Spirit rover data uncovers mineral clues to Mars' watery past
TL;DR
A reanalysis of Spirit rover measurements from 2004–2010 reveals widespread crystalline hematite and altered magnetite in Martian soil at Gusev Crater, signaling past water-rock interactions and suggesting Mars may have hosted more liquid water than previously thought; the finding, published in Interactions, highlights the ongoing value of reexamining archived mission data with new methods.
- 'Significant areas of Mars may have once been covered by water': Scientists find hidden clue in Spirit rover data Space
- Mars was once covered in rivers and lakes, and the mystery of where all that water went now has two answers: some was stripped away into space, and a great deal of it may still be there, locked deep in the planet's crust Space Daily
- Laying odds on the potential for Martian water near future landing zones Phys.org
- NASA Spirit rover data reveals fresh hidden clue that water once covered large parts of Mars starlust.org
- Current Water Trapping Micro-habitats On The Surface Of Mars Astrobiology Web
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