Water may be found on other planets too, says NASA scientist

Mumbai: With a recent NASA study confirming presence of water on Mars, Indian-origin scientist working with the US space agency Amitabh Ghosh on Friday said that a few other planets in our solar system too may have water, increasing the possibility of finding life there.

Ghosh, who leads 'Science Operations Working Group, Mission Operations, NASA Mars Exploration Rover Mission', said, "Our satellites have sent signals of (suggesting) availability of water at few other planets including Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter which enhances the chances of (finding) life in those places."

However, mere presence of water doesn't guarantee that there would be living organisms, he added.

An alumnus of IIT-Kharagpur, Ghosh was associated with Pathfinder mission in 1997 at the age of 27 and is now leading the project 'Opportunity' on tactical rover operations including rover driving and science experiments.

He interacted with journalists at Mumbai Press Club this evening.

"Presence of water on Mars is a huge relief for us," he said, because it can cut down the logistical provisions that a Human mission to Mars in future may have to carry.

"NASA also aims to collect a few rocks from Mars around (year) 2030 and bring it to earth to have further analysis in our labs..At various universities," he said.

NASA would send its next spacecraft to Mars, named InSight in 2016, and it will study the activities under the crust of the planet.

Another spacecraft would be sent in 2020, he said.