Chapter 1007 A Discovery that Shocked the World

Chapter 1007 A discovery that shocked the world~

"This is the Hanhai, calling Tang Hongbo of the Second Team of Yinghuo."

"The analysis of electromagnetic pulse radar detection data has been completed and is now sent to personal communication devices."

In the Cabro secondary crater, Tang Hongbo, who heard the voice of his teammates, quickly responded: "Received, how is the detection data?"

On the Hanhai space shuttle, looking at the detection data that had been analyzed, Gui Haichao's face showed various complex emotions such as disbelief, surprise, excitement, and excitement.

He pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose and said, "It's unbelievable. The content of water ice resources under the Kabulo secondary crater may be even more amazing than the data estimated by previous measurements from the Xinghai Research Institute."

Hearing this, Tang Hongbo asked curiously: "Approximately how many are there?"

Taking a deep breath, Gui Haichao controlled the space shuttle to quickly send the detection data back to the earth, and said: "Based on the current preliminary exploration data, the water ice resource reserves under the Kabulo secondary crater It can reach about 300 million cubic meters to 350 million cubic meters.”

Hearing this answer, Tang Hongbo asked in surprise: "Why is there such a big difference? Are you sure you are right?"

Data previously detected by the Xinghai Research Institute and Xiashu Space Base showed that there is an icehouse with a reserve of approximately 80 million to 120 million cubic meters buried about fifteen meters underground in the Kabulo secondary crater.

Although any lake on Earth can store far more liquid water than this number, an icehouse with more than 80 million cubic meters is really a large reserve for Mars.

The water ice resources they previously discovered in caves in the Antarctic lunar surface are approximately 20 million cubic meters, which is enough to support them in building a scientific research base in the Antarctic Aitken Basin that can accommodate four figures.

In addition, these water ice resources can even be recycled to complete the construction of the lunar biosphere project.

On Mars, the water ice resources in just one secondary crater are more than fifteen times that of the Aitken Basin in Antarctica.

It has to be said that judging from the current exploration results, Mars may have had a large amount of water resources in ancient times, and even an ocean that could cover the entire world.

On the space shuttle, Gui Haichao looked at the detection and analysis results on the screen and said quickly: "This underground icehouse is thicker and wider than the previous detection data. Judging from the current analysis results, its overall thickness has reached an astonishing About twelve meters.”

After a slight pause, he continued: "In addition, if the detection data is correct, then at your current coordinate point, Martian ice can theoretically be mined at a depth of about twelve meters."

Hearing this, Tang Hongbo quickly walked to the Mars rover, picked up a customized tablet from it, and looked through the data sent by Gui Haichao, with a look of surprise on his face.

With more than 300 million cubic meters of water resources, it is enough to build a large base that can accommodate tens of thousands of people, let alone a small fire landing team like theirs with only a few people.

After all, alien colonial bases are generally equipped with complete water circulation systems.

Theoretically, with current science and technology, they can achieve complete internal circulation of water resources without loss.

Of course, this is only theoretical. In fact, some of the losses will definitely not be reused due to various reasons.

But the water ice resources of more than 300 million cubic meters can be said to be enough for them to use, or even "squandered".

Even the large-scale "Mars crop cultivation" that they had originally considered but put aside in the short term due to the harsh environment on Mars can be put on the agenda in advance.

After communicating with Gui Haichao for a while, Tang Hongbo got off the Mars rover and returned to the small mobile drilling equipment.

After connecting a drilling pipe, the drilling equipment continued to drill deeper into the ground.

According to the latest detection data, the depth he needs to drill has been reduced from the original fifteen meters to around twelve meters.

Even though the drilling depth was only reduced by about three meters, it saved Tang Hongbo a lot of time when he was performing the sampling task.

The cores section by section are taken out from the drilling pipe, labeled with corresponding depths, first put into separate plastic bags, and then uniformly put into the storage box.

As time went by, the depth of drilling gradually exceeded ten meters.

When taking samples again, Tang Hongbo suddenly discovered that there were some traces of moisture on the gloves of the space suit. On the silver-white alloy drilling pipe, there were also a few drops of water stains dripping down the pipe.

This is the liquid water produced by the high temperature generated by the high-speed rotating drill melting the ice in the ground during the excavation process.

Seeing the scene in front of him, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Burrowed into the ice beneath the ground!

Tang Hongbo quickly disassembled the drilling pipe from the drilling equipment, and carefully took out the samples inside.

Underneath a section of mixed rocky clay layer are translucent icicles about 20 centimeters in length, which sparkle in the sunlight, as bright as diamonds.

As if holding a precious treasure, Tang Hongbo looked at it carefully for a long time before Jing Xiaoshenwei put it into the packaging bag.

Taking a deep breath, he continued to operate the small mobile drilling equipment to take deeper samples.

After sampling multiple groups of core samples at different depths, 10 meters, 15 meters, and 20 meters, he took a deep breath and connected to the communication of the Hanhai.

"Calling the Hanhai, the first-level core sampling of the Cabro secondary crater is completed."

After a short silence, the headset quickly received a reply from the Hanhai.

"How is the situation? Have you collected ice samples?"

Tang Hongbo quickly replied: "Yes!"

After a slight pause, he carried the samples to the rover and said: "Just like the previous detection data, ice resources were drilled at a depth of about 12 meters underground."

"However, it is not yet certain whether the ice contains minerals such as sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium sulfate. We need to return to the temporary base for testing."

"Received."

In the headset, Gui Haichao's smiling voice came: "The relevant testing equipment has been put into use, and Jiang Xinlin has successfully received it at the temporary base."

"Okay, I'll go back now!"

Tang Hongbo nodded, fixed the collected core samples, glanced at the drilling equipment that had been shut down but remained in place not far away, and asked casually.

"By the way, is it okay to leave these drilling equipment here?"

As soon as the question came out, he reacted, shook his head subconsciously, and couldn't help laughing.

This habit of being afraid of losing things on Earth is even afraid of being on Mars.

On the Hanhai space shuttle, Gui Haichao couldn't help but laughed and teased: "Why, are you still worried that a Martian will steal your equipment?"

Smiling casually, Tang Hongbo got on the Mars rover and rushed to the temporary base.

He didn't have much time left, so he had to go back as soon as possible, otherwise if something unexpected happened on the way, it would be terrible.

Although the oxygen resources on the space suits are enough to support their activities on the surface of Mars for about eight to eight and a half hours, with activities and various tasks, their activities on Mars should not exceed six hours.

And from the perspective of rules and regulations, although everyone will carry an extra oxygen cylinder when going out for exploration or other work, it is usually strictly forbidden to replace it outside the temporary base and without teammates present.

The reason is simple. It is not only easy to have problems when replacing something by yourself, but once there is a problem, it is almost certain to die without other companions present.

So their working time is limited every time.

At the same time, on the other side.

Earth, the United States.

Since the first step of the Artemis program, "Return to the Moon", was a big setback, the subsequent series of actions in the Artemis program seemed to have been suspended.

Even the lunar elevator project that was mentioned earlier and was a hot topic around the world is now silent.

However, the failure of returning to the moon has dealt a serious blow to the United States and NASA, and it can even be said that it has lost its position as the world's largest space power.

But this does not mean that they have willingly given up the development of the aerospace field.

NASA, Pasade Branch, California.

Here is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the center of the United States' unmanned aircraft exploration of the solar system.

Those famous unmanned exploration projects in history, such as the Explorer Program, the Mariner Program, the Pioneer Program, etc., were all funded or hosted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

There is also the new generation of Mars rover "Perseverance", which is also carried out by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory team.

In the JPL small database studio, a middle-aged man with glasses and a full beard hurried in.

"Xiu, this is the latest public progress and information on the manned Mars landing from the Xinghai Research Institute. There is important progress. You..."

It is obvious that the people who are paying attention to the manned Mars landing project are not only the Chinese people, but also countless space and astronomy enthusiasts around the world, as well as professional space agencies in various countries.

And NASA obviously cannot ignore this matter. Not only the headquarters in Washington, but also the branches in various places have dedicated people watching it.

For example, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as the most important force for NASA to explore Mars, is even more concerned about the results of China's manned Mars landing than NASA headquarters.

Although if there are any confidential discoveries, China will definitely not make them public.

But even some information that is not so confidential is a resource that other countries find difficult or even impossible to obtain.

Nora Xiu took the report file from her colleague and asked casually: "What did they find on Mars again?"

Since the manned Mars landing project began, or a few months after the unmanned exploration space shuttle arrived on Mars with a large amount of scientific research equipment, those Chinese people would occasionally publish some discoveries on Mars on the official website.

For example, a certain stone that looks strange, a blue sunrise on Mars, a large number of organic molecules found in a certain rock, and water ice resources found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon Mariner, etc.

These achievements and discoveries, every time they are made public, will attract the envy of space agencies around the world.

Even NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the United States, which has already launched a probe to Mars, have to lick their faces and download these materials and data from the official websites of the Xiashu Space Base and the China Space Administration.

Especially the large amount of water ice resources discovered by the Mars probe that was last launched at the bottom of the Mariner Grand Canyon made their mouths water with envy.

We must know that as a carbon-based life form, water resources are one of the most important materials if we want to explore aliens.

After all, water is not only a necessary condition for the human body to survive, but it can also be electrolyzed to obtain another necessary substance, 'oxygen'.

"microorganism!"

Jim Rodriguez hurriedly walked in and said quickly: "They have released a latest result, saying that microorganisms have been discovered in the soil layer on Mars!"

Upon hearing the news, Nora Xiu was immediately stunned, with an expression of astonishment and surprise on her face.

It took him a long time to come back to his senses, and he grabbed the report in his hand and opened it quickly.

"Where did they find it?"

Professor Nora Xiu asked while flipping through the report documents in his hand.

"In the Corinto Crater in the Elysium Planitia on the equator of Mars! As for the specific location where it was found, they did not disclose it. They only announced this important news on the official website."

“Is it a fossil of a microbe or a living microbe?”

"I don't know, it wasn't announced," Jim Rodriguez said, shaking his head.

After a slight hesitation, he continued: "But judging from the information they released in the past, the microorganisms discovered by the Chinese this time are very likely to be alive."

"After all, if they were fossils of microorganisms and single-celled life like those on the moon, they would definitely show that they were fossils, rather than being ambiguous like now."

"Incredible! There are actually living microorganisms on Mars?"

Professor Nora Xiu looked at the report document in her hand and said with surprise.

On the side, Jim Rodrigo pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose, frowned slightly and said, "This is not impossible. They have discovered fossils of ancient microorganisms on the moon, and they exist on Mars with better conditions." Life is not impossible."

"It's just that we haven't found the right place before."

In fact, whether in the aerospace field or other fields, there are far more people who are optimistic about whether there are living extraterrestrial life on Mars than before the discovery of microbial fossil remains on the moon.

Many people believe that since ancient microorganisms exist on the moon, which has a far harsher environment than Mars, it is not impossible that there are still some microorganisms or bacteria left over from ancient times on Mars.

However, no one expected that those Chinese people would discover this result that shocked the whole world just a few days after landing on Mars.