New Study Suggests Mars May Hide Enough Water for a Global Ocean—Will This Spur Human Settlement?

An artist's impression of how Mars may have looked about four billion years ago.Photo byESO/M. Kornmesser

A recent study has unveiled a tantalizing possibility: Mars might be hiding a global ocean beneath its dusty surface. From NASA’s Mars InSight lander data, this groundbreaking discovery suggests that the Red Planet could harbor enough water underground to fill a vast ocean. As we ponder the implications of this hidden water, one pressing question emerges: Could this discovery not only accelerate but also make human settlement on Mars a promising reality?

The findings come from an analysis of seismic data from the InSight lander, which recorded over 1,300 marsquakes before its mission concluded two years ago. Vashan Wright, the lead scientist from the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and his team concluded that substantial amounts of water might be trapped in Mars’ crust, about 7 to 12 miles below the surface. This water is believed to be a remnant of a time when Mars was significantly wetter, with rivers, lakes, and possibly oceans.

Photo byNASA/JPL-CALTECH

This potential Martian ocean provides clues about the planet’s past and ignites speculation about its future. If Mars harbors vast water reserves, it could play a crucial and exciting role in future space missions. Water is essential for supporting human life, and the presence of such reserves might be a game-changer for plans to establish a human presence on the Red Planet.

NASA’s Perseverance Rover, which landed on Mars in 2020, has already begun producing oxygen on the planet. Amitabha Ghosh, a NASA space scientist, highlighted that water is not only necessary for human survival but also for producing rocket fuel. The prospect of a Martian ocean could significantly advance these efforts, making Mars a more viable destination for future colonists.

Perseverance rover on Mars.Photo byGetty Images/dima_zel/iStock

SpaceX, the rocket company led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has long been at the forefront of plans to colonize Mars. For over a decade, Musk has envisioned a Martian city with habitats and infrastructure. SpaceX’s ambitious Starship project aims to transport up to 200 people to Mars in about six months. The idea of a hidden Martian ocean could accelerate these plans, providing a crucial resource for sustaining human life and fueling interplanetary travel.

Musk’s vision is not isolated. The United Arab Emirates, through its Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, aims to establish a human settlement on Mars by 2117. The discovery of significant water reserves could transform this vision from science fiction into a tangible goal within the next decade.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk believes Starship could attempt its first Mars landings as early as 2024.Photo bySpaceX

However, the prospect of living on Mars raises significant challenges and ethical questions. The cost of space missions remains prohibitively high. For instance, in 2011, billionaire Guy Laliberte paid $35 million for a space trip, and Bigelow Space Operations has projected costs of $52 million for a seat on the International Space Station.

Moreover, the idea of establishing human colonies on Mars is not without controversy. Critics argue that colonizing a new planet could exacerbate the environmental damage inflicted on Earth. Ian Stoner, a philosophy instructor at Saint Paul College Minnesota, warns that introducing Earth microorganisms to Mars could disrupt any potential indigenous life forms, causing ecological harm.

As we stand on the brink of these extraordinary possibilities, discovering a Martian ocean adds excitement and complexity to our quest for interplanetary exploration. It raises the stakes for future missions and underscores the need to consider the ethical implications of expanding human presence beyond Earth. Whether or not we will see a Martian city in our lifetime, this finding brings us one step closer to understanding the mysteries of our planetary neighbor and the potential for a new chapter in human history.