NASA Gets A Good Look At Mars Soil And A True Puzzle

Chicago Tribune/Yahoo ^ | 1-7-2004 | Jeremy Manier

[blam]

NASA gets good look at Mars soil and a true puzzle

By Jeremy Manier, Tribune staff reporter

Opening its primary digital eyes for the first time, the rover Spirit on Tuesday transmitted the most detailed photos ever sent from the surface of Mars, revealing an alien vista of deep russet sands, a mysteriously sticky form of soil and a far-off mesa in the light orange haze.

The rocky scene is about four times sharper than any previous photos from the planet, and experts said the probe should be sending even larger, three-dimensional views of its terrain within a few days. Scientists will use those photos and information from an infrared imaging instrument to choose the most promising places for the rover to start visiting next week in search of signs that Mars once had a habitat suitable for life.

It's difficult to imagine life surviving now in the barren landscape around the rover--though mission planners have said one goal of the robotic Mars expeditions is to scout out possible landing sites in case the U.S. ever sends astronauts to Mars.

But on Tuesday, researchers analyzing the new images took a moment to look at the planet with simple wonder.

"My reaction has been one of shock and awe," said Jim Bell, leader of the mission's imaging team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

The sticky-looking soil may be the first true puzzle of the mission, scientists said. Technicians believe the probe's landing airbags disturbed the dirt near the rover when they retracted back under the craft, soon after the landing. The dirt that was dragged by the airbags now looks oddly folded, almost as if it were damp clay.

"It looks like mud, but it can't be mud," said principal investigator Steven Squyres. "It's not like anything that I have ever seen before. It's very weird-looking stuff."

Researchers believe Martian soil in the rover's vicinity is bone-dry near the surface, adding to the mystery. Squyres said it's possible that moisture evaporating from below left a salty, cohesive crust at the surface.

[blam]

My take on the soil: The water on Mars is in the form of tiny ice crystals mixed with very fine dust.

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[martin_fierro]

My take on the soil:

[Chunga]

"a mysteriously sticky form of soil"

Uh-oh.

[RightWhale]

The dirt that was dragged by the airbags now looks oddly folded, almost as if it were damp clay.

Pond scum

[mewzilla]

Interesting article. To me Mars looks a lot like Monument Valley without the monuments :)

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[kcar]

"a mysteriously sticky form of soil"

Could they have landed in New Jersey?

[Slicksadick]

Heres the sticky stuff

<IMG height=307 alt=" Click For Small photo" src="http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040106/i/r593415438.jpg" width=410

[mewzilla]

Martian coprolites?

[Slicksadick]

[Fitzcarraldo]

[Viking2002]

This ought to be interesting. The rover has it's first mystery to solve, and it doesn't even have to leave the lander. As Spock might say, 'Fascinating.'

[Cuttnhorse]

Could they have landed in New Jersey?

LOL! Now that's funny.

[null and void]

Pond scum

That would be way KEWL!

[Glenn]

I have had to sit through DOH-DOH Island a couple of times since Christmas. It grows on you.

And that is not a good thing.

[Dianna]

The dark, oblong, rock on the right, middle of the picture looks like a black tennis shoe.

[RightWhale]

fungus, algae

[mewzilla]

Are they going to try to sample that yucky looking mass of stuff?

[asb3pe]

My take is that perhaps any remaining iron in the "iron oxide suface material" is slightly magnetized.

If you've ever played with iron filings and a magnet, I think you'll know where I'm coming from. The apparent cohesiveness of the soil may not be due to liquid content, which everyone obviously has a hard time with given the extremely low temps on mars...

Just my two cents, which is about all a wild guess is worth. :)