Nicosia (AFP)
International experts in geology and planetology are testing equipment in Cyprus for dating rocks on the planet Mars, which has a geology similar to that of the Mediterranean island, science officials said on Friday.
This dating project is "very innovative because there have never been reliable measurements on the age of the rocks of Mars carried out by the previous missions", explained the department of geological studies of the Cypriot government, at the end. of a meeting on Friday between foreign and Cypriot experts.
"This meeting addressed the objectives of the international space program, the geological needs and the best sites for the project," he continued in a statement, adding that "the geology of the Troodos mountains had a lot in common with the rocks on Mars".
International experts arrived in Cyprus earlier in November to test their equipment in this mountain range which rises to nearly 2,000 meters above sea level.
The project is funded by the European Commission.
Friday's meeting was the first involving the Cyprus Space Exploration Organization (CSEO) and the Cypriot government's Department of Geological Studies.
Christodoulos Hadjigeorgiou, acting director of this department, explained that these discussions were intended to share with the international team the knowledge of the Cypriot field of local experts.
The CSEO is participating in a large international research project on the Red Planet, in collaboration with three other European countries as well as with the United States.
For its boss George Danos, this project "illustrates once again the uniqueness of the geology of our country, which can help to prepare space missions to other celestial bodies".
"Through this cooperation, we will create jobs for scientists in our country and new research projects in collaboration with international space agencies," he continued.
© 2020 AFP