"This is the Hanhai, calling Yinghuo Second Team Tang Hongbo."
"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 the glasses on the bridge of his nose and said, "It's unbelievable. The water ice resource content 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 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 of 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 amounted to about 20 million cubic meters, which was enough to support them in building a four-digit scientific research base in the Antarctic Aitken Basin.
In addition, these water ice resources can even be recycled to complete the construction of the lunar biosphere project.
On Mars, the water ice resource in just one secondary crater is 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 is astonishing.
It’s about twelve meters.”
After a slight pause, he continued: "In addition, if the detection data is correct, then at your current coordinate point, theoretically, Martian ice can 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 schedule 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.
Although the drilling depth was only reduced by about three meters, it saved Tang Hongbo a lot of time when 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. And on the silver-white alloy drilling pipe, there were also a few drops of water dripping down the pipe.
This is the liquid water produced by the high temperature generated by the high-speed rotating drill bit during the excavation process, which melts the ice in the ground.
Seeing the scene in front of him, his eyes suddenly lit up.
Burrowed into the ice beneath the ground!
Quickly dismantling the drilling pipe from the drilling equipment, Tang Hongbo carefully took out the samples inside.
Underneath a section of mixed rocky clay layer, there are translucent icicles about 20 centimeters in length, which sparkle in the sunlight and are 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 control the small mobile drilling equipment to take deeper samples.
10 meters, 15 meters, 20 meters... After sampling multiple sets of core specimens at different depths, he took a deep breath and connected to the Hanhai's communication.
"Call the Hanhai, the first-level core sampling of the Cabro secondary crater is completed."
After a brief silence, a reply from the Hanhai quickly came through the headset.
"How is the situation? Have ice samples been collected?"
Tang Hongbo quickly replied: "Collected!"
After a slight pause, he said while carrying these sample specimens to the Mars rover: "Just like the previous detection data, ice resources were drilled at a depth of about 12 meters underground."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "However, it is still not possible to determine whether the ice contains sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium sulfate and other minerals, and it needs to be returned to the temporary base for testing."
"receive."
In the headset, Gui Haichao's smiling voice came: "The relevant testing equipment has been put in place, and Jiang Xinlin at the temporary base has successfully received it."
"Okay, I'll go back now!"
Tang Hongbo nodded, and after fixing the collected core samples, he glanced at the drilling equipment not far away that had stopped but remained in place and asked casually.
"Is it okay to leave these drilling equipment here?"
As soon as the question came out of his mouth, he reacted, shook his head subconsciously, and couldn't help but smile.
This habit of being afraid of losing things on Earth is now the same as on Mars.
On the Hanhai space shuttle, Gui Haichao couldn't hold back, and joked with a smile: "What, you are still worried that a Martian will pop up and steal your equipment?"
Sa Ran smiled, Tang Hongbo got on the rover and rushed towards the temporary base.
He doesn't have much time for activities, so he has to go back as soon as possible, otherwise if something unexpected happens on the way, it will be terrible.
Although the oxygen resources in the spacesuits 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, it is best for them not to spend more than six hours on Mars.
And in terms of rules and regulations, although everyone will carry an extra oxygen bottle when traveling far away for detection or other work, it is usually strictly prohibited to do it outside the temporary base and without teammates present.
Replaced.
The reason is very simple. Replacing something like this by yourself is not only prone to problems, but if something goes wrong without other companions around, you will almost certainly die.
Therefore, their working hours are limited each time.
...
At the same time, on the other side.
Earth, United States.
Ever since the first step of the Artemis Project, ‘Return to the Moon’, stumbled, all subsequent actions in the Artemis Project seemed to have been suspended.
Even the lunar elevator project that was proposed before and caused a stir around the world has now seen little movement.
However, the failure to return to the moon caused a serious blow to the United States and NASA, and it can even be said that it lost its status as the largest country in the space industry.
But this does not mean that they have given up on the development of the aerospace field so willingly.
NASA, Pasadee, California.
Here is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the center of the United States’ unmanned spacecraft exploration of the solar system.
The famous unmanned exploration projects in history, such as the Explorer Project, the Mariner Project, the Pioneer Project, etc., were all funded or hosted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
There is also a new generation of Mars rover, Perseverance, which is also conducted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory team.
In the small database studio of JPL, a middle-aged man with glasses and a beard walked in hurriedly.
"Xiu, this is the latest public progress and information on manned missions to spacecraft from Xinghai Research Institute. There is important progress. You"
Obviously, it is not only the Chinese people who are paying attention to the manned mission, but also countless aerospace and astronomy enthusiasts around the world, as well as professional aerospace institutions in various countries.
It is obviously impossible for NASA not to pay attention to this matter. Not only the headquarters in Washington, but also the branches in various places are keeping an eye on it.
For example, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as the most important force in NASA's exploration of Mars, is even more concerned about the results of China's manned mission to Mars than NASA headquarters.
Although if there is any confidential discovery, China will definitely not make it public.
But even some information that is not so confidential is a resource that is difficult or even impossible for other countries to obtain.
Taking the report document from the hands of her colleagues, Nora Xiu casually asked: "What else did they discover on Mars?"
Since the manned landing project began, or in a few months since the unmanned space shuttle arrived on Mars carrying a large amount of scientific research equipment, the Chinese have published some discoveries on Mars from time to time on their official website.
For example, a strange-looking stone, 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 Mariner Grand Canyon, etc.
These achievements and discoveries will arouse the envy of space agencies around the world every time they are made public.
Even NASA, even the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and even the United States, which has launched a probe to Mars, have to lick their faces and download these information 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 other party's 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 such as 'oxygen'.
"microorganism!"
Jim Rodriguez, who hurriedly walked in, said quickly: "They have released a latest result, saying that microorganisms have been found 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 suddenly grabbed the report in his hand and quickly opened it.
"Where did they find it?"
While flipping through the report documents in his hand, Professor Nora Xiu asked.
"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 microorganism or a living microorganism?"
"I don't know, this has not been announced." Jim Rodriguez shook his head and said.
After hesitating for a moment, 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 directly indicate that they were fossils, instead of being vague 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 found fossils of ancient microorganisms on the moon. There are even better conditions on Mars.
Life is not impossible."
"It's just that we haven't found the right place before."
In fact, as to whether there is living extraterrestrial life on Mars, now, whether in the aerospace field or other fields, there are far more people who have an optimistic view 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.