Ingabe Kukhona Ukuphila KuMars?
I-Mars, evame ukubizwa ngokuthi “iPlanethi Ebomvu” ngenxa yokubukeka kwayo okuhlukile, iye yathumba umcabango womuntu amakhulu eminyaka. Umbuzo wokuthi i-Mars yayingahlalwa yini izinto eziphilayo noma yake yahlalwa yini ezinye zezinto eziphilayo ungenye yezinkinga ezinkulu kakhulu ekufundeni izinkanyezi kanye nokuhlola isikhala. I-NASA nezinye izinhlangano zasemkhathini zithumele e-Mars imisebenzi eminingi yasemkhathini ukuze zifune izimpawu zokuphila. Lesi sihloko sizoxoxa ngezici ezahlukene zokuthi kungenzeka yini ukuphila e-Mars, okuhlanganisa izimo zayo zemvelo, ukutholwa okubalulekile, kanye nezinhlelo zokuhlola zesikhathi esizayo.
Izimo Zemvelo zaseMars
Ukuze uqonde ukuthi ngabe kukhona yini ukuphila kuMars, kubalulekile ukuhlola izimo zemvelo zeplanethi. IMars inezici eziningana ezenza ikhange kakhulu njengomuntu ozongenela impilo yangaphandle komhlaba.
Isimo Sezulu Nesimo Sezulu
I-Mars inomoya omncane kakhulu, owakhiwe cishe yi-carbon dioxide kuphela enenani elincane le-nitrogen ne-argon. Umfutho wayo womoya cishe u-0,6% kunowoMhlaba, okusho ukuthi mncane kakhulu ukusekela impilo yabantu ngaphandle kosizo lwemishini yokuphefumula. Kodwa-ke, ezinye izinto ezincane ezaziwa ngokuthi ama-extremophiles eMhlabeni ziyakwazi ukusinda ezimweni ezinzima kakhulu, okwenza kube nokwenzeka ngokuphelele ukuthi impilo iphile emoyeni we-Mars.
Izinga lokushisa eMars nalo liyahlukahluka kakhulu, ngokushisa okumaphakathi okungu--80 degrees Fahrenheit (-62 degrees Celsius), kodwa kufinyelela ku--195 degrees Fahrenheit (-125 degrees Celsius) eduze kwezinsika kanye no-70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) emini ngesikhathi sasehlobo enkabazwe. Lezi zimo zengeza ubunzima ekunqumeni amandla okuphila, kodwa azikuchithi ngokuphelele ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi izinto ezincane zingasinda.
Amanzi eMars
Ukuba khona kwamanzi kuyisihluthulelo sokuphila, futhi ngokuqinisekile iMars yayinamanzi amaningi esikhathini esidlule. Ubufakazi obuyinhloko buvela ezicini ze-geological ezifana nezigodi ezinkulu, imisele, kanye ne-deltas yemifula, okubonakala sengathi yakhiwe ngamanzi agelezayo. Njengamanje, amanzi aseMars asesimweni seqhwa kakhulu ezimpondweni, futhi kungase kube "nezinhlayiya" ezinosawoti kakhulu ngaphansi kobuso.
Okutholakele muva nje kusikisela nokuba khona kwamanzi anosawoti ageleza ngezikhathi ezithile ebusweni beMars, okwandisa amathuba okuthola izinhlobo zokuphila ezibangelwa amagciwane ezingasinda ngaphansi kwezimo ezimbi kakhulu zeMars.
Izinto Ezibalulekile Ezitholiwe
Imisebenzi eyahlukahlukene eya eMars iye yaba negalelo elikhulu ekuqondeni amathuba okuphila eMars.
Umsebenzi wamaViking: Ukuhlolwa Kwezinto Eziphilayo
Ngo-1976, i-NASA yethula i-Viking 1 kanye ne-Viking 2, izindawo ezimbili ezisebenzisa izivivinyo zezinto eziphilayo. Lezi zivivinyo zenzelwe ukusesha iminonjana yomsebenzi wezinto eziphilayo. Nakuba olunye uvivinyo (i-Labeled Release) luveze imiphumela emihle ebonisa umsebenzi othile we-metabolic, olunye (i-Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer) aluzange luthole noma yiziphi izinto eziphilayo, okwaholela ekuvumelaneni kwesayensi ngaleso sikhathi ukuthi kuphethe ngokuthi le miphumela ayibonisanga ukuba khona kokuphila.
I-Martian Rovers: Ilukuluku Nokubekezela
I-Curiosity rover, eyafika eMars ngo-2012, yathola izinto eziningana ezibalulekile njengekhabhoni, i-hydrogen, i-oxygen, i-phosphorus, nesulfure enhlabathini yaseMars, zonke ezibalulekile ekuphileni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iCuriosity yathola ubufakazi bokuthi iMars yake yaba nezimo ezimanzi futhi mhlawumbe ezifudumele, ezifanele ukuphila kwamagciwane.
Ngo-2021, i-NASA yethula i-Perseverance rover, ihlose ukufuna izimpawu zokuphila kwamagciwane asendulo eMars. I-Perseverance ifakwe amathuluzi athuthuke kakhulu, njenge-SHERLOC ne-PIXL, angakwazi ukubona ukwakheka kwamakhemikhali kanye nezinto eziphilayo zamadwala aseMars ngokunemba okukhulu.
Ikusasa Lokuhlola I-Mars
Ngalezi zinto ezitholakele, ithemba lokuthola ukuphila ku-Mars liya ngokuya likhanga. Imisebenzi yesikhathi esizayo yenzelwe ukuhlola kabanzi leli thuba.
Ukubuya kwesampula ye-Mars
Iphrojekthi eyodwa enkulu ehlelwayo njengamanje umsebenzi we-Mars Sample Return, oholwa yi-NASA kanye ne-European Space Agency (ESA). Lo msebenzi uhlose ukuqoqa amasampula enhlabathi namatshe avela ku-Mars bese uwabuyisela eMhlabeni ukuze ahlaziywe kabanzi. Ngobuchwepheshe obuthuthukisiwe kakhulu belebhu eMhlabeni, ososayensi banethemba lokuthola ama-biomarker acacile kakhulu kumasampula e-Mars.
Ukuthunywa Kwabantu ku-Mars
Ngaphezu kwemisebenzi yamarobhothi, kukhona nezinhlelo zemisebenzi yabantu eya eMars. Lokhu kufaka phakathi leyo ehlelwe yi-NASA, i-SpaceX, nezinye izinhlangano zasemkhathini emhlabeni jikelele. Abantu abaseMars bangavumela ukuguquguquka okukhulu ekuhloleni futhi bangavula ithuba lokwenza izivivinyo eziyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu amarobhothi angase angakwazi ukuzenza.
Isiphetho
Umbuzo wokuthi ngabe ukuphila kukhona yini eMars usalokhu ungenye yezimfihlakalo ezinkulu kakhulu kwezesayensi yanamuhla. Ngokuthuthuka kobuchwepheshe nesayensi, siqoqe ubufakazi obuningi obusikisela ukuthi iMars kungenzeka ukuthi yake yaba nezimo ezivumela ukuphila. Nakuba okwamanje kungekho bufakazi obuqinisekile bokuthi ukuphila kukhona noma kwake kwaba khona eMars, inani elikhulayo lemisebenzi yokuhlola linikeza ithemba lokuthi ngelinye ilanga singase sithole impendulo.
Njengoba kunezinhlelo ezinkulu ezizayo, okuhlanganisa nokubuyiselwa kwesampula yokubuyela eMhlabeni kanye nokuhlola ubuso beMars ngabantu, isinyathelo ngasinye sisisondeza ekuvezeni izimfihlo ezifihliwe ngaphansi kobuso 'bePlanethi Ebomvu.' Kuze kube yileso sikhathi, umbuzo othi "Ingabe kukhona ukuphila kuMars?" uzohlala uyisihluthulelo sososayensi nonjiniyela emhlabeni wonke, abaqhubeka nokubheka esibhakabhakeni ukuze bathole izimpendulo.
