Russian instrument on Curiosity looking for water on Mars

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The Russian neutron-shooting instrument DAN (Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons) installed on the Curiosity Mars rover has measured the water contents in the Mars soil in 25 different parts of the Gale Crater 58 times. In some places the water content exceeds 4%, experts of the Institute of Space Research at the Russian Academy of Sciences told journalists on Tuesday.

The scientists hope that after analyzing all the data they would be able to determine all details of the Gale Crater evolution for the whole period of its existence and find out if the crater’s natural environment could have been favourable for primitive forms of extraterrestrial life.

The DAN neutron detector is an entirely Russian product and part of the Curiosity rover’s equipment.

Voice of Russia, TASS

See, it's not just NASA who tells us what's what on Mars. Russia, Spain, Germany, Canada and France have contributes some of the other instruments on Curiosity, and are part of the science team.
msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.gov...

Water findings look promising.

Interesting.
And it's indicative that the mission will probably be quite fruitful.
Thanks for the heads up, star, flag and cookie for ya!

For the geologist out here: How much is 4% of water in a soil? little, much, meh...?

reply to post by drakus


After looking around in the Internet it looks like that 4% is near the minimum for a plant to be able to get water from the ground on Earth, air pressure and temperature change how easily available that moisture is.

reply to post by drakus

Not much. 4% moisture on Earth represents pretty severe desert conditions.

But DAN is not necessarily recording moisture. At least part of what is being detected is water (hydrogen more accurately) which is locked in minerals. Water which was present when those minerals formed.
www.exploremars.org...

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by drakus

 

Not much. 4% moisture on Earth represents pretty severe desert conditions.

But DAN is not necessarily recording moisture. At least part of what is being detected is water (hydrogen more accurately) which is locked in minerals. Water which was present when those minerals formed.
www.exploremars.org...

edit on 12/5/2012 by Phage because: (no reason given)

Yeah, I was referring to that kind of water, bound stuff.
Are those ratios (the 4%) consistent with the hypothesis of Gale Crater once being a region with flowing water?
I know this is just the first batch of data and the juicy stuff will come in a few months, but, being that as a group, we haven't much distaste for speculation, it doesn't hurt to do so.

reply to post by drakus

Are those ratios (the 4%) consistent with the hypothesis of Gale Crater once being a region with flowing water?

I wouldn't know but the hypothesis is that Gale Crater was actually a lake (or sea).

reply to post by Phage


But wasn't there some evidence of past flowing water on one area near the crater's ridge?

Hopefully it won't be red flowing water...but on ATS it would be welcomed no doubt espescially if it killed those of differing opinions.
Lets hope the russians find nicht.

There is not just water by an entire river on mars.



More pictures on the following link.

Mars pictures disected