Summary (May 28, 2003): The question of biology on Mars has everything to do with the presence or absence of liquid water. Or at least until another theory can support a better daily ritual than the life-giving dew on an otherwise dusty world.
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Good Morning, Mars By Edna DeVore, Director of Education and Outreach for SETI Institute
"Every morning, I go to Mars," Dr. Nathalie Cabrol says with a smile as she stands before a collage of Mars images in a darkened auditorium. Everyone is listening. And, with Nathalie, they go to Mars to see the craters, volcanoes, terraces, sedimentary layers, boulders, dried up ponds and washes. Time flies, and when the lights come up, Nathalie's excitement and passion have drawn even more people to the joys of exploring Mars.
Dr. Nathalie Cabrol is a planetary geologist with the SETI Institute who works at NASA Ames Research Center. Her partner in science and in life is her husband, Dr. Edmond Grin. As scientists, they spend their days together analyzing images and data from the Mars Orbiter and Mars Odyssey, looking for evidence of water, and planning where to explore Mars to confirm the presence or absence of water. Last October, Nathalie and Edmond successfully advocated that NASA select a large crater named Gusev as a potential landing site for a rover. It is one of four potential landing sites: Hematite, Gusev, Melas Chasma, and Elysium Flow. Data from the Mars Odyssey orbiter has confirmed the presence of water on Mars. Now, rovers need to land on Mars to provide on-site validation of the findings from Odyssey. Going to Mars each morning is getting more exciting each day.
Last week, Nathalie got a telephone call from Cathy Weitz, Steve Squyres, and Dave Lavery at NASA Headquarters. She's one step closer to realizing her dream. With excitement, she explains, "I learned that I had been selected as a 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Participating Scientist. The title of my proposal was: Aqueous Sedimentary Processes at the MER (Mars Exploration Rover) Sites. This is a 4-year project. I will be studying the traces left by water activity at the MER landing sites and wherever the rovers should go. As a program scientist, I will be at JPL during the primary mission." Nathalie is one of 28 newly appointed scientists working on MER. When the two rovers set down, each will operate for at least 90 days. Virtually, she's well on her way to pursuing her passion: going to Mars. As always, Nathalie shares this work and ambition with Edmond. As he goes to Mars each day, he brings along his experiences as a distinguished hydrologist to look for water on Mars. "Edmond is also part of this proposal and the two of us are completely thrilled."
What will these new scientists on the MER program accomplish? According to Dr. Ed Weiler, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science, Headquarters, Washington, DC, "By directly participating in NASA's next mission to the surface of Mars, they will help bring us closer to the long-term objective of our Mars Exploration Program - understanding Mars as a planet and determining whether life ever existed there." Follow the water. When looking for evidence of life on Mars, it's all about water. MER scientists will (1) study rocks and soils for clues to past water activity; (2) investigate landing sites, looking for evidence of the action of liquid water; (3) study the distribution and composition of minerals, rocks, and soils surrounding the landing sites; (4) determine the nature of local surface geologic processes; (5) test local landing sites to calibrate and validate the data that comes from the orbiters; and (6) study the geology of Mars close up - on the ground - to look for clues about water on Mars. Was there a time when liquid water - lakes, ponds, streams, rivers - existed on Mars? Did life arise on Mars in those wetter times, and can we find evidence of extinct or even extant life?
Nathlie Cabrol and Edmond Grin are engaged in the search for life beyond Earth. And that's the best reason to "go to Mars each morning."
Related Web Pages SETI Institute
Note: Spacecraft
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