WASHINGTON - NASA hosts a news briefing at 1 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Dec. 6, to present new science results from the Mars Global Surveyor. The briefing will take place in the NASA Headquarters auditorium located at 300 E Street, S.W. in Washington and carried live on NASA Television and www.nasa.gov.
The agency last week announced the spacecraft’s mission may be at its end. Mars Global Surveyor has served the longest and been the most productive of any spacecraft ever sent to the red planet. Data gathered from the mission will continue to be analyzed by scientists.
Panelists include:
Michael Meyer – Lead Scientist, Mars Exploration Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington
Michael Malin – President and Chief Scientist, Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif.
Kenneth Edgett – Scientist, Malin Space Science Systems
Philip Christensen – Professor, Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.
Reporters at participating agency field centers will be able to ask questions. For more information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit the web at:
• Photos suggests liquid water flowed on Mars as recently as several years ago
• Strongest evidence yet that water even now sometimes flows on red planet
• Scientists: Images of gullies and trenches carved by fast-moving water
• NASA lost contact with Mars probe last month
This is great. Hearing this today and the plans for a permanent lunar base by 2024 has made my week. All I need now is NASA taking members of FIRST to help work on ARES as interns.
Just as long as they don’t have Ted Striker flying the Lunar Shuttle! :ahh:
I think it’s amazing. While this is stuff you would dream of growing up I never figured we would actually inhabit another planet during my lifetime. Of course my grandmother also says she never figured we’d land on the moon either during her time so maybe this isn’t such a big surpise after all.
That’s funny - I always thought we would. I guess it was that 60’s thing but I never stopped believing. Optimism is also hard to squelch when one sits and listens to Mr. Kamen talk about the scientific & technological/robotic needs for advancement and the future. Things like the ocean floor, the Mars surface, humanity. These are exciting times.
Now, back to the discussion. I wonder where this could go. Studies on the manipulation of the Mars terrain to invoke these underground water sources to facilitate the creation/well-being of a human colony on Mars? Maybe??? :eek: I really have no idea what they would do, so… (psst… Dave… that’s your clue to help me out here… :D)
Speaking of which, since the MGS is pretty much out of commission, how are they going to continue to study this new gully?
First of, I’m really not surprised. I heard a rumor from the NASM Data Center a month ago; even before that i was a firm believer that Mars does hold the ingredients to support life or at least some sort of life. Anyways coming back to the discussion…
The next mission to Mars is actually the Phoenix Mars Lander. The main purpose is to land as close to the Martian Arctic (or in Arctic Region) to discover the possibilities of underground water or ice (solid water).
I haven’t heard that much about that project yet, but i know for sure that they are planning to launch in August 2007. I’ll take a wild guess and say that they might end up making some changes to this mission, that will help achieving new goals (studying the gullies), while at the same time studying the arctic region too.
I would as well. Curse not knowing about these things!!!
Again, curse not knowing about all the different missions!
But yes, both you guys are right. They’ll surely find some way to study this more carefully. I’m really interested into finding out what will come from this, and it may sound really cheesy, discovery, and where this will lead us in Pres. Bush’s plan to get to the Moon and Mars.
