According to NASA, there has been water discovered on Mars. There are multiple dark narrow slopes that flow downhill on this rocky planet, containing hydrated salts found by an imaging spectrometer on MRO. This all points towards the current presence of water. “It seems that the more we study Mars, the more we learn how life could be supported and where there are resources to support life in the future.” said Micheal Meyer, the leader of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. The discovery of water on Mars is both an amazing scientific discovery and also very helpful for the future since one day we may need to colonize this planet. 

According to Space.com, liquid water has definitely once existed on Mars. NASA has worked to find liquid water on Mars for almost 15 years now. Under Mars’ surface there has been ice found which may range from the size of California to Texas. Evidence for water on Mars first appeared in the year 2000, but in recent days there has been concrete evidence found (the sighting of hydrated minerals) confirming that water is still there.

So why exactly do we care about water on Mars so much? According to spaceplace.nasa.gov, almost everywhere that there is water on Earth, there is life.  Whether it be frozen water or boiling hot water, creatures have always found a way to thrive in water. Life cannot survive without this hydrogen-oxygen compound we need so desperately.

NASA’s exploration policy for Mars is to “follow the water” which means that they want to find signs of water so that even if we don’t find life on Mars, maybe it will be inhabited by humans.