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August marks the month that celebrates NASA’s 15 years of orbiting Mars through its satellites like the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been monitoring any activity on the Red Planet. To celebrate the historic occasion, the agency released satellite photos, showing the unusual avalanche aftermath on Martian terrain.
Back in May 2019, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was able to capture an unusual event on Mars, and satellite photos of the Red Planet showed what looked to be the aftermath of a Martian avalanche. NASA released these photos in time for its 15th anniversary. With the use of the Hi-RISE camera, the orbiter captured the avalanche in detail. The avalanche occurred near Mars’s northern polar region, with the ice fell off a Martian cliff measuring 1,640 feet high.
“The image also reveals layers at Mars’ north pole during spring. As temperatures increase and vaporize ice, the destabilized ice blocks break loose and kick up dust,” said NASA.
“Since leaving Earth 15 years ago, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has reshaped our understanding of the Red Planet. The veteran spacecraft studies temperatures in Mars’ thin atmosphere, peers underground with radar, and detects minerals on the planet’s surface,” the agency said about the 15th anniversary.
NASA has since launched its Perseverance Rover, which is currently on its way to the Red Planet to scout for possible life on the Martian surface. The Perseverance Rover is expected to touch down on Mars next year in 2021.
Among the plans that space agencies have when it comes to further exploration of the universe is being able to colonize neighboring planets. As agencies have set their sights on Mars being the next best location, an expert believes that the wealthiest tourists may actually be able to set foot on the surface of any planet through space hotels. All this would supposedly be done within this decade as humans aim to have more of a presence in space.
This claim was made by author Christopher Wanjek, who penned “Spacefarers: How Humans will Settle the Moon, Mars, and Beyond.” Wanjek expressed doubt on whether NASA could really meet its 2024 deadline for its Artemis mission, which will put the next humans on the Moon and establish a lunar base.
Wanjek instead suggested that Space Hotels would most likely be the next step in expanding human presence in space.
