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Nasa has announced it will unveil a major Mars discovery on 28 September, with a press conference set to take place at 3pm (GMT).

The agency's pre-announcement has prompted many to believe the news will involve the discovery of liquid water on the Martian surface, a rumour prompted by the finding of a possible ancient ocean on the planet back in March.


Nasa director of planetary science Jim Green will be taking part in the conference, as well as lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Program Michael Meyer, among others.

Back in June, WIRED reported that researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands had studied images of Mars' Martian crater Istok to analyse whether the red planet once had active water sources; the research found that gullies and deposits of sediment on Istok's slopes resembled similar debris flows -- caused by moving water -- here on Earth. At only 1,000,000 years old, the discovery was said to have occurred in Mars' (relatively) recent history.

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This illustration depicts a lake of water partially filling Mars' Gale Crater, receiving runoff from snow melting on the crater's northern rim NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/MSSS

Earlier this month, Nasa released never-before-seen imagery detailing the surface of Mars' south pole in intricate close up, with a blotchy white mark in the image showcasing a polar ice cap, composed of carbon dioxide and frozen water; another addition to the evidence of Earth-like weather.

The agency have yet to announce the specifics but have promised a "Mars mystery solved".


Nasa's path for the human exploration of Mars began in low-Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station; outlined in the Nasa Authorisation Act of 2010, they have been developing the abilities to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and to Mars by the 2030s.

Others are eager for the development, with Foster + Partners currently designing Apple's 'spaceship' HQ on Mars after Nasa set an open call for 3D printed space base designs, as detailed by WIRED. Their designs showcase a 3D printed, 93-square meter building made up from the soil and rocks on Mars' surface, able to house four astronauts. Fusing lose Martian soil with microwaves would create a permanent shield to protect the space campus from radiation and extreme temperatures, WIRED reported.

NASA are encouraging members of the public to also take part in the briefing, using #AskNASA to ask any Mars-related questions.