[Regnum] On the surface of Mars, twice a day, conditions arise for the formation of liquid brines that could theoretically support life. This is the conclusion reached by American scientist Vincent F. Chevrier from the University of Arkansas based on almost 20 years of research on the Red Planet, who published the results of his study in the scientific journal Nature Communications Earth and Environment.
The researcher analyzed meteorological data from the Viking 2 landing site and used computer modeling to determine under what conditions a liquid phase from melting frost could appear on Mars. The key element was calcium perchlorate salts, which can keep water in a liquid state at subzero temperatures.
According to the calculations, brine conditions appear on the planet twice a day - early in the morning and late in the evening - at the end of the Martian winter and at the beginning of spring, when the frost and ice crust begin to melt. This season lasts for about a Martian month (about two Earth months) each year. And, although the volume of liquid water during this period is very small, its presence may be important for future research and planning of manned missions.
The scientist noted that even short-term liquid environments are capable of leaving chemical and geomorphological traces that remain on the surface of Mars, and they can be found during future expeditions. The conditions also refute the established idea of ​​the complete dryness of the Red Planet and expand the range of places where traces of microbial life can potentially be sought.
Earlier, on May 28, American entrepreneur, billionaire and head of the space corporation SpaceX Elon Musk named a flight to Mars as the main goal. At the same time, he did not rule out the possibility of a flight to the Moon.
Later that day, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Bakanov said that the Russian space industry is working on creating a nuclear-powered transport system capable of delivering up to 10 tons of payload to Mars orbit. He said that the ninth flight of the Starship rocket demonstrates the complexity of the technological task of delivering a large volume of payload to Mars.