Mars Had Water 750 Million Years Ago, Chinese Rover Finds

New data from China's Zhurong rover suggests Mars held liquid water far more recently than scientists thought. Findings from the rover's ground-penetrating radar indicate water persisted on the red planet until approximately 750 million years ago. This discovery extends the planet's known wet history by hundreds of millions of years. Previous evidence pointed to Mars losing its surface water about 3 billion years ago. The new timeline suggests conditions for life may have existed longer. The Zhurong rover, part of China's Tianwen-1 mission, studied the Utopia Planitia region. Its radar scanned beneath the surface to analyze soil layers. Scientists say the subsurface likely contained saltwater, which freezes at a lower temperature. This salt would have allowed water to remain liquid in Mars' cold climate. The research provides crucial new details about water and climate history on Mars. It will help guide future missions searching for signs of ancient life.