Mars is super dry. So where was water discovered? Up until now, there has been no proof, until the Mars Curiosity Rover did a test on its first sample of Martian soil from the planet's surface, discovering that two percent of it is made up of water.
Curiosity scooped up a sample of Martian soil and used its on-board equipment, which includes spectrometers to analyze the sample.
It allowed the rover to heat up the sample and break it down to find its chemical components. One of those components it found, was water. There was also chlorine and oxygen in the soil.
This could mean that the water is readily available anywhere on the planet. Still, there's a lot more work for Curiosity to do.
This discovery could further fuel the question of whether Mars has ever sustained life. Could it also be a stronger case for future Mars explorations?
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Dean Laurie Leshin said, “When we send people [to Mars], they could scoop up the soil anywhere on the surface, heat it just a bit, and obtain water.” This is obviously good news for future participants in the Mars One Project.
NASA, via
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute