The researchers have identified 7000kg of trash on the red planet Mars.
The news has been swamped about the achievements and failures of a plethora of Mars missions undertaken by several developed nations. Therefore, it is not surprising that our trash has littered the Martian surface even before the first human can set his/her foot on it.
According to a postdoctoral researcher, the amount of exploratory trash currently present on Mars exceeds 15,694 pounds, i.e. approximately 7000 kg.
What type of trash is present on Mars?
According to NASA scientists, the trash mostly comprises leftover rover parts, broken pieces from space crafts and used up thermal blankets and propellers. By far, 18 space missions from 14 different nations have been sent to Mars. This has left trash from the failed rockets, the landing gear, the non-working Martian Rovers and their research and safety equipment.
Each rocket that has ever been sent to Mars weighs about thousands of pounds. Currently, there is 10,000 kg of man-made material on Mars. If we deduct the 3,000 kg of operational equipment like rovers, landers, etc. Then the remaining trash weighs 7000kg. Obviously, this debris is non-usable due to our limited accessibility to Mars.
How was the trash discovered?
Apparently, the rovers that landed on Mars over 2 decades identified their own trash after a few exploratory ‘walks’. For instance, on June 13, 2021 the newest and most advanced Martian Rover, Perseverance discovered its own thermal blanket. Moreover, the Curiosity Rover from 2014 and the Opportunity Rover from 2005 also discovered their remains and trash on the planet’s surface.
Several hovering cameras and pickup units in Mars’ orbit have also captured the gigantic trash remains from the failed skyrocket missions. By far, 9 inactive spacecraft are lying on Mars including Mars 3 lander, Mars 6 lander, Viking 1 lander, Viking 2 lander, and others. NASA and other whistle-blower agencies have repeatedly pointed out the threats posed to the future space manned missions due to these trash heaps.
What are the threats originating from the ‘Trash’?
According to official reports by NASA, this leftover trash created by human space missions can pose a threat to rovers in the future. Since scientists have limited control over the directions of the Rover on Mars, it will be an extremely perilous task to rescue a Rover that gets trapped in its own debris. Though such threats have low probability of happening, they cannot be completely ruled out.
Also, such trash discoveries can hamper with the quality of samples retrieved by the rover for future explorations. After all, it will be a complete waste of money and resources if the rover sent to another planet fails to perform its job properly because of issues arising out of its own debris.
Fortunately enough, the hardworking researchers at NASA agency are working day and night to keep track of all the debris that the Perseverance rover is coming across while moving around. But, it will not completely rule out the threat posed by such littering.
What is the people’s reaction to this ‘trash’ problem?
This news about Martian Trash has taken the social media platform by storm. The environmentalists are highlighting the irony of this situation. On one hand, we are struggling with upkeep of our own planet due to gigantic amounts of debris, whereas on other hand we have commenced littering the other planets as well, even if we haven’t reached there. It’s also hypocritical given that Mars is being hailed as human’s next survival milestone because of the deteriorating situation of planet Earth.
The catastrophic events like climate change and greenhouse effects caused by over exploitation of fossil fuels pose a great danger to survival of human beings as a species. Various UN and IPCC reports have already rang alarming bells regarding the current trajectory of humanity toward its doom. Certain terms like carbon budget and standard CO2 reduction have been garnering a lot of attention among common folks. It will be worth seeing what effect such reports have on rigid human practices and profit-driven industry trends. For now, we can only hope that Mars doesn’t become the 2nd Earth.
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