New research from the University of Wyoming shows that the lander it landed on in 2013 was not the first rover to land on Mars.
The lander landed on a desert region called Ganymede, a name derived from the Greek word for “sea” and the Greek “god.”
The research is part of a larger effort to understand the geology of the surface of Mars and the processes that allow water to form and stay there.
The team also looked at water flowing on the surface and the Martian atmosphere.
“This is a significant new discovery that gives us a new view of the origin and evolution of the planet’s surface, and also what the chemistry of the Martian environment looks like,” said researcher Dan Gendron, associate professor of geochemistry and planetary sciences at the university.
A team of scientists analyzed samples from the landers instruments and found that water was present on the Martian surface.
The research suggests that the water was flowing on a surface that was less than 0.05 meters (2 feet) thick, the thickness of a dime.
The water was not liquid, but instead the result of ice forming on the land.
Gendron says this discovery helps us understand the origin of the water on Mars, which is more than 10 times thicker than Earth.
He said the research could have significant implications for future missions to the Red Planet.
NASA has sent multiple landers to the surface, but none of the samples were ever returned.
NASA is hoping that the new findings will help to improve future missions. “
We are seeing evidence of the chemistry and hydrology of this water.”
NASA is hoping that the new findings will help to improve future missions.
It has partnered with the European Space Agency and other international partners to send multiple robotic missions to Mars in the next 10 years.
The goal is to send an orbiter, lander and rover to the planet by 2021.
