NASA Rover finds more signs of past water on Mars

Sac Bee ^ | 4/1/04 | Andrew Bridges - AP

[NormsRevenge]

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - NASA's Spirit rover discovered more evidence of past water activity on Mars, although not in as great amounts as the twin rover Opportunity found on the other side of the planet, mission scientists said Thursday.

The findings come from analysis of a rock dubbed Mazatzal in the Gusev Crater region where Spirit landed on Jan. 3. Since then Spirit has been overshadowed by Opportunity as it found signs that extensive water, possibly a salty sea, once covered its landing site on Meridiani Planum.

[blackdog]

Hmmmmm...I'm not very informed on matters of interplanetary atmospheric physics and content, but what you say makes some sense. The place is rich in methane from what I understand. Is methane hydroscopic or hydrophobic? The same with it's other dominating chemical content. The reason I ask, is that is it possible that the water was repelled or pushed out of the atmosphere by ionic charge, or was pulled beneath the surface by something hydroscopic?

[CasearianDaoist]

The next rover is going to be nuclear powered, if you did not know.

Remember the commotion about the Cassini probe being nuclear? How we were all going to die. Very soon we are going to get some truly fantastic looks at Saturn and its ring and moons. How much do you want to bet that we do not hear a peep out of the people that were in such a panic about it a decade ago? I even imagine that they will tout it as proof that it is a better approach than manned missions proposed by Bush (of course if a Democrat proposed such a wonderful realignment of NASA these folks would herald it as a major watershed - which, of course, it is.)

I cannot wait for the "Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter" (JIMO) later in the decade or in the beginning of the next. It will have an actual fission reactor on it: A truly revolutionary mission.

[Frank_Discussion]

"I cannot imagine a worse waste of money."

National Endowment For the arts funding "art" using various bodily fluids and religious symbols as multi-media.

Funding of any level for planned parenthood.

Nation Public Radio.

"The Hubble was / is productive. We could do an even better one."

What has been said is that we will not send a shuttle mission to 28-degree launch inclinations (Hubble's neighborhood), only 51-degree missions to ISS. That may change, it's being reviewed. Also, there is serious talk of boosting the Hubble to the 51-degree orbital plane. Don't assume it's all over yet. FWIW, I hope they work the whole thing out, as Hubble was/is an outstanding observatory.

Beyond that, the Webb Telescope is coming up in the next few years. It is the next generation.

"The war in Iraq comes close, but not all that close."

I'm not willing to tangent to a full discussion of THAT, but I will say that statement gives me an inkling of your attitude in a general way.

[Frank_Discussion]

Okay: Does you attitude always resemble a constipated badger, or is this just a special day for you?

[Frank_Discussion]

Good questions to which I don't have answers. It could be a whole bunch of bound hydrates, I guess, but I'm not a chemist/geochemist.

[blackdog]

Most of my joy is studying what has been, not what will be.

I must admit though, I'm fascinated by this Mars stuff and the postcards. I was ten when we landed on the moon and found it quite boring. It was only once I learned of the spinoff technology and studied what the space programs gave us in totalle, that I paid much attention.

I'd still rather study the past, but Mars is creeping up on my enthusiasm list.

[mikenola]

Every Mars thread here in FR gets some naysayers.

The "why" for me is that exploration and discovery is quintessential to the American spirit.

Now, I know some say let's privatize space exploration. To which I answer, why hasn't it happened yet?

Bill Gates, or Lockheed Martin are more than welcome to send a manned mission to Mars, nothing is stopping them, so why haven't they?

I think the founding fathers recognized that there are areas private industry either cannot or will not enter into. One could argue this was the intent behind the commerce clause.

There have been a remarkable number of "firsts" with these Mars missions, each of which is a building block to the end-goal of human colonization of space; which IMO, the federal government has a legitimate national interest.

Flame away :) ....

[cvq3842]

Interesting. There should always be room for scientific exploration.

Good post!

:)

[The Other Harry]

I'm not willing to tangent to a full discussion of THAT, but I will say that statement gives me an inkling of your attitude in a general way.

I have some liberal views, but I am mostly libertarian. I don't like to see all that money getting flushed down the toilet.

I knew someone who worked on the Hubble. As cost-benefit goes, that is probably the best space project we have ever done. So I think.

Putting people on the moon and on Mars is crazy. Maybe you want to write the checks for that. I do not. I think it is a horrendous waste.

I also think Bush is a pampered kid who has no idea. So there! ;)

[blackdog]

Harry's defined waste is not in itself going to alter the course of NASA and Harry's feeling passionate about something good, that being fiscal restraint.

What bugs me are the people who don't want us going to Mars because they want more handouts here on terra firma from the gubmint to sit on their fat Earthly arsses.

Frankly, I'd rather just burn the money in a furnace than let it fund yet another or increase yet another gubmint entitlement.

Once the politician finds out there are little green voters on Mars who have never gotten wise to politicians and their crap, we'll never leave the damn rock.

[The Other Harry]

Okay: Does you attitude always resemble a constipated badger, or is this just a special day for you?

I'd go with constipated badger. I wake up pissed off, then I fix muself a drink. By this hour I am ballistic.

[CasearianDaoist]

As you seem well aware, the Hubble has already met its objectives. With the new interferometer at Keck it there is not a major scientific reason to keep it up. Did you see where Cal Tech and Cornell (I think) are going to build a 25 meter scope in the mountains of Chile not far from the ESO observatory. They are also plans for a 30 and a 50 meter along the lines of CalTech's CELT project.

While there are some academics carping about this - and it is unclear how much of their motivation comes from careerism or even a disdain for the GOP - this Hubble business is way overhyped and perhaps motivated less by science than it is the election cycle. The national strategy for the next phase of astronomy instruments is quite excellent, well thought out and in the process of implementation. With using Gemini and other earth bound scopes as survey instruments, using Keck until VELT or something like it comes up as a large earth bound scope, bridging Spritzer and the up coming Hershel space borne platform until Webb is up and the upgrade of the VLA and the new ALMO project. We shall be in great shape, the best shape every, really. If Hubble lasts it will just be gravy.

The future of space based telescopes in in other wavelength than the optical, and in any event at this point earth based scopes actually are better for this wavelength.

That being said, I do wish that they would goose the schedule for the Webb. I would hate to see the Euros have all the fun with the Herschel.

[blackdog]

People who disagree here on Free Republic are not normal. I guess since they posesss humor and intellect, we're doomed to civil disagreements of truely entertaining value.

"Constipated badger".........hehehe.....

[CasearianDaoist]

ALMO=ALMA

[CasearianDaoist]

Well I am a sputnik brat and have worked in aerospace so I eatthis stuff up. I remember the moon landing well, it was a big day for me.

[The Other Harry]

Every Mars thread here in FR gets some naysayers.

snip

At the risk of sounding like a liberal -- which I am not -- there are so many other things we could do with what that would cost. There is very little scientific benefit in sending people to Mars. Virtually none at all. Close to zero.

[Frank_Discussion]

"I knew someone who worked on the Hubble."

You now know someone who works on the ISS program. ;-)

"As cost-benefit goes, that is probably the best space project we have ever done. So I think."

(I agree.)

"Putting people on the moon and on Mars is crazy."

While the exaple may be getting a BIT overused, Columbus had a similar hurdle. "Why change the trade routes? What a boondoggle, you just want to pilot a ship!"

We will someday need to expand off-Earth to live, and it makes good sense to lay the groundwork now. Also, China, Russia, India, and some other nations disagree strongly with your evaluation of space's importance. I have no desire at all to cede control of space to the other powers of this world.

Private industry is moving to space now, as well, if only with tourism ventures. I hope private space efforts leave NASA in the dust. Until then, I will work to move humanity to outer space as best I know how, via NASA.

[Miami_U_Redskin]

That a future satellite photo of Fallujah?

[Frank_Discussion]

LOL! Very nice.

[blackdog]

As long as we can declare Mars an Islam-free planet, I say go for it. We need a backup plan...........