For me the bigger question is where did the material that filled the Valles Marineris go to. There's no downstream. It was levitated into space.
Curiously, the water reported there in 2021 is a deposit at right angles to the canyon itself.
This map shows the highest concentrations of water in blue and purple, as detected by the orbiter. I. Mitrofanov/ESA
Were I on Mars, this is where I'd want to be.
marspedia.org/Valles_Marineris#Possible_habitat_location
Quote:
The floor of Valles Marineris is low enough that air pressure is significantly higher than at the rim. If a colony was built close to the north wall, the wall would provide good radiation protection from Cosmic rays since the wall blocks about half the sky. Further, the thicker air would provide protection from solar radiation.
Ground fogs have been seen at dawn at the canyon floor, so it is certain that water exists close to the ground surface.
Valles Marineris exists on the equator, so it will be one of the warmest areas on the planet. It is also one of the few equatorial sites where there is strong evidence of water, which makes it doubly attractive.
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And now, according to Angry Astronaut we can fire a retrorocket at supersonic speeds. So landing is less a problem.
I have today's episode queued.
edit: He doesn't know how to wear a hat. 'The size of a bus' had better be one 1U shipping container.