NASA revisits long-running Martian mystery as new data points to rock and dust

Scientists have taken another look at the subsurface of Mars, continuing to close gaps in the long-running Martian mystery. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) used an enhanced radar technique that showed a feature once thought to be an underground lake may actually be a layer of rock and dust buried beneath thousands of feet of ice on the planet’s south pole. 

MRO used a special maneuver that rolls the spacecraft over 120 degrees. This enhances the power of SHARAD, which is MRO’s Shallow Radar instrument used to examine the subsurface structure and composition of Mars. The "roll" then enables "the radar’s signal to penetrate deeper underground and provide a clearer image of the subsurface," NASA wrote. 

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The maneuver has been very effective that scientists are eager to use the "rolls" at previously observed sites where buried ice may exist.  

Before its success, team members had struggled because the radar’s antenna is at the back of MRO, causing the orbiter's body to obstruct its view and weaken the instrument's sensitivity. 

After much work, engineers were able to establish the 120-degree roll, directing more of SHARAD’s signal to the surface. The technique requires careful planning to keep the spacecraft safe.

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NASA explains that the discovery of the suspected lake in 2018 launched a surge of scientific activity, as water is closely linked to life in the solar system. 

One of MRO’s SHARAD instrument scientists, Gareth Morgan, stated, "The lake hypothesis generated lots of creative work, which is exactly what exciting scientific discoveries are supposed to do. And while this new data won’t settle the debate, it makes it very hard to support the idea of a liquid water lake."

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Although recent findings do not reinforce the idea of a lake below the Martian surface, it does suggest that the same radar technique could support future explorers, checking for subsurface resources elsewhere on Mars.