I-Opportunity rover ibilokhu ihlola i-Red Planet kusukela ngo-2004 futhi bezingekho izimfuneko zokuthi ibingeke ikwazi ukuqhubeka nemisebenzi yayo. Kodwa-ke, ngo-2018, isivunguvungu sesihlabathi sahlasela phezu komhlaba, okwaholela ekufeni komshini womshini. Uthuli cishe lwamboza ngokuphelele amaphaneli elanga e-Opportunity, okubangele ukuphelelwa amandla. Ngandlela thize, ngoFebhuwari 2019, isikhungo sasemkhathini saseMelika iNASA samemezela ukuthi i-rover ifile. Manje ososayensi bathi amanzi ayengase akhishwe ebusweni be-Mars ngendlela efanayo. Lesi siphetho sifinyelelwe abacwaningi be-NASA abajwayelene nedatha etholwe ku-Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO).
Abacwaningi bakholelwa ukuthi esikhathini esidlule, i-Mars yayinomkhathi ominyene futhi cishe u-20% wobuso beplanethi wawumbozwe ngamanzi awuketshezi. Cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-4 edlule, i-Red Planet yalahlekelwa amandla ayo kazibuthe, okwathi ngemva kwalokho ukuvikeleka kwayo emimoyeni yelanga ebhubhisayo kwaba buthaka, okuholela ekulahlekelweni komkhathi wayo omningi.
Lezi zinqubo zenze amanzi angaphezulu kweplanethi abe sengozini. Idatha etholwe ekuhlolweni kwe-TGO iphakamisa ukuthi izivunguvungu zothuli ziyimbangela yokunyamalala kwamanzi ku-Red Planet. Ezikhathini ezijwayelekile, izinhlayiya zamanzi ezisemkhathini ziphakathi kwamakhilomitha angu-20 ukusuka endaweni yeplanethi, kuyilapho phakathi nesiphepho sothuli esibulale i-Opportunity, i-TGO ithole ama-molecule amanzi endaweni engama-80 km. Kule ndawo ephakeme, ama-molecule amanzi ahlukaniswa abe yi-hydrogen nomoya-mpilo, agcwele izinhlayiya zelanga. Njengoba esezingqimbeni eziphakeme zomkhathi, amanzi aba lula kakhulu, okungase kube nengxenye ekususweni kwawo endaweni eyi-Mars.
Source: 3dnews.ru