NASA's 2018 discovery of a hidden Martian lake may be a myth
In short: A liquid lake was long thought by researchers to exist under many thousands of feet of ice at the south pole of Mars. However, new radar data suggests we might be looking at something far less exotic—but still vital for future human exploration.
The mystery began in 2018 when NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) detected a signal that sparked a flurry of scientific activity. Because liquid water is fundamentally linked to the possibility of life in our solar system, the prospect of a subsurface lake beneath the Red Planet's south pole became a primary focus for researchers.
To solve the mystery, scientists led by Gareth Morgan and Than Putzig utilized an innovative radar technique. By partnering with the operations team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, they developed a maneuver that rolls the MRO spacecraft 120 degrees. This 'very large roll' allows the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instrument to bypass the orbiter's own body, which normally obstructs the antenna and weakens its sensitivity. This maneuver enables the radar signal to penetrate deeper underground to provide a clearer image of the subsurface.
On May 26, SHARAD performed this roll to scan a target area spanning about 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) buried under a slab of water ice nearly 1 mile (1,500 meters) thick. Data appearing in Geophysical Research Letters on November 17 suggests that this site probably consists of dust and rock instead of a liquid lake. While this may be a disappointment for those seeking hidden oceans, the technique itself is a breakthrough. It proves that these large rolls can be used to scout for subsurface resources elsewhere on Mars, providing a roadmap for future human missions.
The mission continues to push boundaries, with the Perseverance rover currently investigating complex rocks in the Jezero Crater and the Ingenuity helicopter setting records for speed and distance. These efforts, combined with the MRO's radar advancements, form the backbone of the ongoing Space Race to understand and eventually colonize the Red Planet.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 50 Years Later, NASA's Mystery on Mars is Still Unsolved
- Also: NASA Orbiter Shines New Light on Long-Running Martian Mystery - NASA
- Also: NASA Science — The Mars Report - NASA Science
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