Update on Mars' atmosphere, Media briefing on NASA Jan 15th |
Update on Mars' atmosphere, Media briefing on NASA Jan 15th |
Jan 12 2009, 06:01 PM
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
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Jan 18 2009, 09:39 AM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2173 Joined: 28-December 04 From: Florida, USA Member No.: 132 |
Remember about a year ago, NASA was deciding which of two would be the next scout mission to Mars?
As reported in The Planetary Society Blog, the two proposed concepts selected for further study were: * Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission, or MAVEN: The mission would provide first-of-its-kind measurements and address key questions about Mars climate and habitability and improve understanding of dynamic processes in the upper Martian atmosphere and ionosphere.... * The Great Escape mission: The mission would directly determine the basic processes in Martian atmospheric evolution by measuring the structure and dynamics of the upper atmosphere. In addition, potentially biogenic atmospheric constituents such as methane would be measured.... (my emphasis) NASA chose MAVEN. I wonder how useful the methane measurements made by a Great Escape Mission would have been. I wonder how sensitive such a mission would have been to detection of possible unambiguous bio markers such as turpines. Maybe an upstart space agency, not NASA or ESA, will see this as a chance to get an orbiter to Mars to specifically map the methane and look for other organics. That would certainly be a feather in someone's cap. |
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Jan 18 2009, 10:46 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 237 Joined: 22-December 07 From: Alice Springs, N.T. Australia Member No.: 3989 |
From Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/...90115164621.htm I do wonder if the words ' plumes' and 'were emitted' bias the assumption of origin. ........how a photochemical mechanism was dismissed as a source. Great that you followed up these ideas. Very interesting and well thought out. retargeting MSL to look for methane-emitting sites based on current information a highly risky strategy I also agree with nprev's comments. Maybe an upstart space agency, not NASA or ESA, will see this as a chance to get an orbiter to Mars to specifically map the methane and look for other organics. That would certainly be a feather in someone's cap. I was just replying when I noticed that centsworth-II had basically just said most of what I was going to say and had said it better. So I hit the delete button. Anyway go India - China! CH4 by photolysis - Anyway you stimulated me to check out in more depth info on the formation of CH4 by photolysis in the martian atmosphere. It looks like the topic is still under debate! For instance, "methane observed on Mars can be formed by photolysis of water vapor in the presence of CO, in addition to possible geological sources, rather than biologically" in Bar-Nun and Dimitrov in Icarus Vol181 March 2006 refuted by Krasnopolsky "One of the key reactions is effectively blocked by O2 in the martian atmosphere, and another key reaction does not exist. There are no pathways for effective formation of methane in the martian atmosphere" in Icarus 188 June 2007. Find via http://www.sciencedirect.com/ I'm getting more and more fascinated by all this........to the stage of being tempted to take out a subscription for Icarus!! Thanks again Silylene! |
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