Posted on 05/27/2002 8:58:45 AM PDT by vannrox
THEMIS: The Thermal Emission Imaging System is a camera that images Mars in the visible and infrared parts of the spectrum in order to determine the distribution of minerals on the surface of Mars.
GRS: The Gamma Ray Spectrometer uses the gamma-ray part of the spectrum to look for the presence of 20 elements from the periodic table (e.g., carbon, silicon, iron, magnesium, etc.). Its neutron detectors look for water and ice in the soil by measuring neutrons.
MARIE: The Martian Radiation Experiment is designed to measure the radiation environment of Mars using an energetic particle spectrometer.
Remote spectroscopy is just as valid as taking samples.
"I would agree, except the findings are being reported along side a call to go to Mars. Not that I'm opposed to exploration, but let's do it for the right reasons, IE. to see what's there, not to pour money into trying to prove the theory of life on Mars."
The major SHORT-TERM importance of the findings means that any exploration can be done far less expensively (fuel for the return trip can be generated on-site instead of having to be carried along, as well as the oxygen needed for the stay). Longer-term, the presence of water means that colonization is possible.
In the two weeks that the questionnaire was posted on the Society's website, over 50,000 people weighed in with their opinions. For many of the questions, those opinions vary widely, but a few definite favorites did emerge.nightdriver: I believe the initial results reported from Odyssey in February cited the abundance of Hydrogen. This week should report "water ice" which implies that Oxygen should be there also underground."More than 90% of survey respondents ranked exploration of Mars among the top five mission priorities for NASA, thus outpacing all other Solar System mission categories" said Bruce Betts, Director of Projects at The Planetary Society
ROFL ! funniest thing I've read today. Thanks !
a few bunker busters could speed things up by opening up the planets crust, perhaps triggering volcanic eruptions of ash and magma that would raise the temperature a degree or two a year... acts of "terraforming" so to speak.
Bubble colonies could be set up there to smelt Iron, and exotic metals, using the ice as a coolant, and the gaseous byproducts could be dumped first of all, into the bubbles, so they would support plant growth and oxygen generation... and then as things get "balanced" in the bubble, or bubbles, the area outside the bubbles could be flooded with massive emisisons of carbon dioxide as well.
It could become a manufacturing planet, with a penal colony there for environmentalists, who want ot keep their NEW HOME pristine and unspoilt by mankind. They could protect the environment there, by moving OUTSIDE THE BUBBLES...
just speculating of course.
On MGS's Weekly Weather report for May 7, 2002.
Malin shows the "Erosion of North Polar Layers and Genesis of nearby Sand Dunes" and summarizes with The new views of the martian north polar cap obtained in 1999 and 2001 suggest that it may not contain as much water ice as previously believed. Indeed, the amount of ice may be as little as half of what was once thought.
Quite different from the latest revelations.
Arnold found the Martian machine to terraform the planet and those gigantic, molten, metal rods released the O2 into the atmosphere. Arnolds eyes did not pop!
So we terrraform and build an outlet valve for our planet. Notwothsatnding the previous post about the Prof Steiner who was submitting a proposal to the National Space Society this past weekend for designating the moon, mars, actually the entire heaven as a "World Heritage site"!
HACCCH PATOOEY!
Why are you so certain they will find no sign of life? Where in the bible did it state we were the only place life exists? They have found life in the depths of ocean vents and in deep core samples from oil wells all over the world. Why not on planets too? Maybe God put them there for us to have dominion over them too, as soon as we figure out how to get there.
I'm mildly curious myself.
(but only mildly, since I doubt that there was a point)
No need to worry. "HACCCH PATOOEY" is what’s going to happen to people in the end with their silly leftist ideas. Off-world economic expansion is an eventuality.
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