NASA's Next Mars Rover to Land at Huge Gale Crater

We are going to the mountain at Gale crater," Michael Watkins, project engineer for the Mars Science Laboratory at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., revealed in a press conference today (July 22).

"It exhibits three different kinds of environmental settings, perhaps the trilogy of Mars history. It's a worthy goal, a worthy challenge for such a capable rover." The Gale site represents an incredibly rich suite of scientific investigations that we can do," said Dawn Sumner, a geologist at the University of California, Davis.

At the base of the mountain, there are signatures of clays and sulfate salts, which are both known to form in water, and are both key classes of minerals that will reveal clues about the environment on Mars, Sumner said. By moving toward Gale's mountain, the layering will help scientists understand how the Martian environment changed through time. From these observations, project scientists are hoping to glean information about Mars' potential habitability.

source

Interesting, so what do we think of the choice? I can understand having a ready cross section of geology in the mountain there being a major plus. Maybe a bit curious that they would seem to be ignoring organics but what do I know...

reply to post by iforget


After how we have so foolishly cut our own ability to send men into space without Russian generosity, I'll just hang on to the fact we're still sending anything to Mars at all. I sure have a few other locations on Mars I would love to see looked at before this, but at least this area seems to have some variety to it. It beats bouncing down onto a largely featureless, endless desert plain to video something that looks a lot like Arizona with a red tint.

Perhaps when some sanity returns to how our nations are run we can return to exploration with a vengeance and get some serious work accomplished as a people. Until then, station keeping in at least keeping the whole process employed and operating for missions is good enough I suppose.

so this tells me we are spending $ on potential habitation.
We can barely habitat this world the right way.
I don't think Mars wants any parasites but
I say we habitat Mars by sending all the bankers and politicians there first

Originally posted by iforget

We are going to the mountain at Gale crater," Michael Watkins, project engineer for the Mars Science Laboratory at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., revealed in a press conference today (July 22).

"It exhibits three different kinds of environmental settings, perhaps the trilogy of Mars history. It's a worthy goal, a worthy challenge for such a capable rover." The Gale site represents an incredibly rich suite of scientific investigations that we can do," said Dawn Sumner, a geologist at the University of California, Davis.

At the base of the mountain, there are signatures of clays and sulfate salts, which are both known to form in water, and are both key classes of minerals that will reveal clues about the environment on Mars, Sumner said. By moving toward Gale's mountain, the layering will help scientists understand how the Martian environment changed through time. From these observations, project scientists are hoping to glean information about Mars' potential habitability.

source

Interesting, so what do we think of the choice? I can understand having a ready cross section of geology in the mountain there being a major plus. Maybe a bit curious that they would seem to be ignoring organics but what do I know...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2e390b73d18d.jpg[/atsimg]
This computer-generated view based on multiple orbital observations shows Mars' Gale crater as if seen from an aircraft northwest of the crater.
CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/UA

View full size image
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[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f6536daa3be9.jpg[/atsimg]
This artist concept features NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, a mobile robot for investigating Mars' past or present ability to sustain microbial life. Curiosity is being tested in preparation for launch in the fall of 2011.
CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech
View full size imag

When are we going to get more than a few computer generated images and artist
impression cartoons from nasa?
What's news here? So they are sending another probe to mars to gather some basic information.
What can we really hope to learn?
What have we learned already?
You can be sure that the final cost will be far from the 2.5billion mentioned
and the investors (i.e. taxpayers) will have little to show for it.

I don't trust nasa one bit, and i am sure that they have been faking us for years.
I think this is another BS front to exact funds for black budget projects.
The nasa con began with the faked moon landings and apollo missions and
indeed grave doubts have been raised regarding the genuity of the
Whole Shuttle Program.

The Use of Media Fakery Is Systematic.
Be aware, in this, our corrupt system.

Originally posted by pshea38


When are we going to get more than a few computer generated images and artist
impression cartoons from nasa?

lots of hard data to sift through on Mars especially here if you like pics:
Mars Image Explorer

When a probe can't dig into the Martian surface very far, what's a better choice to go to than a near 100 mile wide impact crater for the search in the clays and sulfites presumed to be a place were if ever there was liquid water spawned life. Plus you have a natural canyon to observe the geological layers that here on earth, revealed the relative sudden disappearance of the dinosaurs. NASA is going to the place Nature has done most of it's heavy work. Why not?

reply to post by Illustronic


Excellent point. It's all laid out, just drive up to it.
Pretty excited about Opportunity coming up to Endeavour crater as well... A couple more days I think.
Might see some good layering, and new type of rock.

I'm a bit worried about the landing system for this rover. No airbags this time, it's too big.
This is a parachute, dangle, then jetpack to the surface. It's that last part that worries me the most.

Originally posted by Illustronic
When a probe can't dig into the Martian surface very far, what's a better choice to go to than a near 100 mile wide impact crater for the search in the clays and sulfites presumed to be a place were if ever there was liquid water spawned life. Plus you have a natural canyon to observe the geological layers that here on earth, revealed the relative sudden disappearance of the dinosaurs. NASA is going to the place Nature has done most of it's heavy work. Why not?

and why, pray tell, is this what we want to do or even logical after so many missions?


what the heck is that gonna tell us?

why don't we look for sand?

we need more info about friggin rocks? aren't they the same as earth?


how stupid are people? how many dumb as3 geological missions do we need?

is there a question that mars will not support the weight of an earthman?

reply to post by fooks


On Earth.
Geology provides information of Formation.
Information on ongoing processes.
Information on processes of the past. Fossils of time, like layers of sedimentary rock, that read like a book.
And my favorite, information on pre-existing lifeforms. Fossils of life of the past.

Mars probably had a very similar beginning as Earth. How long did that period last?

Originally posted by spacedoubt
reply to post by fooks

 

On Earth.
Geology provides information of Formation.
Information on ongoing processes.
Information on processes of the past. Fossils of time, like layers of sedimentary rock, that read like a book.
And my favorite, information on pre-existing lifeforms. Fossils of life of the past.

Mars probably had a very similar beginning as Earth. How long did that period last?

4 months, who cares, get there and figure it out!

hands on is where i come from.

we have to get people on the ground.

they knew there was water there, frozen or not, they know alot of things.


we can get a machine somewhere and not a human? this the dark ages?

70mill people would volunteer and work for nothing to go, 1 way even.

it's a planet in our solar system and is made of the same crap as the earth and moon, (maybe)

depends on who you believe.

geology is up close and personal, like biology.

get PEOPLE up there. it is way cooler.

eta; and put a mic and a FLIR cam there too.

wtf?

Originally posted by fooks
we can get a machine somewhere and not a human? this the dark ages?


eta; and put a mic and a FLIR cam there too.

wtf?

edit on 24-7-2011 by fooks because: (no reason given)

There's a myriad of reasons why a machine opposed to humans.
First, the payload, the Mars Science Laboratory rover alone is 980 kg, 1,950 lb. In comparison the short moon trip by Apollo 15 (16 and 17, which carried the rover), 46,989 kg, or 103,594 lb.

Second, machines need no life support.
Third, machines require much less radiation protection. Lets examine this aspect further.

The MMRTG contains 10.6 pounds (4.8 kilograms) of plutonium dioxide as the source of the steady supply of heat used to produce the onboard electricity, of a mere 110 watts.
That power just wont support men.

Forth, the trip to Mars is approximately 9 months until Mars orbit arrival, the entire round trip mission of Apollo 15 was about 2 weeks, July 26, 1971 to August 7th.

On the moon solar radiation and temperature extremes were minimized by selecting the best 'time of the lunar day', on Mars, there is a greater risk of sand storms and other atmospheric potential dangers not possible on the moon.

After reaching the surface of the red planet, Mars Science Laboratory will have a primary mission time of one martian year. That is, it will continue to operate at least 687 Earth days, surviving at least one martian winter in the process.

put a mic and a FLIR cam there too.

Mission laboratory instruments far exceed thermal imaging, we don't expect to look for hiding alien beings or industrial complexes. I'm just not going to outline them all here.

This and other mission facts are in the various links found on the OP link.

Translation into laymans terms.


Land = Crash


This is a pic of NASA's new robot... www.themagazine.ca...