The map appears in a new study published by the science journal Geophysical Research Letters, according to a Tuesday news release from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Using resources already in place on a planetary body rather than transporting them from Earth is part of a process NASA calls “in situ resource utilization.” Due to the large amounts of water people require, along with the incredible amount of energy needed to transport materials into space, taking this approach will likely be necessary for any potential human exploration of Mars.
The location of frozen water on Mars will be a crucial element of selecting a specific landing site for future astronauts. The map identifies color coded areas of ice under the surface of the planet, with “cool” colors of blue and purple representing areas where ice is present less than one foot under the surface, while “warm” colors show ice that is buried more than two feet deep.
One of the most promising areas for a potential landing is a region known as Arcadia Planitia, which is in the planet’s northern hemisphere. The area contains a “trove” of blue and purple, indicating ice located just below the surface.
“You wouldn’t need a backhoe to dig up this ice. You could use a shovel,” said JPL scientist Sylvain Piqueux, the paper’s lead author. “We’re continuing to collect data on buried ice on Mars, zeroing in on the best places for astronauts to land.”
The map was created using NASA instruments that already orbit the red planet. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) is aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, while the Mars Climate Sounder is on Mars Odyssey. Buried ice results in variations in the planet’s surface temperature, which the heat sensitive instruments detect. The data is then combined with other useful data to determine the location of the ice.
Scientists intend to continue their research and expect that the map will require updates as further discoveries are made.
“The more we look for near-surface ice, the more we find,” said JPL’s Leslie Tamppari. “Observing Mars with multiple spacecraft over the course of years continues to provide us with new ways of discovering this ice.”
While there is not a definitive timeline or a specific mission planned, NASA hopes to send astronauts to Mars by the 2030s. The space agency has more immediate plans for a human return to the moon. The Artemis program is set land “the first woman and next man” on the moon by 2024.
