Mars Travel: NASA

Showing posts with label NASA. Show all posts

NASA's InSight Mission to Mars

In August 2012, around the same time that Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity landed in Gale Crater, NASA announced a new mission to Mars. This new mission is called InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) and has a planned launch date of March 2016.

InSight will place a single lander on Mars in September 2016 with the capability of studying deep below the surface of the planet for a two year mission.

The lander will measure the seismology and internal temperature of planet Mars at varying levels. It will be able to determine whether Mars has a solid or liquid core and ascertain why Mars does not have tectonic plates similar to Earth. Understanding these facets of Mars as compared to Earth will provide insight into the formation of the other rocky planets in our inner solar system, including Earth, Venus, and Mercury.

An artist's rendition of proposed InSight Lander.
Source: NASA/JPL

InSight will be an international collaboration, with one of its four instruments coming from France's space agency, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and another from the German Aerospace Center.

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'Rat' on Mars

Recently a lot of people have been talking about a 'Rat' on Mars, so I thought I'd show you what all the fuss is about. To see this supposed 'rat' click on the first image for the high resolution version from NASA then zoom in on the upper left corner. See anything?

Click on the image for the High Resolution version from NASA then zoom in on the upper left corner. See anything?

What you might think is an animal is actually a psychological phenomena called pareidolia where your brain interprets vague objects as familiar shapes, or in this case, an animal. This is an evolutionary trait in humans that once allowed us to easily identify predators on the horizon because we could easily identify their faces and features

In case you can't find the 'rat' in the photo above, I've included the zoomed in and circled version that Huffington Post compiled from UFO Sightings Daily below. UFO Sightings Daily was the first to report on the 'rat'.

While I believe this 'rat' on Mars is simply pareidolia, yet again on Mars, I leave it up to you to decide whether it is a 'rat' or simply your mind playing a trick on you.

The Radiation Dilemma

Data from Mars Science Laboratory's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) is enabling scientists to accurately assess the level of radiation exposure experienced during a mission to Mars. Understanding the risks faced by astronauts on future manned missions to Mars will help scientists mitigate those risks. But what exactly are the risks?

Scientists have determined that the crew on a round-trip human mission to Mars would be exposed to 100 times the amount of radiation the average person experiences on an annual basis. The amount of radiation exposure faced by the crew could increase their risk of cancer by 5%, which is outside NASA's acceptable parameters. The risk increases if the astronauts land on Mars because they will not be shielded by the ship and Mars lacks a magnetic field like Earth's to shield people from radiation. The below graphic from NASA compares the level of radiation exposure from several experiences, including a round-trip mission to Mars.

Comparing Radiation of a Manned Missioon to Mars with Other Activities (NASA)

While the level of radiation exposure is important to understand and mitigate, there is no reason why it should be a show-stopper for space missions. Just as a soldier signs up for the military knowing he could get shot at, an astronaut knows they could die from a spacecraft malfunction or radiation exposure, among other things. These risks, while not inconsequential, are acceptable, as long as before the mission the crew understands and accepts the risks.

Not only that, but governments have no standing to prevent astronauts from embarking on potentially hazardous missions. There are numerous legal activities that increase a person's risk of cancer exponentially more than a trip to Mars. According to a study at Oxford, cigarette smoking causes a "25-fold increase in lung cancer risk in men smoking 25 cigarettes a day or more, compared to lifelong non-smokers," (Cancer Research UK) yet the government still allows people to smoke as many cigarettes as they want. Why then should astronauts be limited on how much risk they can take?

If governments refuse to allow astronauts to take the risks inherent in their job, then it will be dependent on private corporations unhindered by unnecessary regulations to begin human exploration of the solar system in earnest.

Counting Impact Craters on Mars

NASA has recently finished a study in which they determined the approximate number of asteroid and comet impacts on Mars every year. Using data collected by Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter (MRO) scientists have estimated there are 200 small craters formed every year on Mars as a result of asteroid and comet impacts. These craters measure at least 3.9 meters (12.8 feet) across.

MRO was able to image craters previously detected by itself and other Mars orbiters. Images of the same spots on Mars are taken at different times, thus if an older image does not show a crater, but a more recent one does, we know the impact occured before the most recent image, but after the one previous. This technique allows scientists to more accurately determine the age of craters on the surface.

Understanding the frequency of impacts is important to our understanding of Mars' past and allows scientists to more accurately determine the age of features on the planet. A feature or region with less impact craters is much younger than one with more craters because we know that overtime a feature on Mars will accumulate more impacts. The science will never be perfect, but can at least give us a better understanding of Mars and its development.

For example, scientists will be better able to determine the age of Hadley Crater based on the number of small craters within it. Just look at the image below and you will see that even within Hadley Crater there are multiple smaller craters.

Click to see the original high resolution image from Mars Express [See ESA article]

Previous estimates placed the number of yearly impacts on the Martian surface at 3 to 10 times the amount recently calculated. Those previous studies were done in the 1960s and 1970s and based off studies of lunar craters. MRO's HiRISE Principal Investigator Alfred McEwen says that this new study means "Mars now has the best-known current rate of cratering in the solar system," meaning that of all the bodies in the solar system, Mars is the one we are best able to determine the frequency of asteroid and comet impacts on.

Source:

Dwayne Brown, Guy Webster, Daniel Stolte. NASA Probe Counts Space Rock Impacts on Mars. 15 May 2013.NASA http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2013/may/HQ_13-142_Mars_MRO_Craters.html (accessed 15 May 2013)

Mars Travel's Mars Photo of the Day - 15 Sept 2012

Americans Anticipate Manned Mission to Mars Within 20 Years

According to a poll dubbed Mars Generation, Approximately 71% of Americans are excited for and anticipate a manned mission to Mars in the next 20 years, with more than half of American's feeling NASA should "play a strong role" in assisting a commercial company, or head up a mission themselves.

In the same poll, conducted by Phillips & Company and sponsored by The Boeing Corporation and Explore Mars, a majority of respondents incorrectly answered that they felt NASA's budget represented 2.5% of the federal budget (~$88.5 Billion). When presented with the reality that NASA's Fiscal Year 2013 budget sits at about .5% ($17.7 Billion) of the federal budget, 75% of those polled felt the Agency's funding should be doubled to 1% ($35.4 Billion) of the federal budget, with the express purpose of funding a manned mission to Mars.

Chris Carberry, Executive Director of Explore Mars, the non-profit that sponsored the Mars Generation poll proclaimed, “Despite difficult economic times, the American people are still inspired by space exploration and are committed to human exploration of Mars. This is a wake up call to our leaders that Americans are still explorers.” The poll showed this adventurous spirit is exemplified in the top three reasons Americans support a manned mission to Mars: to support a greater understanding of the planet, to search for signs of life on Mars, and to maintain American leadership in space. 73% feel a major hurdle to a manned mission to mars is affordability and 67% feel politics will be a large impediment to success.

An executive committee member of The Mars Initiative, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization unaffiliated with this study, interpreted these results as a sign of the American people's continued fascination with space: "Americans want space exploration to be more of a national priority. This poll should serve as a message for America's leaders that their citizens want to see more of a commitment to the space industry, not less." A full report on the poll's findings will be released on 4 March 2013.

Let's hope America's leaders take note of this poll, but in the meantime, I encourage you to keep following news about Mars and sharing it with people you know. The more people we have that support missions to Mars, the more likely it will become a national, or even global priority.

One easy way you are guaranteed to support the first manned mission to Mars is by joining The Mars Initiative, so I encourage you to take a look!

Mars Photo of the Day - 19 Aug 2012

Today's Image of Mars shows Mars Science Laboratory's landing site and it's most immediate destination, Glenelg. This area was chosen because it marks the area where three different types of terrain intersect:

Credit: HiRISE with overlays from NASA. Click for high resolution version

1. In the top right you see the brighter terrain, which scientists are interested in because it may be a type of bedrock that Curiosity can eventually try and drill into.

2. The bottom right shows terrain that scientists believe is harder and older than the surrounding terrain. Scientists know this because the terrain has many more small impact sites from meteors, which is generally an indicator of an older surface area.

3. The next type of terrain is found at MSL's landing site and scientists are interested to see if it is duplicated at Glenelg.

But why was the name Glenelg chosen? Because MSL will be visiting the area twice, both coming and going, and the word glenelg is a palindrome, meaning it is spelled the same backward as it is forward.

Following MSL's examination of Glenelg, the rover will begin its southward drive toward the base of Mount Sharp!

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MSL Curiosity - The First Week

When Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity begins its entry, descent and landing (EDL) it will go through 7 minutes of terror, as the largest payload ever to touch down on Mars slows from over 21,000 to 3.6km/hr as it maneuvers to the surface. If all goes to plan we will get confirmation of MSL touchdown at 0131:37EDT (0531:37UT) in Gale Crater near the base of Mount Sharp, thus beginning the most heavily anticipated Mars mission since Mariner 4 first imaged the Red Planet in July 1965.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express will be in position to image MSL during the different stages of EDL. It will begin monitoring MSL 45 minutes prior to it entering the Martian atmosphere and continue to do so after touchdown. The ESA will be working extensively with NASA throughout MSL's mission. [Details of ESA-NASA cooperation]

Click for larger image with stages of MSL's Entry, Descent & Landing
Credit: ESA/Mars Express

Upon landing MSL will remain in position for approximately 5 days, during which time mission control will ensure the ground right below the rover is safe to drive on. They will also use this time to deploy the high gain antenna, mast and sampling system, while ensuring that everything else deployed properly and is in working order. To get an idea of what MSL is carrying, click the image to your right.

Following the initial system checks MSL will make its first drive through uncharted Martian terrain and begin work to determine if the conditions on Mars were or still are favorable to life.

As many scientists have proclaimed. The most exciting aspect of MSL's mission is that we really don't know what we'll find in Gale Crater! One thing is for sure; MSL's journey will be new, informative, and exciting, as exploration of the unknown always is!

So what exactly is MSL looking for on Mars?

Mars Photo of the Day - Dec 7 2011

Today's Image of Mars is another view of Homestake, the vein recently examined by Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on Mars. Today NASA announced that Homestake appears to be Gypsum or another form of calcium sulfate. This is further evidence that water once flowed on The Red Planet.

This photo links to the original full size image from MER Opportunity
Source: NASA/JPL/MER

[More Images of Homestake]

To understand how NASA came to this conclusion I have taken an excerpt from their article on the matter.

The Homestake deposit, whether gypsum or another form of calcium sulfate, likely formed from water dissolving calcium out of volcanic rocks. The calcium combined with sulfur that was either leached from the rocks or introduced as volcanic gas, and it was deposited as calcium sulfate into an underground fracture that later became exposed at the surface.

The Mars Rover's Spirit and Opportunity have found evidence of water on Mars before, so what makes Homestake so special?

Homestake is more highly concentrated Calcium Sulfate than any previously examined on Mars, which leads scientists to believe that it may have been deposited by water that was less acidic than indicated in previous areas Opportunity has examined. Water that is closer to neutral would be more hospitable to life as we know it.

For more on Homestake I recommend you read the official NASA news release on the matter.

See All Mars Photo of the Day Posts!

ESA Ceases Attempts to Communicate with Phobos-Grunt

Quick update for all of those that don't follow @MarsTravel on Twitter:

The European Space Agency (ESA) has stopped attempting to communicate with Phobos-Grunt via their ground stations. This comes after consultation with the Phobos-Grunt mission controllers. The ESA emphasizes that it remains available to assist Roscosmos with Phobos-Grunt if the situation changes.

Since a brief link-up with Phobos-Grunt a week and a half ago there has been no communication with Phobos-Grunt despite numerous attempts by Roscosmos and the ESA. NASA has also been offering technical and communications assistance to no avail.

For the latest information I highly recommend that you follow @MarsTravel on Twitter because I will post information there first and more frequently. An easy follow button has been place below for your convenience.

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Response From NASA Regarding Assistance Provided to Roscosmos for Phobos-Grunt

As posted earlier, I called NASA to inquire about reports that they are prohibited from assisting Phobos-Grunt due to the Chinese orbiter being onboard. I just received a response from NASA.

-----

Mr. Geaney
Your query was passed to me.

NASA was working with Roscosmos to provide requested technical and communications assistance regarding the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft using NASA's Deep Space Network and other assets. These efforts were on-going prior to transitioning NASA Space Communications and Network and Jet Propulsion Laboratory personnel to support the launch and mission of the Mars Science Laboratory. For further information on the Phobos-Grunt mission, please contact Roscosmos.

Regards
Michael

Michael Braukus
Public Affairs Officer
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546

-----

So reports from Russian Space Web that NASA is not assisting Roscosmos with Phobos-Grunt seem to be unsubstantiated.

UPDATE 17:45 EST

I sent a follow up email to see if assistance has resumed since the launch of Mars Science Laboratory. I got a response:
-----

I’m waiting on confirmation on that. But despite diverting some of the resources and personnel to support MSL’s launch and mission, we continued to work with Russia.

Michael Braukus

Public Affairs Officer

NASA Headquarters

Washington, DC 20546

-----

So NASA continued to assist Phobos-Grunt as requested by Roscosmos, even during the buildup to Mars Science Laboratory's Launch.

I will post more details when I get a response about whether they are continuing to assist Roscosmos with Phobos-Grunt.

In the meantime my Twitter will probably get the update first so make sure to check that.

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NASA Prohibited from Helping Phobos-Grunt?

EDIT: DEBUNKED! I got a response back from NASA. Check it out here!

Disturbing reports have emerged that NASA has been forbidden from assisting Russia with Phobos-Grunt because of a US law that prohibits assistance to China's space program. Phobos-Grunt is carrying Yinghuo-1, China's first attempt at placing an orbiter around Mars.

Russian Space Web reports that there is a US law which is prohibiting NASA from assisting Russia and the ESA in the recovery of Phobos-Grunt. This law seems to state that because Yinghuo-1 is onboard they cannot provide assistance.

Mars Travel has contacted NASA and is waiting for them to substantiate or refute these claims.

If true this would contradict what Doug McCuistion, director of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, was quoted as saying during a news briefing three weeks ago:

We have offered assistance and if they need it we will provide it to the best of our ability. That's a different organization from ours. I am not sure if they have asked for such assistance, but we have offered it.

When Russian Space Web reported that the NASA was prohibited from helping Phobos-Grunt many people, including myself called NASA to determine the validity of these claims. We are still waiting on a response.

I'll have more as the story breaks!

Background on Yinghuo-1

Yinghuo-1 would be China's first foray to Mars. It would separate from the larger Russian probe in October 2012 (or maybe later now) and begin a year-long orbit of Mars. Its primary purpose is to collect data about the Martian atmosphere. On board it has a plasma package, a fluxgate magnetometer, a radio occultation sounder, and an optical imaging system. It also has two solar arrays to collect energy.

Hurricane Force Winds on Mars

There are some powerful winds on Mars, but just how powerful was only discovered recently. David Choi of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center used images of dust devils taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera to determine the speed of the swirling dust devils.

Tracks Left by Dust Devils on Mars
Source: HiRISE

But just how did he do this?

Choi looked at different HiRISE images of the same dust devil and determined how far four distinct cloud features had moved from one photo to the next. Because he knew the time elapsed between each image he was able to calculate how fast the swirling dust devil was moving.

So just how fast was the wind blowing on Mars?

Really fast. In some cases the wind speeds were 45 m/s (162 km/hr), well above 33 m/s (118.8 km/hr) which constitutes hurricane force winds on Earth. The typical wind speed was from 20-30 m/s (72-108 km/hr).

The dust devils observed were anywhere from 30-250 meters in diameters and rose from 150-700 meters into the sky.

These findings were presented in Nantes, France on October 3 2011 to the European Planetary Science Congress and the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences.

SpaceX is Winning the Race to Mars

In the race to the Moon the primary competitors were the Americans and the Soviets and their state funded space agencies. At the beginning of the space race the governments of both countries invested heavily in their respective space agencies because it was deemed in the best interest of their countries. America successfully sent a manned mission to the Moon on July 20, 1969 and after a few more landings, during which time the Soviets were unable to launch their own manned mission, they essentially declared victory and to this day humanity has never sent a man beyond low-Earth orbit. Thus the first space race led to one of mankind's greatest accomplishments, but culminated with disappointment for millions of space enthusiasts.

A government is a broad organization that is responsible for everything from the economy to national defense to food regulation. It makes sense that governments cannot focus on space travel and exploration when there are more pressing responsibilities closer to home it must deal with. Governments have so many tasks and responsibilities it is easy to see why exploring space has been relegated to the back burner. Space enthusiasts have long despaired over the lack of nationalistic fervor that once drove the space industry, fearing that further exploration and research would all but end in the years to come. That fear has been misplaced.

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Instigating a New Space Race

Is a new space race beginning?

With the head of the European Space Agency (ESA), Jean-Jacques Dordain, pledging to work together with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) to send the first manned mission to Mars, one must wonder if the next space race has been initiated. [Europe and Russia Pledge to Send Man to Mars]

NASA recently cancelled their planned Constellation program, which would have attempted to put a permanent base on the moon in the 2020s in order to eventually use it as a launching platform for deep space missions. Instead they have made it their goal to put man on an asteroid by 2025 and a man on Mars by 2035.

Will actually beginning preparation for a joint European-Russian mission to Mars push up the priority of a similar mission in the United States? Will there be a competition between nations to get to Mars first?

ESA chief Dordain seems to have chosen the opportune time to announce this joint mission, as NASA's shuttle program just reached completion. The speculation is abound that this announcement will spark a new space race, with NASA on one end and the ESA and RKA on the other.

The benefits of sending the first men to Mars are immeasurable, as the organization to do so would be given great prestige throughout the scientific community. They would also be able to perform tests that rovers are unable to. The first organizations to accomplish sending men to Mars would also have a head start on all future Martian development.

The next few months may see the start of a new space race, as the ESA and RKA's joint plans mature more and a timeline is created. If they develop a reasonable plan of action it may drive NASA to push their program up in order to get to Mars first. For now this is all just hope and speculation, but we have nothing without hope.

I think the biggest question is the how big a role corporations like SpaceX will play in the upcoming space race and future Mars travel and development.

Europe and Russia Pledge to Send Man to Mars

On Aug 17 2011 the head of the European Space Agency (ESA), Jean-Jacques Dordain, announced that they would partner with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) to "carry out the first flight to Mars together." The head of the RKA, Vladimir Popovkin welcomed the pledge.

This commitment comes as the Euro-Russian Mars500 experiment comes to completion in November. Dordain does not set a time frame, but says that the Mars500 experiment has been a factor in the decision for the ESA and RKA's pledge to send a manned mission to Mars.

The Mars500 program was initiated on June 03 2010 by the Moscow Institute of Medical and Biological Problems in order to simulate a mission to Mars. The experiment simulates a 250 day journey to Mars, a 30 day stay on The Red Planet, and a 240 day return flight. Mars500 simulates emergency situations that a manned mission to Mars might encounter and attempts to accurately determine how well humans can cope with a trip to and from Mars.

The spacecraft's crew is led by 38 year old engineer Alexei Sitev, and also includes Russian surgeon Sukhrob Kamolov, 32, and Russian general practitioner Alexander Smolevsky, 33. Non-Russian crew members include Italian Diego Urbina, 27, China's Wang Yue, 27, and the Roman Charles from France, 31.

The Crew of Mars500 in their mock spacecraft Source: ESA

Dordain's commitment to Mars travel is something to be expected, as the United States' NASA has set a goal of setting a man on Mars by the mid 2030s. The competition that this new announcement might bring could help increase the priority of a manned mission to Mars and push up the date. It would bring great prestige to the nation that could land the first man on Mars, much like the moon landing helped to solidify NASA's leadership in space.

A time frame for a joint Euro-Russian mission to Mars has yet to be set by the ESA or RKA, but as Mars500 culminates there will likely be an announcement on the matter. Igor Lisov, an analyst for the Moscow-based journal Novosti Kosmonavtike (Cosmonautic News) gave his own estimation of the time frame to the Voice of Russia saying "If they decide to implement an emergency program, the mission may be carried out in 10 years. If it is an ordinary one, then it will take 20 years. This is a long period of time." While this is not an official statement from either agency, it provides hope for those hoping to see a man on Mars in their lifetime.

Cooperation between the two space agencies when it comes to Mars is not unprecedented. Both agencies, as well as NASA, have worked together since 2006 to develop EkzoMars (ExoMars), a Mars rover that will be launched from a Russian Proton Rocket in 2013 and supplied with both Russian and European equipment.

ExoMars Rover

It is firmly believed in Russian and Europe that future success with Mars travel and exploration will be made by working together. There are sure to be some exciting developments and/or announcements in the coming months as the Mars500 simulation comes to an end!

NASA Creates New Department for Human Deep Space Exploration

Today NASA created a new department, the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate, which combines all the resources and missions from the Space Operations and Exploration Systems departments. The head of the new organization is Associate Administrator Bill Gerstenmaie, the former associate administrator for the Space Operations department.

The HEO Mission Directorate has already taken over all operations necessary for supporting the International Space Station. Following a transition time of several weeks, HEO Mission Directorate will take over many operations, including the development of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and a spacecraft with capabilities of travelling beyond low-Earth Orbit.

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Being Assembled and Tested

The new HEO Mission Directorate will also focus on developing the commercial space industry in hopes that private companies can take over many of the low-orbit operations performed by NASA and other countries' government-run space agencies. Contracts have already been signed with some private space companies to do just that, one example being the contract signed with SpaceX to resupply to the ISS. NASA will help fund private research and development so private space companies can begin sending people and cargo into low-Earth orbit. This will let NASA focus on more deep space projects.

"America is opening a bold new chapter in human space exploration," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden asserted in statement. "By combining the resources of Space Operations and Exploration Systems, and creating the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, we are recommitting ourselves to American leadership in space for years to come."

The opening of this new directorate gives great hope for the future of Mars travel because if NASA wants to work on human exploration of space they will likely go to Mars first, since it is the closest planet to our own.

The creation of the HEO Mission Directorate coincides with President Obama's goal for NASA of putting humans on an asteroid by 2025 and on Mars by the mid 2030s. It remains to be seen whether the formation of NASA's latest office will provide direction and leadership for America's human spaceflight program.

Copy of NASA's press release announcing the formation of the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate

Mars Rover Opportunity Set to Begin Exploring Endeavour Crater

Two Rovers a Planet Away

When Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on opposite sides of The Red Planet in January of 2004 they had missions that were to last 90 sol (~92.47 days). These missions were extended numerous times as the lifespans of both rovers far exceeded the wildest dreams of the mission coordinators. The two Mars Rovers have traversed and analyzed more Martian terrain than anyone believed they would, observing and discovering remarkable things about the Martian planet, everywhere from observation of astronomical phenomena from Mars to discovering water-altered rocks and even carbonates. It was thus with great sadness that NASA lost contact with and aborted Spirit on May 25, 2011. Even though its twin was lost, there is still Opportunity to analyze Mars and give humanity a better understanding of The Red Planet and its current environment. It is Opportunity's latest venture that we follow today.


An Artist's Rendering of Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity

Endeavour Crater

Opportunity's journey toward Endeavour Crater began in August 2008. It has been a long three years, but now the Mars Rover is just days from reaching its target at the rim of Endeavour Crater, code named Spirit Point in memory of Mars Rover Spirit.


Panoramic sent back to Earth by Mars Rover Opportunity Aug 6 2011 - Labeled by The Road to Endeavour

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NASA has Discovered Substantial Evidence that Water is Flowing on Mars

"It is our first chance to see an environment on Mars that might allow for the expression of an active biological process, if there is presently life on Mars." - Lisa Pratt at NASA news briefing on the discovery of flowing water on Mars (04 Aug 2011)

In NASA's news briefing about findings by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter they announced that they have significant evidence that liquid water is currently flowing on Mars. They used Newton Crater (below) as their focal point in the discussion and showed gullies that have gotten larger over the course of two and a half sol (Martian years) of observation.

Newton Crater and an adjacent trough- both with gullies

Newton Crater is about 10 km in diameter and a few hundred million years old (relatively new). It is just one of seven places that have distinct evidence of flowing water.

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Press Release: NASA Announces News Briefing On Mars Orbiter Science Finding

NASA has released this press release saying they will have a News conference on Aug 04, 2011 at 2PM EDT about new findings by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Steve Cole
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0918
stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov

August 03, 2011

MEDIA ADVISORY : 11-159

NASA Announces News Briefing On Mars Orbiter Science Finding

Science Journal Has Embargoed Details Until 2 p.m. EDT on Aug. 4

WASHINGTON -- NASA will host a news briefing on Thursday, Aug. 4, at 2 p.m. EDT about a significant new Mars science finding. The briefing will be held in the NASA Headquarters James E. Webb Auditorium, 300 E St. SW in Washington.

The new finding is based on observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has been orbiting the Red Planet since 2006. MRO is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

The briefing panelists are:
- Philip Christensen, geophysicist, Arizona State University, Tempe
- Colin Dundas, research geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz.
- Alfred McEwen, planetary geologist, University of Arizona, Tucson
- Michael Meyer, Mars Exploration Program lead scientist, NASA Headquarters
- Lisa Pratt, biogeochemist, Indiana University, Bloomington

Reporters unable to attend in person may ask questions from participating NASA centers or by telephone. To participate by phone, reporters must contact Grey Hautaluoma at 202-358-0668 or grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov by 11 a.m. on Aug. 4.

The news briefing will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

The event also will be carried live on Ustream, with a live chat box available, at:

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2

- end -

SOURCE; NASA

Curiosity to Land at Gale Crater

"Mars is firmly in our sights. Curiosity not only will return a wealth of important science data, but it will serve as a precursor mission for human exploration to the Red Planet." -NASA Administrator Charles Bolden

The Mars Science Laboratory, or Curiosity, is set to launch between November 25 and December 18, 2011. Its primary mission is to determine whether Mars is, or ever was, habitable. Curiosity will examine soil and rock samples to determine whether there is any sign of past or present microbial life. It will also try to determine the past and present extent of water on Mars.

Introduction to Curiosity

Curiosity is five times larger than any other rover sent to Mars. The new rover weighs 600 kg (2000 lbs) and carries more than ten times the amount of scientific equipment of previous rovers.

Mars Rover Curiosity, Mars Science Laboratory Mission - 24"x36" Poster

Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity

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