NASA has made an amazing discovery on Mars. Curiosity rover detected methane in Gale Crater, but with strange forms: it appeared only at night and disappeared during the day. And, depending on the climate of the planet, it reached 40 times higher than usual.
The discovery raises questions about possible life on the Red Planet. According to the US space agency's hypothesis, the gas may be trapped under a layer of solidified salt that releases it with temperature changes. However, this has yet to be confirmed, and new tools and additional resources will be needed to explore this research in depth.
NASA scientists He used a portable chemistry lab on the Curiosity roverKnown as Sam (analysis of samples on Mars), to make this discovery. The discovery of methane on Mars is a major breakthrough because this gas has different origins. According to experts, andMethane is likely the result of geological activity, involving interactions between water and rocks deep on the Red Planet.
A study published in Journal of Geophysical Researches: Planets This suggests that methane may be trapped under layers of solid salt. Alexander Pavlov, a NASA planetary scientist, led the study and raises the possibility that Martian soil may have formed a salt composed of rocks and dust. According to Pavlov and his team of scientists, methane can be released in explosions when these salt layers explode under pressure. This explains why methane is mainly detected in Gale Crater, where the rover probed the surface of Mars.
This discovery brings many future opportunities. The valuable natural resources found on Mars are key to the long-term sustainability of future colonies without the need to rely on Earth and elsewhere.. Undoubtedly, these signs of methane are good news for NASA and other space agencies' programs.
Warning at NASA: They discovered a mutated bacteria and there is concern
At the forefront of space science, The International Space Station (ISS) serves not only as a home for astronauts but also as a laboratory for research that takes advantage of its unique environmental conditions.. Recently, a group Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers spent two years closely studying the bacteria Enterobacter buccandensis on the ISS.
Under the environmental pressure of the ISS, 13 strains of this bacteria “isolated from various locations within the ISS” not only survive, but also mutate and are genetically functional.. According to a report NASAThese strains were not only viable but also showed significant proliferation.
Even more worrisome, E. bugandensis coexists with other microbes, sometimes favoring mutual survival, which could complicate the immunity and health of astronauts.. The thesis, published in the journal microorganismrevealed details of microbial ecosystem dynamics and interactions between microbial communities within the ISS.
Closed man-made environments such as the ISS, Unique regions that provide an extreme environment subject to microgravity, radiation and high levels of carbon dioxide, a NASA press release explained. Understanding these processes is critical to improving disease prevention strategies on space missions and ensuring the health and safety of astronauts from pathogenic threats.
