Before humans can make the long trip to another world, scientists must identify a safe and practical place to land. New research led by a University of Mississippi scientist suggests one region on Mars may meet many of the requirements for future human missions.

Erica Luzzi, a planetary geologist and postdoctoral researcher with the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute, led a study that uncovered signs of water ice located just below the Martian surface. The research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, points to a possible local water supply that astronauts could rely on during extended stays on Mars.

"If we’re going to send humans to Mars, you need H2O and not just for drinking, but for propellant and all manner of applications," Luzzi said. She carried out the work during her postdoctoral research at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute within NASA Ames Research Center.

She explained that ice close to the surface is especially valuable because it could be accessed more easily than deeply buried deposits. This approach, known as in situ resource utilization, allows explorers to use materials already available on another planet rather than transporting everything from Earth.

Ice Just Beneath the Martian Surface

By studying high resolution orbital images, the research team examined the Martian landscape and found signs of ice less than 1 meter below the surface in Amazonis Planitia. This area lies in Mars’ mid latitudes and is already being considered as a possible destination for future human landings.

"The mid-latitudes offer the perfect compromise – they get enough sunlight for power, but they’re still cold enough to preserve ice near the surface," Luzzi said. "That makes them ideal for future landing sites."

The team used images from HiRISE, the most detailed camera ever sent to another planet. These images revealed craters that expose ice, patterned ground known as polygonal terrain, and other surface features that often indicate ice just below the surface.

Why Water Ice Matters for Astronauts

Accessible water ice would allow astronauts to produce drinking water, breathable oxygen, fuel, and other essentials needed to survive and work on Mars for long periods.

"For the moon, it would take us one week, more or less, to go back and forth to Earth for resupply," said Giacomo Nodjoumi, a postdoctoral researcher at the Space Science Data Center of the Italian Space Agency and a co author of the study. "But for Mars, it would take months. So, we have to be prepared for not having resupply from Earth for extended periods of time.

"The most important resources are oxygen to breathe and water to drink. That’s what makes our candidate landing site really promising."

Clues to Mars’ Past and Present Habitability

The presence of ice could also help scientists search for signs of life. According to the researchers, ice has the potential to preserve evidence of biological activity.

"This also has astrobiological implications," Luzzi said. "On Earth, ice can preserve biomarkers of past life, and it can also host microbial populations. So, it could tell us if Mars was ever habitable."

Next Steps Toward Confirmation

Collecting direct samples of the ice would require sending a robotic mission to the region.

"The next step would be radar analyses to better understand the depth and patchiness of the ice," Luzzi said. "The lag deposit, material on top of the ice, might vary, which affects whether the ice is preserved.

"Understanding that will help us decide where a robotic precursor should land."

A rover or future human mission would also be needed to confirm whether the ice is made entirely of water or mixed with other materials.

"We will never be sure of something if we don’t have a rover, a lander or a human to take real measurements," Nodjoumi said. "We have strong evidence to suggest that this is water ice, but until we go there and measure it, we won’t be 100% sure."

Although human exploration of Mars remains years away, this research helps narrow down where astronauts might one day touch down on the Red Planet.