NASA Plane Detects Oxygen On Mars
NASA researchers have detected atomic oxygen in Mars’ upper atmosphere for the first time in forty years. NASA’s airborne observatory SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) has detected single molecules of oxygen in the Martian atmosphere. The observatory is mounted on a specially-equipped 747 that soars high above the earth (45,000 feet) and has a clearer view of the heavens than telescopes on earth.