Life on Mars Hopes After Ice Find

Massive fields of ice have been discovered on Mars, raising hopes that the Red Planet could support life.

The speed and extent of the discovery of water has stunned scientists who had only just directed instruments on the US Mars Odyssey spacecraft towards the planet. The data they have received is the strongest indication yet that the planet once harboured life, and may still support it today.

'The signal we're getting is loud and clear. We're not just looking at surface frost. There's lots of ice on Mars,' said Stephen Saunders, project scientist for Odyssey.

Water is the matrix of life. Without it, biology is impossible. Hence, scientists' joy at finding large amounts in the planet's southern hemisphere.

'This is very good news,' said Prof Colin Pillinger, leader of Britain's Beagle 2 mission, which aims to land a robot-probe on Mars next year. 'Wherever you find [water] on Earth, you find life. This discovery has to be very encouraging.'

Odyssey is the first spacecraft to reach Mars since two planetary probes were destroyed during their final approaches to the planet in 1999. It is designed to conduct the first chemical analysis of the entire Martian surface.

The craft - launched on 7 April from Cape Canaveral - reached Mars in October and has been slowly manoeuvring itself into a low orbit since then. Last week, scientists turned on their instruments and began surveying the planet. Within hours they were rewarded with reams of data, including strong evidence of water. Such early results are unprecedented in a mission of this nature.

'We have a whopping signal,' said Arizona University's William Boynton who directs the probe's water-detectors. 'It blew us away.'

Odyssey uses three different devices to determine the chemical constituents of Martian soil. The planet's surface is bombarded by cosmic rays, and each chemical constituent of its soil emits a high-energy sub-atomic particle when struck by such radiation. Each chemical produces a particle of a particular type and energy, and this acts as a signature for its presence.

All three water-detectors on Odyssey have observed substantial amounts of water in the Martian soil. 'The fact we see a clear signature of ice from three different instruments makes the conclusion that there are significant amounts... a sound one,' said Boynton.