Researchers have pinpointed a region on Mars where water ice lies just beneath the surface, potentially ideal for future human missions. The site in Amazonis Planitia balances sunlight for power with cold temperatures to preserve the ice. This discovery could support astronauts' needs for water, oxygen, and fuel without relying on Earth resupplies.
A study led by Erica Luzzi, a planetary geologist and postdoctoral researcher at the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute, suggests Amazonis Planitia in Mars' mid-latitudes as a prime candidate for human landings. Published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, the research analyzed high-resolution images from the HiRISE camera, revealing signs of water ice less than one meter below the surface. Features like craters exposing ice and polygonal terrain indicate its presence.
"If we're going to send humans to Mars, you need H2O and not just for drinking, but for propellant and all manner of applications," Luzzi explained. She conducted the work during her postdoctoral stint at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute within NASA Ames Research Center. The site's accessibility aligns with in situ resource utilization, allowing astronauts to harvest local materials rather than transport them from Earth.
The mid-latitudes provide a key advantage: sufficient sunlight for solar power while remaining cold enough to keep ice stable near the surface. "The mid-latitudes offer the perfect compromise—they get enough sunlight for power, but they're still cold enough to preserve ice near the surface," Luzzi noted. Co-author Giacomo Nodjoumi, a postdoctoral researcher at the Space Science Data Center of the Italian Space Agency, highlighted the logistical challenges: "For the moon, it would take us one week, more or less, to go back and forth to Earth for resupply. But for Mars, it would take months."
Beyond survival, the ice holds astrobiological promise. "This also has astrobiological implications," Luzzi said. "On Earth, ice can preserve biomarkers of past life, and it can also host microbial populations. So, it could tell us if Mars was ever habitable."
Confirmation requires further steps, including radar analyses to assess ice depth and composition, followed by robotic missions. "We will never be sure of something if we don't have a rover, a lander or a human to take real measurements," Nodjoumi cautioned. While human exploration of Mars is years away, this finding narrows potential sites for safe and sustainable landings.