Northern Hemisphere Ice on Mars

[chris]

Here's an interesting article on large deposits of water ice detected in northern regions of Mars:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0306/26marsfrost/

The soil is 90% water in some places . . . But, here's the part that really caught my attention:

The Odyssey data are used to estimate the mass of the deposit, which can then be compared with the thickness to obtain a density. The dry ice layer appears to have a fluffy texture, like freshly fallen snow . . .

OK . . . if there wasn't adequate motivation to put humans on Mars, there certainly is now. Off to wax my snowboard . . .

--Chris

[Evil Dr Ganymede]

The Odyssey data are used to estimate the mass of the deposit, which can then be compared with the thickness to obtain a density. The dry ice layer appears to have a fluffy texture, like freshly fallen snow . . .

OK . . . if there wasn't adequate motivation to put humans on Mars, there certainly is now. Off to wax my snowboard . . .

--Chris

Just think of the extra thrust you'd get from the CO2 subliming because of the body heat coming through the snowboard