Scientists identify perfect location on Mars where first human settlers can live

Scientists identify perfect location on Mars where first human settlers can live
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Scientists have discovered Amazonis Planitia, a volcanic plain on Mars’ mid-latitudes, as an ideal location for the first human settlers due to accessible water ice just beneath the surface, Earth.com reported. Led by University of Mississippi geologist Erica Luzzi, the study used high-resolution images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to detect features such as fresh craters and polygonal fractures indicative of shallow ground ice.

This ice is crucial for astronauts’ survival, providing water for drinking, oxygen, growing food, and making rocket fuel. Unlike polar ice, which is abundant but too cold and dark for solar power, and equatorial ice buried too deep, the mid-latitudes offer a “Goldilocks” zone with enough sunlight and near-surface ice.

Future missions will use radar and robotic drills to confirm ice presence and accessibility. This discovery not only supports sustainable human exploration but also holds astrobiological potential, as ice may preserve signs of past life on Mars. The findings appear in the Journal of Geophysical Research Planets.