UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN

When you look at a volcano, you’re seeing the tip of a vastly more complicated system. The mountain itself is just the exit point for processes that have been happening deep underground, perhaps for millions of years. Magma doesn’t simply appear at the surface ready to erupt it rises, stalls, cools, changes, and evolves in underground chambers before finally breaking through.

We’ve known this about Earth’s volcanoes for a long time, but it turns out Mars has been playing the same game. New research published in the journal Geology shows that some of the Red Planet’s youngest volcanic systems had far more intricate histories than anyone realised. An international team of scientists studied a volcanic system south of Pavonis Mons, one of Mars’ giant shield volcanoes in the Tharsis region. Using high resolution images and mineral data from orbiting spacecraft, they essentially performed detective work from space, piecing together clues left behind in the rocks.

Infrared image mosaic showing the shield volcano Pavonis Mons, the central of three peaks in the Tharsis Montes chain, in the central part of the Tharsis region of Mars

(Credit : NASA / JPL-Caltech / Arizona State University)

What they discovered was fascinating. Rather than forming in a single, straightforward eruption, this volcanic system went through multiple distinct phases. Early on, lava poured out through long cracks in the ground, what geologists call fissure eruptions. Later, the style changed completely, with lava erupting from concentrated point sources that built up cone shaped vents.

Here’s the clever bit: although these different lava flows look quite different on the surface, they all came from the same underground plumbing system. Think of it like a house with several taps (and I should know as recently done a load of plumbing in my house, mostly successful!) the water comes from the same pipes, but it emerges in different places and different ways.

The real revelation came from analysing the minerals in each lava flow. Each eruption left behind a distinct mineral fingerprint, and these signatures tell us that the magma itself was evolving over time. The magma was probably coming from different depths, or spending varying amounts of time stored underground before erupting.

Lava rafts and flows, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program. Location is the Elysium quadrangle on Mars

(Credit : NASA/Jim Secosky)

This matters because we can’t exactly pop over to Mars and chip off a rock sample. Everything we know about the planet’s interior has to come from studying what’s visible on the surface. These volcanic systems are like windows into Mars’ deep interior, revealing processes happening kilometres below ground.

This all suggests that even during Mars’ most recent volcanic period, the planet’s subsurface remained geologically active and complex. The volcano didn’t just erupt once and fall silent, it evolved as conditions beneath the surface shifted and changed. It’s a reminder that Mars, though smaller and colder than Earth, has led a rich geological life. The planet’s volcanic history isn’t a simple story of early activity followed by steady decline. Instead, it’s a tale of ongoing processes, of magma systems that remained dynamic for millions of years, shaping the surface we see today.

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Mars' 'young' volcanoes prove more complex than scientists once thought

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China has achieved several impressive milestones in its space program in recent years. As part of their plan to build an outpost on the Moon that will compete with NASA's Artemis Program - the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) - they are busy developing a super-heavy launch system and a crew-capable spacecraft that will take taikonauts to the Moon by the end of the decade. That is the plan, at any rate, and recent tests indicate that they are on track to achieve that goal. On Wednesday, Feb. 11th, the China Manned Spaceflight Agency (CMSA) completed a major test of its Long March-10 rocket and the Mengzhou spacecraft.

The test took place at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province. It combined a low-altitude demonstration of the Long March-10 and an in-flight abort test of the Mengzhou spacecraft. This was the first ignition flight of the Long March-10 rocket and saw the spacecraft power through the most dangerous phase of ascent - maximum dynamic pressure (or Max Q). This phase occurs as the vehicle accelerates in the lower, denser atmosphere into the thinner upper atmosphere, when aerodynamic stress peaks.

An in-flight abort test, meanwhile, evaluates the crew capsule's safety system, which separates from the rocket in case of emergency. Both the capsule and the rocket's first stage were successful and landed in their designated recovery zones. Key moments in the flight test are featured in the video below, via the state-owned China Global Television Network (CGTN):

Said Ji Qiming, the CMSA spokesperson, during an interview with CGTN:

The test represents the five 'first-times,' as we call it. It's the inaugural ignition flight of the Long March-10 carrier rocket. It's the country's first maximum-dynamic-pressure escape test for a spacecraft. It's the first sea landing and recovery of a crewed spacecraft's return capsule. It's the first sea landing of the rocket's first-stage body. And it's the first ignition launch mission for the newly constructed launch pad for lunar missions.

The Long March-10* is a next-generation partially reusable launch system designed for crewed lunar missions. The rocket comes in two configurations, the first with three stages and two strap-on boosters, similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9 or the ULA's Vulcan and Atlas V rockets. The second, the 10A, has two stages and no boosters. The rocket is powered by seven liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene engines in parallel. The Mengzhou* spacecraft (Chinese for 'Dream Vessel') is a reusable vehicle capable of carrying 6 to 7 taikonauts.

After the spaceship separated, the rocket continued ascending until the first stage reached its predetermined height and speed, when its engines were shut down. The rocket then commenced its glide phase and changed its orientation several times, shifting from nose-forward to tail-forward. At an altitude of about 110 km (68 mi), the rocket deployed its four grid fins to prepare for landing. Two of its engines were then reignited for the powered deceleration phase, which was followed by the aerodynamic deceleration phase that relied solely on its grid fins to slow down and adjust its position.

During the final landing phase, three engines were reignited, and the rocket maneuvered toward its landing site. When it was just a few meters above sea level, the rocket hovered in place while ground crews tested an onboard tether mechanism to simulate a recovery using a ground-based net system. The rocket then splashed down in the ocean, where recovery crews retrieved it.

The first stage of the Long March-10 carrier rocket safely splashes down in the predetermined sea area in a controlled manner as planned, Feb. 11, 2026.

[Photo/Xinhua]

Said Zhu Pingping of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation:

After completing this test flight, we can say that both the ascent profile of the Long March-10 series' first stage and the return profile of the Long March 10A have been validated. This means that the risks associated with subsequent formal mission flight tests can be effectively eliminated and controlled.

This test places China a step closer to its goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and sending crews to other locations in deep space - like Mars. Combined with their planned expansion of the Tiangong space station, robotic missions to explore a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA), a Main Belt comet, and a Mars Sample Return (Tianwen-2 and -3, respectively), China is assuming a leadership role in space.

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