NASA has selected several mission proposals for future missions to Mars. They include missions where NASA is the primary driver, as well as participation by NASA on the ESA's ExoMars project.
Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission, or MAVEN: The mission would provide first-of-its-kind measurements and address key questions about Mars climate and habitability and improve understanding of dynamic processes in the upper Martian atmosphere and ionosphere. The principal investigator is Bruce Jakosky, University of Colorado, Boulder. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., will provide project management.The Great Escape mission: The mission would directly determine the basic processes in Martian atmospheric evolution by measuring the structure and dynamics of the upper atmosphere. In addition, potentially biogenic atmospheric constituents such as methane would be measured. The principal investigator is Alan Stern, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado. Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, will provide project management.
And several others.
With powerful instruments on both the ESA's Mars Express and NASA's MRO, scientists are starting to peek beneath the surface of the red planet.
A new release on the MSSS page gives some details about NASA's Mars announcement. Signs of both recent (as in over the course of the mission) cratering and gully activity (caused by liquid water?) on the surface of the red planet.
Continue reading "An Active Planet"
Jeff Foust (writing at The Space Review) looks at Kathy Sawyer's recent book on ALH84001 + 10, one of the most (in)famous rocks.
Steve Squyres has posted his latest Mission Update (January 3, 2006). There's some good stuff here. For Spirit, after looking at El Dorado, its off to the races:
So now it's time for the sprint to Home Plate. Power is still reasonably good at Gusev, with about 500 watt-hours per sol, and we're going to drive hard and fast while the sun shines.
And what about Opportunity?
Continue reading "A "Lucky Break" On Mars"
Steve Squyres has posted another mission update (dated December 23, 2005). Spirit has wrapped up its examination of Comanche in Gusev and the next target (after a long drive) will be El Dorado. In Meridiani, Opportunity has been working with its balky arm. However, the team needs to consider future operations: stow the arm in its usual place and risk it being stuck there (and useless) or "stow" the arm stretched out (and risk a driving accident!). There's also a bit about the recent Mars-is-wet-or-dry controversy.
And a final note: If you want to know about our take on water at Meridiani, there is one good place to read about it...the papers that we recently published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Check them out.
Some recent studies are questioning the findings of the scientists behind Spirit and Opportunity. MER A & B principal investigator Steve Squyres counters the conclusions.
Continue reading "How Much Water?"
Thanks to instruments on the ESA's Mars Express probe, scientists are starting to get a glimpse at another watery past on the surface of Mars, one markedly different from the past being probed by Spirit and Opportunity.
The planned Mars Science Laboratory (scheduled for a December 2009 launch, barring any budget-induced slippage) will be outfitted with a laser and a telescope to allow for remote observations of interesting rocks. This should enable the rover to analyze an area faster, as it will not have to drive up to each rock to examine it.