Comments on: Martian pimples

By: Max

Max — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 16:40:16 +0000

More cool, unexpected features. Thanks for posting these, it must be time consuming to go through so many pictures.

Even in the low lands, there is not enough air pressure to have liquid or frozen water on the surface for very long before it boils away.
Water would cut channels it to the surface creating Canyons flowing down from the peak creating delta sediment formations around the base. I suspect these are mounds of mineral/salts.
If pressurized geysers of warm water was sprayed into the air, H402 most likely evaporated before hitting the ground leaving mineral deposits behind, similar to Cinder cones near volcanic vents on earth.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 21:12:45 +0000

In reply to Tom Billings. Tom Billings: I doubt this location has been considered as an early human landing site. If so more high res images would have been taken. Moreover, SpaceX's present primary area of interest for landing Starship, near Erebus Montes in Arcadia Planitia, is actually at a lower latitude, with lots of very well documented ice.

By: Tom Billings

Tom Billings — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 21:06:15 +0000

With their diameter exceeding 500 meters, these are substantial structures. If they are, indeed, water ice volcanoes, then they have substantial value as both ISRU positions and as convenient places to place a settlement that melts burrows for settlers into the ice, even as it gains the Hydrogen and Oxygen for making propellants and other uses for that water. It gives the best radiation protection possible for settlers, with tens of meters of Ice overhead, while having an ease of access to that Ice that few other sites can match. No long treks to get the daily water ration this way.

45º from the equator as well. Now, if we can just find more of these, …..

Has anyone told SpaceX landing site planners about them??