January 22, 2025 • 10 mins
🌌 Mars’ Hidden Secrets Revealed! In this episode of Cosmic Frontiers, we dive into NASA’s groundbreaking discovery—a vast underground ocean of liquid water hidden deep beneath Mars’ surface. This revelation could redefine our understanding of the Red Planet’s history and its potential to harbor life.
🎙️ What You’ll Discover in This Episode:
- Mars’ Watery Past: Evidence of ancient rivers, lakes, and oceans that once dominated the planet.
- The Breakthrough Discovery: How NASA’s InSight lander used seismic data to uncover a hidden reservoir of liquid water, buried 11.5–20 kilometers below Mars’ surface.
- Life on Mars? Could this underground ocean harbor microbial life or remnants of past ecosystems?
- Challenges and Opportunities: The technological hurdles in accessing this reservoir and what it means for future human colonization of Mars.
- The Road Ahead: Upcoming missions from NASA, ESA, and SpaceX to unlock Mars’ secrets.
✨ Why This Matters: This discovery not only solves the mystery of Mars’ missing water but also raises profound questions about life beyond Earth and humanity’s future in the cosmos.
📌 Links & Resources:
- 🌠 Explore more episodes of Cosmic Frontiers: https://rss.com/podcasts/cosmos-in-a-pod/
Hashtags: #MarsDiscovery #LifeOnMars #NASAMissions #InSightLander #MarsWater #CosmicFrontiers #SpacePodcast
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Picture this, you're standing on Mars.
(00:02):
Red dust.
Sun's kinda hazy, yeah.
Atmosphere's thin, right?
And for like forever, we've wanted to find life there.
Everyone's looking for water.
Obvious, we need water for life, at least as we know it.
Right, makes sense.
But what if we've been looking
in the wrong place this whole time?
What do you mean?
Like what if under all that dust,
there's an ocean enough to cover the whole planet?
(00:25):
Whoa.
Welcome to Cosmos in a Pod,
the Space and Astronomy series.
Please do all that good stuff,
like, comment, share, subscribe.
The whole nine yards.
Today, we're diving deep right into this crazy discovery.
Changes how we think about Mars,
totally reignites the search for, well, you know, aliens.
Yeah, it really flips the script.
We've had this image for so long, Mars dried dead,
(00:49):
like a desert planet, and now boom, maybe not so much.
Thanks to some seriously clever science.
Okay, okay, before we get too far ahead of ourselves,
get up to the stage.
We know Mars wasn't always a wasteland, right?
Right.
Tons of evidence it was way later once.
Oh, absolutely, you see those canyons, huge, right?
Like scars across the planet.
Those were carved out by rivers, massive rivers.
(01:09):
And then the deltas, where those rivers emptied out.
It's like Mars is telling us a story
about a time when water flowed everywhere.
So we have these clues, right?
Ancient, watery Mars, but then something happened.
Where'd all the water go?
The big question, isn't it?
The leading theory, Mars lost its atmosphere
over billions of years, like it's a planet shield
(01:32):
and without it, you're exposed, right?
The surface water, it just evaporated or froze.
Cosmic use it or lose it situation for a planet's H2O.
But here's the thing, even with the ice we see at the poles
and a tiny bit in the atmosphere, scientists are like,
wait, there should be more, where's the rest of the water?
Yeah, like a puzzle, giant cosmic puzzle
and a piece is missing.
(01:52):
That's where insight comes in.
Insight.
Now this lander, it wasn't about roving around
taking selfies, right?
This was a different mission.
Very different.
Insight was about looking deep down,
studying the inside of Mars, using, well, seismology,
kind of like listening to the planet's heartbeat,
feeling for the shakes, the tremors, Marsquakes.
(02:13):
Martian seismology, huh?
Never thought about it like that.
Using those quakes to map out
what's going on into the surface.
That's the idea.
And as insight was listening, they picked up something wild,
an echo, a very specific kind of echo.
That told them there's a huge amount
of liquid water deep down.
Wait, wait, so they didn't actually see the water.
They're going off how these, what were they called?
(02:34):
Seismic waves?
How they traveled through rock?
Precisely.
It's like imagine tapping on a wall, right?
You can tell if it's solid or hollow based on the sound,
the echo, same idea here, just on a planetary scale.
And those waves, they said,
hey, there's liquid water down there.
No way.
Yeah.
So this isn't just some little puddle.
We're talking a massive underground reservoir,
maybe even an ocean, right?
Mind blowing, isn't it?
(02:54):
And what it means, oh, it changes everything.
First, how we see Mars, not just dry and dusty,
but a world with, well, maybe a whole water cycle
going on down there.
And then the question of life.
If there's liquid water, could there be, you know?
Life?
Yeah.
And this water, it's not just in a big underground lake,
it's held within the rock itself.
(03:15):
Oh, so like a giant planet size sponge.
Exactly.
It's not a pool of water, but the rock has cracks and spaces
and that's where the water is.
Okay, so more like a really, really deep aquifer
than a sea, but still, liquid water,
maybe billions of years old,
deep under the surface of Mars, like a time capsule.
A glimpse of what Mars used to be.
A planet we thought we knew,
but, well, we're just starting to understand.
(03:37):
And that's what makes it so exciting, isn't it?
This discovery, it's not just about solving a puzzle,
it's about, well, rethinking the possibilities.
The possibilities for life beyond Earth.
And we'll get into those possibilities right after this.
Back again for more deep dive fun.
(03:57):
Before, well, we were just getting to the good stuff,
this hidden ocean, what it means for, you know,
the whole are we alone thing.
Right.
It's kind of wild when you think about it,
like we were searching for ages, right?
Just a drop of water on Mars,
like that was the holy grail proof
that maybe life could exist.
And now we might have a whole ocean hidden away.
Kind of funny, isn't it?
Yeah.
But you bring up a good point.
(04:18):
It's not, yeah, essential,
but it's not a guarantee, right?
Doesn't automatically mean there's aliens
swimming around down there.
Yeah.
But it does make it way more likely.
Way like.
Think about it.
Earth, wherever there's water, there's life.
Doesn't matter how extreme.
Deep ocean, boiling hot springs, even frozen glaciers.
Life finds a way.
Those, what are they called?
Extremophiles, tiny little guys that can survive anywhere,
(04:41):
even in places that would kill, well, everything else.
Those are the ones.
And if they can handle those conditions here on Earth,
why not on Mars?
This hidden ocean, it would be protected, right?
From the radiation, the crazy temperatures up on the surface.
So it's like a whole new search for life is starting.
Instead of looking on the surface,
we've got this potential hotspot, right?
(05:01):
Yeah.
Deep down, maybe life evolved there,
completely separate from everything up top.
And this ocean, it's probably full of minerals,
salts, all that good stuff that could be an energy source
for microbes, bacteria.
It's not just water, it's a recipe maybe,
for a whole biosphere down there.
OK, let's say just for fun, there, IS life down there.
How do we even find it?
(05:22):
We're not setting a submarine down there, are we?
Not quite yet.
It's a big challenge, no doubt.
We're talking drilling through kilometers of rock.
That's tough, even here on Earth with all our fancy tech.
But where there's a will, right, someone will figure out a way.
Martian miners, robots drilling down, bringing back samples.
Is that what you're thinking?
Could be.
(05:43):
Imagine, in those samples, what if we found, I don't know,
microscopic fossils, weird bacteria, or something
we've never even imagined?
Talk about a discovery.
Proof that we're not alone.
Life, but not as we know it.
It would change everything.
Textbooks, new scientists.
I bet there'd be a million sci-fi movies about it.
Absolutely.
And think about this, it's not just about the science.
(06:05):
If we could get to that water, it
could be huge for humans going to Mars someday.
A water supply, maybe even energy or building materials.
So it's not just about curiosity,
it's about building a Martian colony,
using what Mars has to offer.
Exactly.
It's a long game, but every journey
starts with a single step.
And this is a pretty big one.
It is crazy how much we've learned about Mars.
(06:26):
Blurry pictures, then rovers, now a hidden ocean.
What's next?
Are we going to teleport Martian microbes back to Earth?
Teleportation, maybe not yet.
But for real, we need more data.
How big is this ocean exactly?
What's in it?
Any signs of life, past or present.
That's where missions like Perseverance come in,
and those sample return missions everyone's talking about.
(06:47):
It's like we've got this massive puzzle.
And every mission, every new bit of data,
helps us get closer to the full picture.
It's a pretty awesome time to be following all this,
don't you think?
But before we go too far into the future,
got to address the big one.
Getting to that water, that's not going to be easy.
Oh, absolutely not.
Major challenge, engineering-wise.
Digging through kilometers of rock on another planet,
(07:09):
that'll take some serious brain power.
But hey, humans, we're good at solving problems,
especially when there's something amazing waiting
on the other side, like a hidden Martian ocean.
Yeah, if anyone could do it, it's those rocket scientists,
right, the ones who landed a rover on Mars
in the first place.
Exactly.
Who knows, maybe someday we'll be
talking about a Martian submarine exploring
this hidden ocean, looking for life where
(07:32):
no one thought it could exist.
Now, that's a cool image.
A submarine, lights cutting through the darkness,
finding these amazing life forms, totally alien to us.
Proof that life can exist, even thrive
in the most unexpected places.
But that, well, that's a whole other deep dive.
It is, it is.
But before we wrap up today, got to think a bigger picture.
(07:53):
This discovery, it's not just about Mars, right?
It's about pushing the limits of what we know.
It's about the universe and our place in it.
You got that right.
This tells us something huge about planets, about life,
maybe even about us.
Where do we fit in in all this?
You know, it's wild, right?
A few years back, a hidden ocean on Mars,
(08:13):
that was sci-fi stuff, pure fantasy.
And now it's real.
It's like, whoa, what does this even mean for everything?
It does change things, doesn't it?
This whole idea of, well, where can life exist?
We were so focused on surfaces, right?
But now it's like, maybe that's just the tip of the iceberg,
literally, in some cases.
Yeah, I mean, it makes you think about those icy moons,
right, Europa and Selat.
(08:34):
They've got these huge oceans.
But under miles of ice, if Mars can have this much water hidden
away, who knows what's going on under those icy shells?
It's a whole new frontier, isn't it?
Instead of looking up at the stars,
now we're looking down into these planets and moons.
And the tech, that's going to have to catch up, too.
Oh, yeah.
We're going to need some serious next level stuff
to explore these places, robots that can swim, drill,
(08:58):
take samples all in these crazy environments.
Think about it, autonomous robots mapping out
those underwater landscapes, sending back data.
It's mind blowing.
Seriously, like something out of a movie.
But hey, we're getting closer, right,
to making that sci-fi a reality.
I mean, who would have thought we'd be driving around on Mars
just a few years ago?
Exactly.
(09:18):
And this is bigger than just the tech, isn't it?
It's about that human spirit, that drive to explore,
to push the limits.
This discovery reminds us we've still got so much to learn,
so much out there waiting to be found.
It's like, hey, you young scientists, engineers,
dream big.
There are entire hidden worlds out there on Mars,
maybe on those moons, who knows what secrets are waiting
(09:40):
down there, those dark oceans.
The universe is full of surprises.
And yeah, I'm excited to see what we find.
Absolutely.
And for all you listeners, don't forget,
follow Cosmos in a Pod wherever you get your podcasts.
And check out our YouTube channel for more deep dives
into the really big questions.
Keep looking up, keep wondering, and never stop exploring.
This is Cosmos in a Pod, signing off.
Picture this, you're standing on Mars.
(00:02):
Red dust.
Sun's kinda hazy, yeah.
Atmosphere's thin, right?
And for like forever, we've wanted to find life there.
Everyone's looking for water.
Obvious, we need water for life, at least as we know it.
Right, makes sense.
But what if we've been looking
in the wrong place this whole time?
What do you mean?
Like what if under all that dust,
there's an ocean enough to cover the whole planet?
(00:25):
Whoa.
Welcome to Cosmos in a Pod,
the Space and Astronomy series.
Please do all that good stuff,
like, comment, share, subscribe.
The whole nine yards.
Today, we're diving deep right into this crazy discovery.
Changes how we think about Mars,
totally reignites the search for, well, you know, aliens.
Yeah, it really flips the script.
We've had this image for so long, Mars dried dead,
(00:49):
like a desert planet, and now boom, maybe not so much.
Thanks to some seriously clever science.
Okay, okay, before we get too far ahead of ourselves,
get up to the stage.
We know Mars wasn't always a wasteland, right?
Right.
Tons of evidence it was way later once.
Oh, absolutely, you see those canyons, huge, right?
Like scars across the planet.
Those were carved out by rivers, massive rivers.
(01:09):
And then the deltas, where those rivers emptied out.
It's like Mars is telling us a story
about a time when water flowed everywhere.
So we have these clues, right?
Ancient, watery Mars, but then something happened.
Where'd all the water go?
The big question, isn't it?
The leading theory, Mars lost its atmosphere
over billions of years, like it's a planet shield
(01:32):
and without it, you're exposed, right?
The surface water, it just evaporated or froze.
Cosmic use it or lose it situation for a planet's H2O.
But here's the thing, even with the ice we see at the poles
and a tiny bit in the atmosphere, scientists are like,
wait, there should be more, where's the rest of the water?
Yeah, like a puzzle, giant cosmic puzzle
and a piece is missing.
(01:52):
That's where insight comes in.
Insight.
Now this lander, it wasn't about roving around
taking selfies, right?
This was a different mission.
Very different.
Insight was about looking deep down,
studying the inside of Mars, using, well, seismology,
kind of like listening to the planet's heartbeat,
feeling for the shakes, the tremors, Marsquakes.
(02:13):
Martian seismology, huh?
Never thought about it like that.
Using those quakes to map out
what's going on into the surface.
That's the idea.
And as insight was listening, they picked up something wild,
an echo, a very specific kind of echo.
That told them there's a huge amount
of liquid water deep down.
Wait, wait, so they didn't actually see the water.
They're going off how these, what were they called?
(02:34):
Seismic waves?
How they traveled through rock?
Precisely.
It's like imagine tapping on a wall, right?
You can tell if it's solid or hollow based on the sound,
the echo, same idea here, just on a planetary scale.
And those waves, they said,
hey, there's liquid water down there.
No way.
Yeah.
So this isn't just some little puddle.
We're talking a massive underground reservoir,
maybe even an ocean, right?
Mind blowing, isn't it?
(02:54):
And what it means, oh, it changes everything.
First, how we see Mars, not just dry and dusty,
but a world with, well, maybe a whole water cycle
going on down there.
And then the question of life.
If there's liquid water, could there be, you know?
Life?
Yeah.
And this water, it's not just in a big underground lake,
it's held within the rock itself.
(03:15):
Oh, so like a giant planet size sponge.
Exactly.
It's not a pool of water, but the rock has cracks and spaces
and that's where the water is.
Okay, so more like a really, really deep aquifer
than a sea, but still, liquid water,
maybe billions of years old,
deep under the surface of Mars, like a time capsule.
A glimpse of what Mars used to be.
A planet we thought we knew,
but, well, we're just starting to understand.
(03:37):
And that's what makes it so exciting, isn't it?
This discovery, it's not just about solving a puzzle,
it's about, well, rethinking the possibilities.
The possibilities for life beyond Earth.
And we'll get into those possibilities right after this.
Back again for more deep dive fun.
(03:57):
Before, well, we were just getting to the good stuff,
this hidden ocean, what it means for, you know,
the whole are we alone thing.
Right.
It's kind of wild when you think about it,
like we were searching for ages, right?
Just a drop of water on Mars,
like that was the holy grail proof
that maybe life could exist.
And now we might have a whole ocean hidden away.
Kind of funny, isn't it?
Yeah.
But you bring up a good point.
(04:18):
It's not, yeah, essential,
but it's not a guarantee, right?
Doesn't automatically mean there's aliens
swimming around down there.
Yeah.
But it does make it way more likely.
Way like.
Think about it.
Earth, wherever there's water, there's life.
Doesn't matter how extreme.
Deep ocean, boiling hot springs, even frozen glaciers.
Life finds a way.
Those, what are they called?
Extremophiles, tiny little guys that can survive anywhere,
(04:41):
even in places that would kill, well, everything else.
Those are the ones.
And if they can handle those conditions here on Earth,
why not on Mars?
This hidden ocean, it would be protected, right?
From the radiation, the crazy temperatures up on the surface.
So it's like a whole new search for life is starting.
Instead of looking on the surface,
we've got this potential hotspot, right?
(05:01):
Yeah.
Deep down, maybe life evolved there,
completely separate from everything up top.
And this ocean, it's probably full of minerals,
salts, all that good stuff that could be an energy source
for microbes, bacteria.
It's not just water, it's a recipe maybe,
for a whole biosphere down there.
OK, let's say just for fun, there, IS life down there.
How do we even find it?
(05:22):
We're not setting a submarine down there, are we?
Not quite yet.
It's a big challenge, no doubt.
We're talking drilling through kilometers of rock.
That's tough, even here on Earth with all our fancy tech.
But where there's a will, right, someone will figure out a way.
Martian miners, robots drilling down, bringing back samples.
Is that what you're thinking?
Could be.
(05:43):
Imagine, in those samples, what if we found, I don't know,
microscopic fossils, weird bacteria, or something
we've never even imagined?
Talk about a discovery.
Proof that we're not alone.
Life, but not as we know it.
It would change everything.
Textbooks, new scientists.
I bet there'd be a million sci-fi movies about it.
Absolutely.
And think about this, it's not just about the science.
(06:05):
If we could get to that water, it
could be huge for humans going to Mars someday.
A water supply, maybe even energy or building materials.
So it's not just about curiosity,
it's about building a Martian colony,
using what Mars has to offer.
Exactly.
It's a long game, but every journey
starts with a single step.
And this is a pretty big one.
It is crazy how much we've learned about Mars.
(06:26):
Blurry pictures, then rovers, now a hidden ocean.
What's next?
Are we going to teleport Martian microbes back to Earth?
Teleportation, maybe not yet.
But for real, we need more data.
How big is this ocean exactly?
What's in it?
Any signs of life, past or present.
That's where missions like Perseverance come in,
and those sample return missions everyone's talking about.
(06:47):
It's like we've got this massive puzzle.
And every mission, every new bit of data,
helps us get closer to the full picture.
It's a pretty awesome time to be following all this,
don't you think?
But before we go too far into the future,
got to address the big one.
Getting to that water, that's not going to be easy.
Oh, absolutely not.
Major challenge, engineering-wise.
Digging through kilometers of rock on another planet,
(07:09):
that'll take some serious brain power.
But hey, humans, we're good at solving problems,
especially when there's something amazing waiting
on the other side, like a hidden Martian ocean.
Yeah, if anyone could do it, it's those rocket scientists,
right, the ones who landed a rover on Mars
in the first place.
Exactly.
Who knows, maybe someday we'll be
talking about a Martian submarine exploring
this hidden ocean, looking for life where
(07:32):
no one thought it could exist.
Now, that's a cool image.
A submarine, lights cutting through the darkness,
finding these amazing life forms, totally alien to us.
Proof that life can exist, even thrive
in the most unexpected places.
But that, well, that's a whole other deep dive.
It is, it is.
But before we wrap up today, got to think a bigger picture.
(07:53):
This discovery, it's not just about Mars, right?
It's about pushing the limits of what we know.
It's about the universe and our place in it.
You got that right.
This tells us something huge about planets, about life,
maybe even about us.
Where do we fit in in all this?
You know, it's wild, right?
A few years back, a hidden ocean on Mars,
(08:13):
that was sci-fi stuff, pure fantasy.
And now it's real.
It's like, whoa, what does this even mean for everything?
It does change things, doesn't it?
This whole idea of, well, where can life exist?
We were so focused on surfaces, right?
But now it's like, maybe that's just the tip of the iceberg,
literally, in some cases.
Yeah, I mean, it makes you think about those icy moons,
right, Europa and Selat.
(08:34):
They've got these huge oceans.
But under miles of ice, if Mars can have this much water hidden
away, who knows what's going on under those icy shells?
It's a whole new frontier, isn't it?
Instead of looking up at the stars,
now we're looking down into these planets and moons.
And the tech, that's going to have to catch up, too.
Oh, yeah.
We're going to need some serious next level stuff
to explore these places, robots that can swim, drill,
(08:58):
take samples all in these crazy environments.
Think about it, autonomous robots mapping out
those underwater landscapes, sending back data.
It's mind blowing.
Seriously, like something out of a movie.
But hey, we're getting closer, right,
to making that sci-fi a reality.
I mean, who would have thought we'd be driving around on Mars
just a few years ago?
Exactly.
(09:18):
And this is bigger than just the tech, isn't it?
It's about that human spirit, that drive to explore,
to push the limits.
This discovery reminds us we've still got so much to learn,
so much out there waiting to be found.
It's like, hey, you young scientists, engineers,
dream big.
There are entire hidden worlds out there on Mars,
maybe on those moons, who knows what secrets are waiting
(09:40):
down there, those dark oceans.
The universe is full of surprises.
And yeah, I'm excited to see what we find.
Absolutely.
And for all you listeners, don't forget,
follow Cosmos in a Pod wherever you get your podcasts.
And check out our YouTube channel for more deep dives
into the really big questions.
Keep looking up, keep wondering, and never stop exploring.
This is Cosmos in a Pod, signing off.
Popular Podcasts
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com