NASA and the Maven Mission has been tweeting a lot about Mars lately. But not selfies via Curiosity. Or updates about bringing potato farming to the Red Planet. This time, NASA is tweeting more data-driven updates. The NASA space probe Maven has finally delivered solar wind erosion data. Allowing scientists to further understand what makes Mars so unbelievably dry and cold. Will this unlock the secrets to the ancient Martian civilization NASA so desperately wants to find? Or are they spending billions on secrets that don’t exist?
The NASA Maven Data Explained
The NASA space probe Maven has been collecting Mars data since 2014. It has been hovering around the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere. In hopes of helping scientists gain a better understanding of the Martian climate. Maven has found a river of electrically charged particles blowing in from the sun. Which is pulling gas from Mars’ atmosphere. This is happening at a rate of 100 grams per second. Which is a lot. The solar wind particles gain energy and then escape into the void of space. NASA believes that this is what has caused the Red Planet’s current climate.
Secrets Behind Red Planet Extinction
Mars was once an inviting place. Scientists believe it was a warm and wet environment prior to the sea of solar wind particles blown toward the planet. The secrets of the Martian planet’s now uninhabitable dry and cold climate may have been finally revealed. Thanks to Maven. Will this stripping of energy continue? We will have to wait for science to come up with answers. But it could spell disaster for Mars. The new data could also unlock more Martian secrets. It may offer a brief window into the hypothesized ancient Martian civilization. And the secrets behind life on other planets.
Does This Mean Mars Retirement Colonies Won’t Happen?
There are a few billionaires that have Mars inspired retirement plans. Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX believes humans will travel to Mars within 10 years time. It is also rumored that Musk has plans on retiring to the Red Planet. The NASA’s budget this year is $19.3 billion. So if there is a way to colonize Mars, they are front-runners. But the question remains. Why are we so intent on leaving prime real estate for such an uninhabitable place? Is earth really that bad?
