Getting to Mars is very important for many reasons, one of which is because it looks a lot like Earth.
For many years the dream of humanity was to reach the Moon and in 1969 it became a reality. Today the goal is to reach Mars and the first steps are taken by the “Perseverance” probe, which is already traveling through outer space and will soon land on the red planet.
On his way he surprised all the NASA scientists, when they turned on the systems to verify that everything was correct they recorded a sound never heard before.
In an interview for UNAM Global, Julieta Fierro, a researcher at the UNAM Institute of Astronomy, explained that a medium is needed to transmit sound. “For example, to hear the noise of my voice, air is needed as it leaves my mouth, stretches, compresses, reaches the eardrum and oscillates.” A medium is needed to transport the sound.
However, in space there is no sound because there is a void. In any case, “the researchers turned on the sensor to verify that there were no damages at the time of takeoff, which are brutal and the objects oscillate strongly”.
They caught a sound and wondered: what is happening if there is a void there? What happened was that there was a loose cable, “the first that made history in space exploration.”
The cable began to rub against the surface of the equipment and through it the sound was transported, and thus this object was heard rubbing on the surface of the probe.
“It was an incredible find, not only did it confirm that all the equipment is doing well, but that a little cable can give us surprises.”
When Perseverance reaches Mars while descending you will be able to hear the parachute opening, the noises from the “landing” and even if there is a storm, capture all its details.
For example, “the sand will rub against the probe and the sound of the sandstorm will be heard, which are very strong on Mars.”
Why get to Mars?
It is very important to get to Mars for many reasons, one of which is because it is very similar to Earth, Julieta Fierro said during the interview.
It is hoped to find life, for example in its salty seas that are at its South Pole or in its dry rivers. “Perhaps it exists the same as in the Atacama desert or in the Pico de Orizaba, perhaps there could be a subsoil of some type of bacteria that are still alive.”
Basic science is incredible, it always brings technology and that is how great projects are achieved, such as arriving on Mars, she concluded.
