Spirit approaches the Hills

ToSeek · #1 (**permalink**) 07-June-2004, 05:16 PM

Despite the misleading title, this is an excellent article about Spirit approaching the Columbia Hills and what might be found there:

Space Daily's MarsDaily

Quote:

Apparently the Etched hills represent the remains of original much taller hills on Gusev's original surface - or else patches of relatively hard material in that original surface, which stubbornly resisted being eroded away as much as the surrounding original material - and thus they remain defiantly sticking up today above the later lava flows and windblown sand that later flowed over and deeply covered the other deeply eroded remains of Gusev's earliest surface.

And that surface, as we've seen, may well be composed not of boring basalt lava but of ancient water-deposited sedimentary sandstone or shale, which would be a very promising possible target for future landers to look for microbial fossils.

Chip · #2 (**permalink**) 07-June-2004, 09:11 PM

[quote="ToSeek"]Despite the misleading title, this is an excellent article about Spirit approaching the Columbia Hills and what might be found there: Space Daily's MarsDaily[quote]

From the article: "Its possible days as a lakebed - or at least as a plain periodically drenched by repeated water flows from Ma'adim - ended two billion years or more ago, and the rover has discovered that since then any sediment deposits that were laid down on most of its floor and hardened into layers of sedimentary rock have long since been buried by more conventional Martian surface material."

Well, we're just going to have go back there some day, and dig! :wink:

ToSeek · #3 (**permalink**) 08-June-2004, 04:33 PM

Wintering on the Red Planet

Quote:

Scientists and engineers that operate the robotic twosome are looking at "wintering over" schemes -- putting the mechanized explorers in hibernation mode, and then restarting their duties on Mars next spring.

ToSeek · #4 (**permalink**) 08-June-2004, 04:46 PM

Another good article from SpaceDaily:

The Geology Of Mars Mid-'04

Quote:

Most theories of the Solar System's formation predict that Mars formed with somewhat more sulfur in its rocks than Earth did. And, as Clark points out, the sulfur dioxide spewed out by Mars' volcanoes - when exposed to solar ultraviolet light unblocked by an ozone layer - would react eagerly with water in all its forms (ice, liquid and vapor) to make sulfuric acid. To a fair degree, Mars may not only be the Red Planet but the Pickled Planet.

jumpjack · #5 (**permalink**) 08-June-2004, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NASA

Squyres said rover engineers think the two robots will survive through the winter and to the next spring on Mars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squires

"We're already looking at maps of the Columbia Hills and trying to pick a good spot to winter over,"

Spirit is going to sleep!

=D> =D> =D> =D>
=D> =D> =D> =D>
Congratulations to NASA crew!!!

Swift · #6 (**permalink**) 08-June-2004, 08:36 PM

The Pickled Planet.... <snort>

Its interesting that maybe on both Mars and Venus that sulfur (sulfuric acid) chemistry was very important. Io is also a sulfur world. Lastly, the chemistry of mid-ocean hydrothermal vents (black smokers) is characterized by sulfur chemistry. It may be that sulfur chemistry played (plays) important roles in planetary chemistry. It also seems IMHO, at least on Earth, that a lot of simple life forms that use chemical cycles for energy (rather than photosynthetic) often use sulfur chemistry.

Swift · #7 (**permalink**) 08-June-2004, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jumpjack

Quote:

Originally Posted by NASA

Squyres said rover engineers think the two robots will survive through the winter and to the next spring on Mars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squires

"We're already looking at maps of the Columbia Hills and trying to pick a good spot to winter over,"

Spirit is going to sleep!

=D> =D> =D> =D>
=D> =D> =D> =D>
Congratulations to NASA crew!!!

I have this image of the rovers, like two bears, curled up in some cave for a long winter's nap.

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