Drone-mounted ground-penetrating radar can efficiently map subsurface ice depth, providing a vital tool for locating accessible water sources for future Mars missions. [ https://www.labroots.com/trending/technology/30506/drone-tec…ter-mars-2](https://www.labroots.com/trending/technology/30506/drone-tec…ter-mars-2)
How can drones help find buried water on Mars? This is what a recent study published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated how ground-penetrating radar installed on drones could be used to find buried water ice on Mars. This study has the potential to help scientists develop new methods for helping future astronauts on Mars locate accessible resources, specifically water ice, which they can use for mission essential purposes.
For the study, the researchers used a DJI Matrice 600 Pro drone and a MALA Geodrone radar to search for buried water ice in Sourdough rock glacier (RG), Alaska, and Galena Creek RG, Wyoming with bulk glacier thicknesses of 28.5 meters (93.5 feet) and 48.6 meters (159.4 feet), respectively. The primary motivation for the study was to address a knowledge gap regarding orbital data and ground-level data for searching for water ice on Mars. This is because while Mars orbiters have found buried water ice on Mars, their radars are limited to 10–20 meters (32.8−65.6 feet) beneath the surface. In the end, the researchers compared their findings with previous data from drillings and ice cores and discovered a match, indicating their drone experiment to identify buried water ice worked.
“We are filling the gap between today’s orbital observations and a more distant future, where astronauts land on Mars and make observations on the ground,” said Roberto Aguilar, who is a PhD student at University of Arizona and lead author of the study. “This gives us a way to investigate the glaciers now, from the air.”
