How was the Martian arctic probe built to withstand the extreme temperature change?”
Most electronics don’t mind cold temperatures. The motors, gears, and lubricants have all been tested at extremely low temperatures here on Earth before launch. The probe scooped out a trench while taking samples, and several shiny lumps were exposed. Pictures of the trench and lumps were taken and sent back to Earth. Days later, the trench was photographed again, and the shiny lumps were missing. The most reasonable conclusion from this is that the lumps were water ice, and after they were exposed to sunlight, they melted/evaporated/sublimated and disappeared. Depending on how much ice is still on Mars, that could mean future astronauts have a supply of water and fuel waiting for them, making the journey less costly and more safe. It is unlikely that life as we know it exists in or near the ice, since water only exists as ice or vapor on Mars. But this ice discover does increase the chances that life once existed on Mars, perhaps in oceans like on Earth. There is no way to tell how mu
