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2 February 2009
New Google Mars
Google Earth’s latest edition was just released and guess what? It has a Mars setting! There was a way to overlay Mars data on the Earth globe in previous versions, but now that’s no longer necessary: just click a button and you’re on Mars. You can choose from a variety of global maps including topography, Viking images, Day and nighttime infrared, and visible color. It also has footprints for high …
20 January 2009
Mars Methane Movie
NASA has put together a nice movie of Dr. Mike Mumma summarizing his discovery of methane on Mars. He brings up the possibility that the methane detection might influence landing site selection for MSL. I suspect that the Nili Fossae site will get some more attention because it was identified as one of the methane-producing regions, but it was taken off the list of finalist sites mostly due to safety …
4 December 2008
A single Mars program for the Earth?
One interesting tidbit that came out of the NASA presser on the MSL delay are comments made by NASA Assoc. Admin. for the Science Mission Directorate, Ed Weiler. Apparently, NASA and ESA have gotten clearance to start laying the groundwork for a joint Mars program. As Ed Weiler said: So David [Southwood – ESA Director of Science] and I sort of talked about the possibility of maybe we oughta think …
MSL Press Conference Notes I
Mike Griffin started the press conference, and got right down to business announcing the launch delay and indicating that the actuators as well as other technical problems are responsible. He said that aiming for 2009 would involve too much risk, and so the launch had to be slipped two years. Ideally, it would only slip a few months, but the way that travel between Earth and Mars works means that …
MSL Launch Delayed by Two Years
As I post this, NASA is holding a press conference in which they are announcing that the Mars Science Laboratory’s launch date will be slipped by two years, a delay which will cost about $200 million. MSL has been getting a lot of unpleasant attention lately due to some very bad cost overruns, and a few months ago, NASA made the decision to press on and attempt a launch in …
MSL Press Conference Tomorrow
At 12 noon EST. I know what the announcement is, but I’m not allowed to tell you! How frustrating is that?! I can, however, draft a post and put it up the moment the news is released… stay tuned tomorrow, I’ll have a lot to say.
23 November 2008
Sample Return Cache on MSL Canceled!
I just heard, via this article at Universe Today, that the sample cache on MSL has been canceled. First, some background. The cache was supposed to be a way to collect samples which would be retrieved in a future sample return mission. Problem is, the cache was sort of slapped on the rover as an afterthought. From what I understand, it was poorly designed, could not hold many samples, and …
20 November 2008
MSL Landing Sites Narrowed to Four
I’ve known about this for a little while but it was finally made public: the list of MSL landing sites had now been trimmed to four. You can read the full press release here. The finalist sites are: Gale Crater – The rover would land on an ancient alluvial fan and then work its way up a mound of sediments many kilometers high. Eberswalde Delta – The rover would land …
10 October 2008
MSL Still Aiming for Oct 2009
NASA is holding a press conference right now regarding MSL and it sounds like they are going to press on and try to achieve the October 2009 launch date. More info as it becomes available! Update: Emily has a much more detailed post about the status of MSL over at the Planetary Society blog.
26 September 2008
Plumbing on Mars: HiRISE Reveals Groundwater Cracks
This image from the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconaissance Orbiter, shows cracks in the rocks on Mars that once formed the underground plumbing through which groundwater traveled. Groundwater flow on Mars has been speculated for a long time, but it takes powerful cameras like HiRISE to actually find the evidence. These cracks resisted erosion because they were filled with minerals deposited by groundwater, so now we can see them …
