New images of Mars reveal that flowing water, large glaciers and active volcanoes have scoured the planet in recent geologic times. Scientists say Mars has been geologically active in the past few million years — an eyeblink in the planet’s 4.5-billion-year history. Three studies appearing in the March 17 issue of the journal Nature add to a growing body of evidence that points to recent liquid water and present vast stores of underground ice near the planet
March 16th, 2005
Mars Rover Suffers Instrument Glitch
NASA said Tuesday it has suspended use of one of the mineral-identifying tools on the Opportunity Mars rover due to a problem. The robots thermal emission spectrometer was acting up, and engineers are obtaining data from it while troubleshooting. The problem might be related to a malfunctioning optical switch that tells a mirror in the instrument when to begin moving. Or the mirror might not be properly moving at a constant velocity.
March 12th, 2005
Spirit Gets A Dust Devil Once-Over
Mars scientists and engineers are elated about a dust-busting blast that has struck the Spirit rover at its Gusev crater exploration site. Turns out that a martian whirlwind
March 9th, 2005
Progress Made on Inflatable Private Space Module
Space entrepreneur Robert Bigelow has been making quiet inroads into the development of Earth orbiting inflatable modules. The privately built and financed habitable structures would be available for research, manufacturing, and other uses, including lodging for future space tourists. Bigelow Aerospace of North Las Vegas, Nevada is eying launch early next year of Genesis Pathfinder spacecraft
March 8th, 2005
Spelunking on Mars: Caves are Hot Spots in Search for Life
The hunt for some form of life elsewhere in our universe may spur a veritable fleet of robot orbiters, landers and rovers to study the surface of Mars in the coming years. But they might look in the wrong place. Instead of probing for signs of alien life on Mars
February 17th, 2005
Water Spread Across Much of Ancient Mars, Creating Conditions for Life
Water was common across a vast region of ancient Mars, creating habitable conditions for long stretches of time billions of years ago, scientists said Thursday. New data reveal water in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars extended across hundreds of thousands of square miles, at least as groundwater and possibly as shallow lakes or seas. The work significantly expands the amount of surface area on Mars known to have once been water-laden, and it extends the period of time that the water was present.
February 16th, 2005
NASA Researchers Claim Evidence of Present Life on Mars
A pair of NASA scientists told a group of space officials at a private meeting here Sunday that they have found strong evidence that life may exist today on Mars, hidden away in caves and sustained by pockets of water. The scientists, Carol Stoker and Larry Lemke of NASA
February 16th, 2005
New Rock Type Found at Mars
NASA’s Spirit rover found a new class of rock on Mars that provides additional clues to the planet’s watery past. The rock, named “Peace,” is an exposure of bedrock in the Columbia Hills within the Gusev Crater, where Spirit landed 13 months ago. Though appearing mundane in a black-and-white image, the rock is significant to scientists for what they’ve learned by digging into it and analyzing it with a suite of instruments. Peace contains more sulfate salt than any other rock Spirit has examined.