DailyDirt: Water On Mars (Again!)

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

For decades now, scientists have been looking for, and finding, evidence of water on Mars. Some might remember that Dan Quayle even said, "We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water." Quayle wasn't exactly right about the surface of Mars, but it does appear that liquid water exists on Mars during Martian summers. The liquid water on Mars wouldn't look familiar to most people, though, as it's only a liquid brine that flows when it's just above -23 °C. However, there could be more liquid water somewhere that we haven't seen yet -- and that might make Mars more hospitable to life as we know it.

• NASA announced that it has discovered what causes "recurring slope lineae" (RSL) -- which look like streaks of dark lines where fluid has run down a crater wall on Mars. Liquid water containing dissolved salts makes this phenomenon, but it's still uncertain exactly where the water comes from. [url]
• If we're going to look for life on Mars, it'd be good to not contaminate the Red Planet with microbes from Earth. NASA is testing how well microbes can survive in harsh environments like the upper atmosphere -- to see if they could hitchhike a ride to Mars. We already know (by accident) a few forms of life from Earth can survive surprisingly long in the vacuum of space, so some controlled experiments are in order. [url]
• NASA's plans to get to Mars by first landing on an asteroid... aren't going anywhere soon. The Asteroid Redirect Mission isn't about astronauts taking a ride on an asteroid headed to Mars (though that sounds much cooler, only way more impractical), but it could help test experimental ion thrusters and other technologies that might be used on a journey to Mars. However, it does seem a bit strange to aim for an asteroid instead of a more direct shot at Mars itself. [url]

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Filed Under: asteroid redirect mission, dan quayle, extraterrestrial life, mars, recurring slope lineae, rsl, space, space exploration
Companies: nasa

DailyDirt: Mars Or Bust

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Missions to Mars require a lot of planning and a sizable budget -- especially considering that a manned mission is impossible with current technology. Sending robotic probes to Mars can be tricky, but obviously they can be done. Safely transporting a human (or handful of humans) to Mars is slightly more challenging because people need to eat, breathe and not die from radiation exposure -- among many other risks. A goal of reaching Mars by 2030 doesn't seem too likely at this point, but maybe in a few more decades.

• The Mars One mission to get a one-way journey to the red planet doesn't seem to be legit. Some candidates for the mission are discussing their experiences with the application process, and the organization sounds a bit fishy. It wouldn't be surprising to see Mars One fail to get off the ground, but it's disappointing that it might discredit the whole concept. [url]
• Chinese astronauts are preparing to be farmers on Mars (and the moon) with an "ecological life support system" that grows a few kinds of plants. It would be convenient if Martian soil could be used, but that's probably not going to happen any time soon. [url]
• The chances that water still flows on Mars aren't exactly zero. It might be possible under certain conditions, even though the temperatures are generally below the freezing point of water, so Dan Quayle might not have been completely wrong. [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.

Filed Under: dan quayle, life support system, manned missions, mars, mars one, martian soil, space, space exploration, space farm