Mars Curiosity Rover Finds 'Substantial' Water

The first scoop of Martian dust, dirt and finely grained soil analysed by Nasa's Curiosity rover suggests there is a "substantial" amount of water on Mars.

Scientists confirmed the soil sample was about 2% water, increasing the chance that a manned mission to the red planet would be able to survive.

In a cubic foot (0.03 cubic meters) of Martian soil "you can get maybe a couple of pints (0.47 litres) of water out of that," said Laurie Leshin, lead author of the study in the journal Science.

Mr Leshin, who is dean of science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute said the discovery offered hope for hydrating humans were a mission to Mars go ahead some day.

"We saw Mars as a very dry desert and while this is not as much water you will find in Earth soil ... it's substantial," he said.

No space agency has any concrete plans to send astronauts to Mars but the United States has said it hopes to launch the first humans there by the 2030s.

Signs of water on Mars are nothing new.

Previous space agency rovers and orbiters have found evidence Mars likely had water - whether in the form of ice, below-ground reservoirs or even the drinkable kind - perhaps billions of years ago.

But the latest evidence comes from some of the most sophisticated instruments ever sent to the red planet.

The soil analysed by Curiosity was collected from a portion of the Gale Crater known as Rocknest.

"We now know there should be abundant, easily accessible water on Mars," Mr Leshin said.

"We probably can find it almost anywhere right on the surface under your feet if you are an astronaut."