Posted on 06/07/2008 9:48:41 PM PDT by BenLurkin
You're right; there is an important distinction between soil (a matrix formed by the action of weather and running water - and, here on Earth, also by biological mechanisms) and regolith (which is merely the pulverized remains of meteor impacts.)
I'd say that, since Mars has weather, it is legitimate to refer to the Martian surface as being covered by soil.
Regards,
Clay soil clumps together. That’s the problem
Maybe one-way? Inoperable cancer patient/volunteer?
Only if it has the right amount of moisture. So...
had also....making brick like clumps
They need to have the robot arm smack on the side a few times.
Hmm that’s true. I wonder if the water molecules chemically involve themselves in maintaining the bond, and thereby preventing their evaporation. I tried searching Wikipedia, but didn’t find anything on it.
They need to have the robot arm smack on the side a few times.
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The two fixes I see are that they could drive the lander around a bit to shake things (probably won’t work based on the surface photo’s I’ve seem and the speed of the crawler) or move the robot arm to it’s travel limits and let it bump into the “stops” to shake the lander ,,, (I am assuming they were stupid enough to build the screen device without a vibrating attachment or a tilt/dump function to jettison oversized/clogging debris.)
They’ve managed to get a mobile laboratory to Mars. I think they are doing a fantastic job.
OR it could be they particular piece of soil they decided to pick up is just too big to fit thru the screen.
The screen is necessary to get pieces small enough to work for their testing.
“(I am assuming they were stupid enough to build the screen device without a vibrating attachment or a tilt/dump function to jettison oversized/clogging debris.)”
Another story indicates they have the ability to shake the screen. They also have 7 different test units on board.
Lucky NASA...scooped up some marsian poop on first scoop.
It says right in the article:
Mission scientists said they planned to send new commands to Phoenix to try to shake the sample into the oven as early as Monday. They'll spend Sunday developing the plan for the following Martian day.
The small vibration tool can shake the oven screen across a variety of frequencies, ranging from a light tapping to moderate shake, mission managers said.
"...screen is designed to let through particles up to 0.04 inch (1 millimeter) across while keeping out larger particles..."
How many backhoe operators have 1 millimeter screens in their scoops?
The earthlings sure embarass real extraterrestrial probe designers.
I have images of shrink wrap left on the opening of the screen to keep out dust (prior to liftoff from Earth). Sort of like the plastic coverings sometimes left on notebook computers during shipping.
I understand that both Tonka and Hot Wheels are working on it.
"Some army personnel in Vietnam is perplexed at what they found at the site. There is no clear evidence of any explosion. Metallic parts they found is that of era of US-Vietnam war and has nothing to do with this UFO mid air explosion.
Biochemical UFOs do not leave trace of any nature. Because of their nature and power to bio-disinegrate fast, they do not leave any trace. They travel through wormholes bending space and time. They go across universes through the Hyperspace. They can defy the basic laws of quantum physics. They are propelled by gravity waves. They have the stealth of electromagnetic flux. They are navigated and controlled from parallel universes."
What would an excavator know about digging dirt? Do they have PhDs?
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