Is Mars Ice Ice Baby?

Seen above: Illustration showing the Phoenix Mars Mission (click on the image to see it at full size – trust me it’s worth it).

This interesting but over looked BBC News story reports that there may be quite a bit more ice on Mars than we thought:

‘Up to half’ of Mars may have ice

“Scientists in the US say that initial data from a new way of scanning Mars has shown up to half of the Red Planet’s surface may contain ice. The new method of scanning for water offers vastly more accurate readings than before, they say. The data could prove vital for the Phoenix Mars Mission which launches this August and which will put a lander on the surface to dig for ice. The new data shows wide variation as to how deep below the surface ice exists.”

…I say that it’s high time we stop sending probes to Mars and send a bunch of people to polk around the red planet once and for all! I tired of only seeing manned space exploration in history books and science fiction tv shows…