NASA robots are banned from water on Mars

Despite the discovery of water sources, NASA robots will not be able to approach this area to collect data because of the risk of spreading harmful bacteria from the earth.

Curiosity is banned from water on Mars

Recently, NASA scientists have published an information that shocked the scientific world, that is, finding liquid water on Mars . Despite giving convincing evidence of this new discovery, the existence of water currents will never be 100% confirmed until humans can touch and analyze it. Of course, at the present time, when people cannot do that, scientists can only study indirectly, through exploratory robots.

However, there is an unhappy news for NASA that the use of robots from the earth is also banned. Currently, NASA's Curiosity autonomous robot is about 50km away from the water discovery site, but it is not allowed to be close to anywhere near by an international treaty signed by the US. 1967.

Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS.

It is the Treaty on the principles that govern the activities of nations in the peaceful discovery and use of space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies (this treaty is known by its name). Outer Space Treaty - Space Treaty . This treaty has a prohibition against acts of ' spreading' bacteria from the earth to other planets in the universe, ie all devices that are close to water sources (the ideal environment for bacteria to proliferate). must be sterile.

Meanwhile, to reach the Martian surface, the Curiosity autonomous robot has gone through 225 million kilometers from Earth and in a way that it can 'collect' dirt and all kinds of microorganisms on the road. it passed.

'We have to be especially careful to avoid polluting water from things that come from the earth,' said Rich Zurek, a NASA scientist. 'Our self-propelled robots are not sterilized to the extent necessary to access existing liquid sources.'

Not that NASA can't disinfect its devices. UNSW biologist Malcolm Walter said they could wipe out all bacteria from Curiosity by ultraviolet radiation and intense heat radiation. However, this will also damage the electronic components of the robot.'In order to completely sterilize robots, they will have to use ionizing radiation or intense heat radiation. Both will damage electronic equipment , 'Walter said. 'So robots can only move in designated areas'.

So what's the solution?

We all know that NASA is planning to send people to Mars for the first time in mid-2030, so some lucky astronauts will be able to consider their own liquid with their own eyes. Another option is to send robots capable of assembling new robots that are less likely to pollute. Last year, NASA announced that it was developing a robot that could print 3D infrastructure on Mars , so this could be a possibility.