Why are scientists obsessed about finding water on Mars?

@thebigk • Oct 24, 2024

Oct 24, 2024

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The latest update from NASA Curiosity team is that the rover has drilled the Red Planet to find traces of water. It has completed drilling (for the first time by any bot on Mars) and has collected enough samples to analyse and see if water existed on Mars. Here's how the drill spot looks -

NASA-Drill

I'm more interested in knowing what's making NASA spent so much of time, energy and money on discovering water on the distant planet? Are humans planning to setup civilisation on Mars? It's already known that Mars' thinner atmospheric blanket can't retain energy and may not be suitable for humans to survive.

What's the real reason behind the quest for water on Mars?

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ISHAN TOPRE

@ishan-nohePN • Feb 11, 2013

It is proved that, Mars was just like earth until, its magnetic field was destroyed. This led to destruction of atmosphere on Mars. So the materials present in liquid state on its surface were exposed to intense solar radiation evaporated and escaped to outside universe.

Yet the possibility that liquid materials (possibly water) might be present somewhere deep in its crust or still at a greater depth.

Hence an answer to your question.

Second supporting fact is that, there may be ecosystem (medium) on other planets that can sustain life On earth, we have water. So, if we can find water, we can definitely say, life exists/ existed on Mars. Moreover, The scientists are also interested in further research.
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Ramani Aswath

@ramani-VR4O43 • Feb 11, 2013

It is (sorry for the pun) curiosity.

Organic life is possible only with water. In the vastness of the universe there must be some other life (hopefully intelligent).
The quest is to see if any traces are available.
It will be the height of optimism to think of sending excess population of the Earth to Mars. The cost, not to put too fine a point on it, will be more than astronomical.

Though the Encahnted Mind Lion's (Man Mhan Singh) government that palms off smart palm tops to BPL population may attempt that too.
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Feb 11, 2013

Oh well! We *know* that we won't be able to form colonies or plant trees on Mars. Why bother researching whether water really exists there or not? Why not make efforts on finding out whether there's a planet where life 'can' exist?

I might even begin believing the conspiracy theories about the curiosity. 😖
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