Solar Energy News  
MARSDAILY
NASA Weighs Use of Rover to Image Potential Mars Water Sites
by Staff Writers
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 28, 2016


This May 11, 2016, self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at the "Okoruso" drilling site on lower Mount Sharp's "Naukluft Plateau." The scene is a mosaic of multiple images taken with the arm-mounted Mars Hands Lens Imager (MAHLI). For a larger version of this image please go here.

Ever since it was announced that there may be evidence of liquid water on present-day Mars, NASA scientists have wondered how best to further investigate these long, seasonally changing dark streaks in the hope of finding evidence of life - past or present - on the Red Planet.

"It's not as simple as driving a rover to a potential site and taking a scoop of soil," said Jim Green, NASA's director of planetary science. "Not only are these on steep slopes, we need to ensure that planetary protection concerns are met. In other words, how can we search for evidence of life without contaminating the sites with bugs from Earth?"

Pending approval of a mission extension, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover will continue to climb to progressively higher and younger strata on Mount Sharp, investigating how long the ancient, water-rich environments found so far persisted as Mars dried out.

Reaching those destinations would bring the rover closer to locations where dark streaks are present on some slopes. On the way, the route would allow the one-ton rover to capture images of the potential water sites from miles away and see if any are the seasonally changing type.

The features of interest have been observed by NASA's High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). They appear as dark lines that appear to ebb and flow over time.

Planetary scientists think these gullies or recurring slope lineae (RSLs) may appear seasonally as a form of briny water at or near the surface of the Red Planet under warmer conditions.

There are two RSL candidates that may be within Curiosity's reach, on the side of the 3.1-mile-high (5-kilometer-high) Mount Sharp. The rover's Remote Micro-Imager (part of ChemCam) would be the main instrument for imaging the possible sites. The goal would be to study the regions over time to see if there are any changes and to rule out other causes for the changes, such as dry avalanches.

How close could the rover safely get to an RSL? "That's exactly the question that needs to be addressed early in the process," said Catharine Conley, NASA's planetary protection officer.

"Kilometers away - it's unlikely that it would be an issue. In terms of coming much closer, we need to understand well in advance the potential for Earth organisms to come off the rover, and that will tell us how far away the rover should stay."

Conley notes that while the Martian environment is considered harsh for many organisms, that's not necessarily the case for all of them - particularly microbes that might be hiding within the nooks and crannies of a robotic explorer.

The darkish streaks are considered "special regions" on Mars, where extra precautions must be taken to prevent contamination because of the suspected presence of liquid water, considered a prerequisite for life.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Nov. 26, 2011, arriving on the Red Planet on Aug. 6. 2012. NASA's most ambitious Mars mission to date, its goal was to study the Martian environment and determine if Mars is, or was, suitable for life. A decision on the rover's potential extended mission is expected in the next several months.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
MARSDAILY
SwRI scientists discover evidence of ice age at Martian north pole
San Antonio TX (SPX) May 30, 2016
Using radar data collected by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, a Southwest Research Institute-led team found evidence of an ice age recorded in the polar deposits of Mars. Ice ages on Mars are driven by processes similar to those responsible for ice ages on Earth, that is, long-term cyclical changes in the planet's orbit and tilt, which affect the amount of solar radiation it receives at each ... read more


MARSDAILY
Solar exposure energizes muddy microbes

Chemists find new way to recycle plastic waste into fuel

Bioenergy integrated in the bio-based economy crucial to meet climate targets

New 3-D printed polymer can convert methane to methanol

MARSDAILY
Robotic vehicle's soft engine provides torque without bending

Firm unveils 'robot dog' that does the dishes

Robotic motion planning in real-time

Computers eyeing the jobs of sports camera operators

MARSDAILY
More wind power added to French grid

How China can ramp up wind power

Scotland investing more in offshore wind

Gamesa, Siemens join forces to create global wind power leader

MARSDAILY
Record VW payout in US 'dieselgate' settlement

Ready for the car with a licence to kill

Driverless cars: Who gets protected

VW to pay $15 bn to settle emissions scandal in US: report

MARSDAILY
New electron microscope method detects atomic-scale magnetism

Titan shines light on high-temperature superconductor pathway

Next-generation fluorescent and LED lighting thanks to new phosphor

AMA Report Affirms Human Health And Environmental Impacts From LEDS

MARSDAILY
Expert says most nuclear fuel melted at Fukushima nuclear plant

Mitsubishi joins EDF in bid to save reactor builder Areva

EDF nuclear project 'more difficult' after Brexit: Sapin

Putin: Russia, China to Step Up Nuclear Energy Cooperation

MARSDAILY
Sweden's 100 percent carbon-free emissions challenge

Norway MPs vote to go carbon neutral by 2030

Algorithm could help detect and reduce power grid faults

It pays to increase energy consumption

MARSDAILY
NASA Maps California Drought Effects on Sierra Trees

Where do rubber trees get their rubber

Significant humus loss in forests of the Bavarian Alps

Botanical diversity unraveled in a previously understudied forest in Angola









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.