Spirit Finds Possible Evidence of Water on Mars

Voice of America ^ | 1/9/04 | David McAlary

[LibWhacker]

Less than a week after landing on Mars, the U.S. Spirit spacecraft has found possible evidence that water once flowed on the now-barren planet, the goal of the mission. The scientists are cautious about their interpretation.

Although the Spirit robotic rover has not yet begun its trek over Martian terrain, one of its scientific instruments has remotely detected small amounts of a mineral in nearby soil that hint of ancient water.

The instrument that did this is an infrared camera designed to sense the composition of material from afar by measuring heat emissions.

Mars mission scientist Phil Christensen says the presence of the mineral, called carbonate, might mean its is a remnant of rocks that formed in water from dissolved carbonate particles.

"So it might be that this carbonate actually does indeed have to do with the water that we came to look for," he said.

But Mr. Christensen warns that the mineral does not necessarily mean the landing site called Gusev Crater was an ancient lake, as is believed. The carbonate could have come from atmospheric dust that interacted with rocks and soil without water present.

The six-wheeled robotic explorer will help them determine the answer by examining rocks and soil closely when it eventually departs the Spirit lander. The nature of the soil in which the carbonate is found will reveal a lot.

Cornell University researcher Steven Squyres says if it is in wind-blown dust, it probably came from elsewhere and says nothing about a watery past for Gusev Crater. But if the soil that contains carbonate is coarse, like water sediments, that is evidence that the crater is an ancient lake bed.

"I think we're going to be chasing this carbonate story [for] weeks, months maybe," he said. "What we can do as we start to head out across the countryside is we can look at different patches of soil and we can measure the carbonate abundance is different kinds of soil."

The rover's expedition to do this has been delayed because airbags that cushioned the landing cannot be fully retracted and continue to block its path down Spirit's front ramp. To get around this obstacle, engineers have decided to rotate the lander one-third of a turn to the right and roll it off a secondary ramp on the lander's side late next week.

Steven Squyres says his team is prepared to command the rover to dig with its mechanical arm in whatever direction it heads.

"We always knew that we could egress in any direction and that the egress direction was going to be picked on the basis of safety," he said. "That's part of why we make sure to get a full 360 degree panoramic view. So we're going to be ready to pick targets, ready to do science no matter which direction the egress turns out to be."

In preparation for dispatching the rover, engineers have begun to raise it from its compressed travel position, as if it were a newborn stretching and kicking. The process of expanding the vehicle's legs and wheels to their fully extended position is taking two days.

[Straight Vermonter]

I think it is short-sighted to not realize that mankind The USA will one day extend its borders beyond earth.

[bolobaby]

Ever drive from Palm Springs to Needles CA, on a back road. Talk about space......

Right - now go to China, India, and the rest of the overpopulated world. We enjoy an extremely low population density here in the U.S.

You must be eager to have all those people from China and India move into that space between Palm Springs and Needles. Say hello to your new neighbors!

Seriously, you want a prime example of a fight-for-space gone bad, just look at Palestine/Israel.

[Spell Correctly]

Yes, even water exists in the Arizona desert.

[RightWhale]

Why does everyone think it's a nation-state race?

Probably because it is. Granted, the scientific community is universal rather than national, but that is about the end of it. Maybe the business community is, too. To the other 6 billion people on earth it is severely national. Can space development transcend nationalism? Sure, but until we begin we are guessing that it will.

[Johnny_Cipher]

In 100 years, we may look at Mars and say - "Terraform? That'll take 10 years."

True. Considering that we went from a big paper box kite on Kill Devil Hill to landing on the moon in 65 years, the case can be made that terraforming might one day be as routine as driving to Pittsburgh.

[j_tull]

So we're going to be ready to pick targets, ready to do science no matter which direction the egress turns out to be."

What, this thing can't turn?

[LibWhacker]

I wonder if those dark patches are where the lander bounced before coming to rest? I read the other day that the bounce points were darkened by the impact.

[RightWhale]

Just a note to mark our place on the schedule. The Rover-A is due to roll off the platform late next week. The Rover-B is due for landing a week after that. Next week, probably just as Rover-A rolls, Pres Bush will give the official program announcement. Stardust is due back in a few years and another asteroid prospector, Euro I think, is about ready for launch. Also the Mercury ship is getting near ready for launch. That's only part of what's happening. The moon base and the manned Mars flyby will be in the news, but there is a lot of other space news, and the manned flights won't be able to hog the headlines any more than Antarctica does now.

[RightWhale]

Yeah, it can turn, and with more grace and finesse than half the drivers on the streets of America.

[asb3pe]

"I'm bustin' a gut to find out what those black spots are at the bottom of the depression in the upper left of this photo are..."

I can't find my source, but earlier today I DID in fact read a blurb underneath that same photo you posted, that explained that the two black areas in that smooth-looking depression are where the MER bounced just before coming to a stop where it did. The same source also said that scientists were eager to make that area one of Spirit's destinations...

[Doc On The Bay]

FORGET IT, my FRiend, we've ALL been told it's "TOO EXPENSIVE!!"

---but WHAT FUN---eh?

Doc

[j_tull]

Thanks, I misinterpreted the, "we'll do science no matter what direction we're pointing after we get out wheels on the dirt," statement. BTW, more grace and finesse than half the drivers on the streets of America....ain't all that impressive. 8^)

[Finalapproach29er]

Here: http://www.enterprisemission.com

Be warned,weirdness awaits.

[Finalapproach29er]

It's not about space its water resources that we need in some areas.IMO

[kcar]

Many of the 6 billion do work in private enterprise. And many of those who don't wish they could escape to a land where they can. Private industry has sponsored many multi-national scientific races before, where the race is between American or a Japanise or German firm or any combination or alliance in-between. But in general the competition doesn't ever seem to include the Chinese or USA governments. They are too slow and political.

Methinks space may very well be incubated by governments but will be truly progressed only after there is solid economic incentives. The trade-off will be that the Martian development will be treated as a sponsored colony like the Americas were, to be milked by remote politicians demanding payback of their expensive investment capital, until their tea-tax exceeds all reason.

[RightWhale]

I wish that I were 20 again. Maybe this time they'll do it for real.

[LibWhacker]

I haven't read your article yet, but I will, thanks. I love the idea of terraforming Mars. The first proposals I ever read about would take tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands, of years. But lately I heard about one idea (was it on the Discovery channel?) that would take just a fraction of that time.

[RightWhale]

ain't all that impressive

It's going to take 90 days to go half a mile. Granted it's kind of cautious.

[varon]

............the U.S. Spirit spacecraft has found possible evidence that water once flowed on the now-barren planet,.............

Yeah, yeah, yeah but has it found any WMD yet ;-)

[Colorado Doug]

I think it is short-sighted to not realize that mankind will one day extend its borders beyond earth.

Vicente Fox is probably working on that.