having rivers, lakes, and possibly an ocean a few billion years ago, the current moisture is "modest."
Learn more about NASA's pivotal discovery here: • NASA Confirms Evidence That Liquid Water Flows on Today's Mars (Jet Propulsion Laboratory - California Institute of Technology) • Mars Shows Signs of Having Flowing Water, Possible Niches for Life, NASA Says (The New York Times)• Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission Timeline Summary
