MARSBUGS: The Electronic Astrobiology Newsletter Volume 7, Number 24, 23 June 2000 (Special issue on Mars' water). Editors: Dr. David J. Thomas, Biology and Chemistry Division, Lyon College, Batesville, AR 72503-2317, USA. dthomas@lyon.edu Dr. Julian A. Hiscox, School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AJ, United Kingdom. J.A.Hiscox@reading.ac.uk Marsbugs is published on a weekly to quarterly basis as warranted by the number of articles and announcements. Copyright of this compilation exists with the editors, except for specific articles, in which instance copyright exists with the author/authors. While we cannot copyright our mailing list, our readers would appreciate it if others would not send unsolicited e-mail using the Marsbugs mailing list. The editors do not condone "spamming" of our subscribers. Persons who have information that may be of interest to subscribers of Marsbugs should send that information to the editors. E-mail subscriptions are free, and may be obtained by contacting either of the editors. Article contributions are welcome, and should be submitted to either of the two editors. Contributions should include a short biographical statement about the author(s) along with the author(s)' correspondence address. Subscribers are advised to make appropriate inquiries before joining societies, ordering goods etc. Back issues and Adobe Acrobat PDF files suitable for printing may be obtained from the official Marsbugs web page at http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/marsbugs/marsbugs.html. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide a channel of information for scientists, educators and other persons interested in exobiology and related fields. This newsletter is not intended to replace peer- reviewed journals, but to supplement them. We, the editors, envision Marsbugs as a medium in which people can informally present ideas for investigation, questions about exobiology, and announcements of upcoming events. Astrobiology is still a relatively young field, and new ideas may come from the most unexpected places. Subjects may include, but are not limited to: exobiology and astrobiology (life on other planets), the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), ecopoeisis and terraformation, Earth from space, planetary biology, primordial evolution, space physiology, biological life support systems, and human habitation of space and other planets. --------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS 1) EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION--SPECIAL ISSUE By David J. Thomas 2) WATER DISCOVERED ON MARS By Andrew Bridges and Leonard David 3) WATER DISCOVERY INCREASES CHANCE OF MARTIAN LIFE By Daniel Sorid 4) NASA PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW TO DISCUSS NEW IMAGES SUGGESTING PRESENT-DAY SOURCES OF LIQUID WATER ON MARS NASA note N00-26 5) NASA FINDS EVIDENCE OF WATER ON MARS From Spaceflight Now 6) MARS DISCOVERY MAY SPEED NASA, EUROPEAN PLANS By Leonard David 7) NEW IMAGES SUGGEST PRESENT-DAY SOURCES OF LIQUID WATER ON MARS JPL release 8) NASA PROBE FINDS EVIDENCE OF LIQUID WATER ON MARS By William Harwood 9) SCIENTISTS REPORT WATER IN GULLIES ON MARS By Paul Hoversten 10) THURSDAY'S CLASSROOM--DIVINING WATER ON MARS By Tony Phillips 11) MARS' GULLIES HINT AT LIQUID WATER By Alan Boyle 12) SCIENTISTS DISCOVER SUGAR IN SPACE National Radio Astronomy Observatory release 00-73 13) HAUGHTON-MARS PROJECT ANNOUNCES MEDIA FIELD VISIT OPPORTUNITY NASA JSC release J00-41 14) MIRCORP INAUGURATES THE CITIZEN EXPLORER PROGRAM, PROVIDING MANNED SPACE MISSIONS ON COMMERCIAL BASIS MirCorp release 15) SETH SHOSTAK: UFOS AND SETI By Patrick Huyghe 16) DISCOVERY.COM AND SPACEREF.COM LAUNCH ULTIMATE ONLINE SPACE RESOURCE Discovery Communications and SpaceRef Interactive release 17) NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY, EXOBIOLOGY AND TERRAFORMATION INDEX By David J. Thomas 18) GALILEO MILLENNIUM MISSION STATUS JPL release 19) THIS WEEK ON GALILEO JPL release 20) ISS STATUS REPORT NASA JSC release --------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION--SPECIAL ISSUE By David J. Thomas 23 June 2000 By now, many Marsbugs readers have heard about the announcement of possible liquid water near Mars' surface. This finding is sure to provoke much new thought and speculation about Mars' geology and its potential biology. In this special issue of Marsbugs, I have included articles from various news sources in chronological order-- showing how this story developed. The journal, Science, has released a preliminary form of the article describing these extraordinary findings to the public: "Evidence of Recent Groundwater Seepage and Surface Runoff on Mars," by Mike Malin and Ken Edgett (http://www.sciencemag.org/feature/data/hottopics/se260002330p.pdf). Please read on as I allow the real journalists to tell the story. --------------------------------------------------------------------- WATER DISCOVERED ON MARS By Andrew Bridges and Leonard David From Space.com 20 June 2000 Space.com has learned that NASA has discovered evidence of water on the Red Planet's surface. The finding, made by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, fuels hopes that there may be life on Mars. Sources close to the agency's Mars program said the discovery involves evidence of seasonal deposits that could be associated with springs on the planet's surface. NASA plans to make the blockbuster announcement during a press conference scheduled for June 29, sources said. The discovery, if confirmed, would mark the achievement of a primary goal in NASA's program to explore Mars. Get the full story at http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/mars_water_000620.h tml --------------------------------------------------------------------- WATER DISCOVERY INCREASES CHANCE OF MARTIAN LIFE By Daniel Sorid From Space.com 21 June 2000 ...NASA is set to report that the Mars Global Surveyor has found indications of seasonal deposits of water that could be associated with springs on the planet's surface. Adding liquid water to the mix of minerals and carbon chemistry at Mars would increase the chances that life currently exists somewhere on the planet, say researchers. "Water is the universal solvent that life has to have," said Adam Bruckner, a professor at the department of aeronautics and astronautics at the University of Washington. Get the full story at http://www.space.com/searchforlife/martian_life_000621.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW TO DISCUSS NEW IMAGES SUGGESTING PRESENT-DAY SOURCES OF LIQUID WATER ON MARS NASA note N00-26 21 June 2000 NASA will hold a press conference tomorrow, Thursday, June 22, at 11 AM EDT, to discuss the recent discovery of evidence of liquid water on Mars using NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, with a paper to be published in the June 30 issue of Science magazine. Because some press reports over the past two days on the subject have been incorrect in significant areas, NASA has arranged to hold the press conference earlier than originally planned so that the Principal Investigators, Drs. Michael Malin and Ken Edgett, can discuss their findings in person. Also, Science Magazine will release the paper at 10 AM EDT tomorrow in advance of the press conference. The briefing will be held at the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St., SW, Washington, DC. Panelists will be: * Dr. Ed Weiler, Associate Administrator, Office of Space Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC * Dr. Michael Malin, principal investigator for the Mars Orbiter Camera on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), San Diego, CA * Dr. Ken Edgett, staff scientist at MSSS and co-author of the paper in Science * Dr. Mike Carr, Planetary Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA * Dr. Bruce Jakosky, Director, Center for Astrobiology, University of Colorado, Boulder * Dr. Jim Garvin, Mars Program Scientist, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC NASA Television is broadcast on GE-2, transponder 9C located at 85 degrees West longitude, with vertical polarization. Frequency is on 3880.0 MHz, with audio on 6.8 MHz. Reporters also can listen to the press conference by calling: 321/867-1220, 321/867-1240, 321/867- 1260, 321/867-7135, 321/867-4920, 321/867-4003. Contacts: Donald Savage Headquarters, Washington, DC June 21, 2000 (Phone: 202/358-1727) Mary Hardin Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA (Phone: 818/354-0344) --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA FINDS EVIDENCE OF WATER ON MARS From Spaceflight Now 21 June 2000 Confirming what scientists had long theorized, NASA will announce Thursday that water has been found on Mars. A press conference is planned for 11 AM EDT (1500 GMT) and Spaceflight Now will provide a live QuickTime streaming video broadcast... ... NASA had planned to hold the press conference at a later date, but the space agency issued a media advisory today that said recent news reports about the discovery were "incorrect in significant areas." That prompted NASA to move up the briefing. Get the full story at http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0006/21marswater/. --------------------------------------------------------------------- MARS DISCOVERY MAY SPEED NASA, EUROPEAN PLANS By Leonard David From Space.com 21 June 2000 The prospect that NASA's Mars Global Surveyor has detected signs of water at a specific site on the Red Planet is likely to spark debate as to whether or not to send a robotic craft on location to look for life. A research team is expected to announce next week that seasonal deposits found on Mars could be tied to springs on the planet's surface. Meanwhile, decisions are near at hand by NASA officials to follow a 2001 Mars orbiter launch with either another orbiter or dispatch a lander to that planet in 2003. But the spotting of water on Mars could alter NASA decision making. Get the full story at http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/missions/mars_science_response_0 00621.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW IMAGES SUGGEST PRESENT-DAY SOURCES OF LIQUID WATER ON MARS JPL release 22 June 2000 In what could turn out to be a landmark discovery in the history of Mars exploration, imaging scientists using data from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft have recently observed features that suggest there may be current sources of liquid water at or near the surface of the red planet. The new images, available at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/pictures/mars or http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/june2000/, show the smallest features ever observed from martian orbit--about the size of a sport- utility vehicle. NASA scientists compare the features to those left by flash floods on Earth. "We see features that look like gullies formed by flowing water and the deposits of soil and rocks transported by these flows. The features appear to be so young that they might be forming today. We think we are seeing evidence of a groundwater supply, similar to an aquifer," said Dr. Michael Malin, principal investigator for the Mars Orbiter Camera on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft at Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, CA. "These are new landforms that have never been seen before on Mars." The findings will be published in the June 30 issue of Science magazine. "Twenty-eight years ago the Mariner 9 spacecraft found evidence--in the form of channels and valleys--that billions of years ago the planet had water flowing across its surface," said Dr. Ken Edgett, staff scientist at Malin Space Science Systems and co-author of the paper in Science. "Ever since that time, Mars science has focused on the question, 'Where did the water go?' The new pictures from Global Surveyor tell us part of the answer--some of that water went under ground, and quite possibly it's still there." "For two decades scientists have debated whether liquid water might have existed on the surface of Mars just a few billion years ago," said Dr. Ed Weiler, associate administrator for space science at NASA Headquarters. "With today's discovery, we're no longer talking about a distant time. The debate has moved to present-day Mars. The presence of liquid water on Mars has profound implications for the question of life not only in the past, but perhaps even today. If life ever did develop there, and if it survives to the present time, then these landforms would be great places to look." The gullies observed in the images are on cliffs, usually in crater or valley walls, and are made up of a deep channel with a collapsed region at its upper end (an "alcove") and at the other end an area of accumulated debris (an "apron") that appears to have been transported down the slope. Relative to the rest of the martian surface, the gullies appear to be extremely young, meaning they may have formed in the recent past. "They could be a few million years old, but we cannot rule out that some of them are so recent as to have formed yesterday," Malin said. Because the atmospheric pressure at the surface of Mars is about 100 times less than it is at sea level on Earth, liquid water would immediately begin to boil when exposed at the martian surface. Investigators believe that this boiling would be violent and explosive. So how can these gullies form? Malin explained that the process must involve repeated outbursts of water and debris, similar to flash floods on Earth. "We've come up with a model to explain these features and why the water would flow down the gullies instead of just boiling off the surface. When water evaporates it cools the ground--that would cause the water behind the initial seepage site to freeze. This would result in pressure building up behind an 'ice dam.' Ultimately, the dam would break and send a flood down the gully," said Edgett. The occurrence of gullies is quite rare: only a few hundred locations have been seen in the many tens of thousands of places surveyed by the orbiter camera. Most are in the martian southern hemisphere, but a few are in the north. "What is odd about these gullies is that they occur where you might not expect them--in some of the coldest places on the planet," Malin indicated. "Nearly all occur between latitudes 30 degrees and 70 degrees, and usually on slopes that get the least amount of sunlight during each martian day." If these gullies were on Earth they would be at latitudes roughly between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Point Barrow, Alaska, in the northern hemisphere; and Sydney, Australia, to much of the Antarctic coast in the south. The water supply is believed to be about 100 to 400 meters (300 to 1,300 feet) below the surface, and limited to specific regions across the planet. Each flow that came down each gully may have had a volume of water of, roughly, 2,500 cubic meters (about 90,000 cubic feet)--about enough water to sustain 100 average households for a month or fill seven community-size swimming pools. The process that starts the water flowing remains a mystery, but the team believes it is not the result of volcanic heating. "I think one of the most interesting and significant aspects of this discovery is what it could mean if human explorers ever go to Mars," said Malin. "If water is available in substantial volumes in areas other than the poles, it would make it easier for human crews to access and use it--for drinking, to create breathable air, and to extract oxygen and hydrogen for rocket fuel or to be stored for use in portable energy sources." "This latest discovery by the Mars Global Surveyor is a true 'watershed'--that is, a revolution that pushes the history of water on Mars into the present," said Dr. Jim Garvin, Mars Program Scientist, NASA Headquarters. "To follow up on this discovery we will continue the search with Mars Global Surveyor and its rich array of remote sensing instruments, and in 2001, NASA will launch a scientific orbiter with a high spatial resolution middle-infrared imaging system that will examine the seepage sites in search of evidence of water-related minerals. "Furthermore, NASA is in the process of evaluating two options for a 2003 mission to Mars, both of which could provide independent information concerning the remarkable sites identified by Malin and Edgett." NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA, manages the Mars Global Surveyor mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Malin Space Science Systems built and operates the camera system. JPL's industrial partner is Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO, which developed and operates the spacecraft. For more information on the Mars Global Surveyor mission, see http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/ [A similar version of this article is at http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast22jun_2.htm?list] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA PROBE FINDS EVIDENCE OF LIQUID WATER ON MARS By William Harwood From Spaceflight Now Images from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft show "compelling evidence" that liquid water has flowed on the red planet's surface in the geologically recent past and may exist today in what amounts to a water table just below the frigid surface. While the pictures are not conclusive and other explanations may emerge after more study, "this is some of the most exciting data that we've had," said Michael Carr, a planetary geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. "In act, the images... are really quite compelling." Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for space science, said the interpretation of the images, if proved correct, has "profound implications for the possibilities of life on Mars... If we ever had the desire to send humans eventually to Mars, I'd say that desire should be much stronger today. This is one heck of an interesting planet." Get the full story at http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0006/22marswater/. --------------------------------------------------------------------- SCIENTISTS REPORT WATER IN GULLIES ON MARS By Paul Hoversten From Space.com Researchers using NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft announced Thursday that they found puzzling signs of water seeping into what appear to be young, freshly-cut gullies and gaps in the martian surface. The startling discovery of recently-formed, weeping layers of rock and sediment has planetary experts scratching their heads. The wet spots show up in more than 120 locations on Mars and in the coldest places on the planet, said Michael Malin of Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, California, which built the spacecraft's camera. And that presents a "perplexing problem," he said, because logic says that Mars' sub-zero temperatures and thin atmosphere should have kept those wet spots from ever forming." Get the full story at http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/mars_science_findin gs_000622.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- THURSDAY'S CLASSROOM--DIVINING WATER ON MARS By Tony Phillips 22 June 2000 At a NASA press conference on June 22, 2000, scientists revealed indirect but "compelling" evidence that liquid water exists near the surface of Mars and sometimes flows down gullies similar to ones formed by flash floods on Earth. This week's episode of Thursday's Classroom--the first of a two part series about Mars and martian water--includes kid's stories that summarize today's press conference along with educational lesson plans and activities about the Red Planet. Part 2 of this episode will appear next week on June 29, 2000. Please visit http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com for the full story and educational activities. --------------------------------------------------------------------- MARS' GULLIES HINT AT LIQUID WATER By Alan Boyle From MSNBC New images from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor probe show fresh gullies and fields of debris, hinting that water flowed over the planet's surface in recent geologic time, researchers said Thursday. They say the freshness of the features suggests that liquid water may exist not far beneath the surface even today--a claim that, if true, would better the odds of finding life on Mars. The new findings, released after days of speculation, go against the conventional wisdom on Mars and are likely to re-energize the debate over whether the seemingly dead planet could harbor life. "If these results prove true, that there is water on Mars near the surface, it has profound implications for the possibility of life on Mars," said Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for space science. Get the full story at http://www.msnbc.com/news/423452.asp --------------------------------------------------------------------- SCIENTISTS DISCOVER SUGAR IN SPACE National Radio Astronomy Observatory release 00-73 15 June 2000 The prospects for life in the Universe just got sweeter, with the first discovery of a simple sugar molecule in space. The discovery of the sugar molecule glycolaldehyde in a giant cloud of gas and dust near the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy was made by scientists using the National Science Foundation's 12 Meter Telescope, a radio telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona. "The discovery of this sugar molecule in a cloud from which new stars are forming means it is increasingly likely that the chemical precursors to life are formed in such clouds long before planets develop around the stars," said Jan M. Hollis of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Hollis worked with Frank J. Lovas of the University of Illinois and Philip R. Jewell of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, WV, on the observations, made in May. The scientists have submitted their results to the Astrophysical Journal Letters. "This discovery may be an important key to understanding the formation of life on the early Earth," said Jewell. Conditions in interstellar clouds may, in some cases, mimic the conditions on the early Earth, so studying the chemistry of interstellar clouds may help scientists understand how bio-molecules formed early in our planet's history. In addition, some scientists have suggested that Earth could have been "seeded" with complex molecules by passing comets, made of material from the interstellar cloud that condensed to form the Solar System. Glycolaldehyde, an 8-atom molecule composed of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, can combine with other molecules to form the more-complex sugars Ribose and Glucose. Ribose is a building block of nucleic acids such as RNA and DNA, which carry the genetic code of living organisms. Glucose is the sugar found in fruits. Glycolaldehyde contains exactly the same atoms, though in a different molecular structure, as methyl formate and acetic acid, both of which were detected previously in interstellar clouds. Glycolaldehyde is a simpler molecular cousin to table sugar, the scientists say. The sugar molecule was detected in a large cloud of gas and dust some 26,000 light-years away, near the center of our Galaxy. Such clouds, often many light- years across, are the materials from which new stars are formed. Though very rarified by Earth standards, these interstellar clouds are the sites of complex chemical reactions that occur over hundreds of thousands or millions of years. So far, about 120 different molecules have been discovered in these clouds. Most of these molecules contain a small number of atoms, and only a few molecules with eight or more atoms have been found in interstellar clouds. "Finding glycolaldehyde in one of these interstellar clouds means that such molecules can be formed even in very rarified conditions," said Hollis. "We don't yet understand how it could be formed there," he added. "A combination of more astronomical observations and theoretical chemistry work will be required to resolve the mystery of how this molecule is formed in space." "We hope this discovery inspires renewed efforts to find even more kinds of molecules, so that, with a better idea of the total picture, we may be able to deduce the details of the prebiotic chemistry taking place in interstellar clouds," Hollis said. The discovery was made by detecting faint radio emission from the sugar molecules in the interstellar cloud. Molecules rotate end-for- end, and as they change from one rotational energy state to another, they emit radio waves at precise frequencies. The "family" of radio frequencies emitted by a particular molecule forms a unique "fingerprint" that scientists can use to identify that molecule. The scientists identified glycolaldehyde by detecting six frequencies of radio emission in what is termed the millimeter-wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum--a region between more-familiar microwaves and infrared radiation. The NRAO 12 Meter Telescope used to detect the sugar molecule has been a pioneer instrument in the detection of molecules in space. Built in 1967, it made the first detections of dozens of the molecules now known to exist in space, including the important first discovery of carbon monoxide, now widely used by astronomers as a signpost showing regions where stars are being formed. The 12 Meter Telescope is scheduled to be closed at the end of July, in preparation for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, an advanced system of 64 radio-telescope antennas in northern Chile now being developed by an international partnership. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. For more information: Dr. Jan M. Hollis NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland Phone: 301-286-7591 e-mail: Jan.M.Hollis@gsfc.nasa.gov Dr. Frank J. Lovas Astronomy Department University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois Phone: 217-333-3090 e-mail: lovas@nist.gov Dr. Philip R. Jewell National Radio Astronomy Observatory Green Bank, West Virginia Phone: 304-456-2301 e-mail: pjewell@nrao.edu Images supporting this release are available at http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/pr/sugar.html and http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/pr/sugar.graphics.html] --------------------------------------------------------------------- HAUGHTON-MARS PROJECT ANNOUNCES MEDIA FIELD VISIT OPPORTUNITY NASA JSC release J00-41 19 June 2000 News media are invited to participate in a NASA Haughton-Mars Project (HMP-2000) field site visit during the period of July 19-22 on Devon Island, Nunavut, in the Canadian High Arctic. Media must coordinate visit requests to the HMP-2000 Base Camp at Haughton with the Office of Communication at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. Media representatives must email an application by June 30 to kburton@mail.arc.nasa.gov. Application forms are on the internet at http://george.arc.nasa.gov/dx/basket/pressrelease/00_45AR.html. HMP-2000 is a NASA-led international field research program centered on the scientific study of the Haughton impact crater and its surroundings, Devon Island, Nunavut, Arctic Canada. "The Haughton- Mars Project provides an opportunity for synergistic studies among team members composed of planetary scientists, geologists, biologists and engineers from information technologies, robotics, human exploration and human factors," said Dr. Kelly Snook, NASA HMP Project Manager at NASA Ames Research Center, in California's Silicon Valley. Haughton Crater is accessed by aircraft from Resolute Bay, Cornwallis Island, Canada. The site's rocky polar desert setting, geological features and biological attributes have been studied for the past three field seasons by experts from NASA and other institutions. The crater and surrounding terrain are good sites for Mars analog studies, according to scientists. "Our field investigations at Haughton are providing insights into the evolution of Mars, the effects of impacts on Earth, and the possibilities of life in extreme environments," said Principal Investigator for the HMP, Dr. Pascal Lee of the SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA. "The field work also provides an opportunity to study the feasibility of, and requirements for, possible future robotic and human missions to Mars." Events of interest during the HMP-2000 media field site visit opportunity will include: interviews with NASA spokespeople and HMP- 2000 investigators, including Drs. Lee and Snook, and an inside look at planetary exploration research in the relatively harsh, "Mars- like" environment of Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic comprising: * Mars analog field work in impact geology, valley and canyon formation, ground-ice research and studies of life in extreme environments and its implications for astrobiology, the study of the origin, evolution and future of life in the universe; * field studies in information systems, robotics, spacesuit design and other Mars exploration enabling technologies; * simulated Earth-to-Mars "Mission Control" crew communications and mission support research, telemedicine experiments and human factors studies with NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX. To learn more about HMP-2000 and the media field site opportunity, go to: http://george.arc.nasa.gov/dx/basket/pressrelease/00_45AR.html (the NASA Ames Office of Communication web site). Information about requesting an on-site visit and narrative information about HMP-2000 are posted there. For further information about HMP-2000 research, including field activities updates, go to http://www.arctic-mars.org (the HMP-2000 web site). In addition to the media field opportunity, videotape b-roll will be available via satellite on NASA-TV between July 19 and 22. The NASA Video File normally airs at noon, 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 9:00 PM and midnight EDT. NASA Television is available on GE-2, transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, with vertical polarization. Frequency is on 3880.0 megahertz, with audio on 6.8 megahertz. Please note that NASA may limit media access to the field site at any time, as required by ongoing research, available space and logistical support. Due to the expeditionary nature of the HMP-2000 research project and the many factors involved in its implementation and execution (including weather, flight schedules, etc.), invited media participants are cautioned that all plans, events or schedules in the field may change or be subject to cancellation without advance notice. --------------------------------------------------------------------- MIRCORP INAUGURATES THE CITIZEN EXPLORER PROGRAM, PROVIDING MANNED SPACE MISSIONS ON COMMERCIAL BASIS MirCorp release 19 June 2000 MirCorp opened a new era in space today by inaugurating its Citizen Explorer program, which will provide the first truly commercial manned flight opportunities for private citizens. Citizen Explorer missions will be flown to Mir, the Russian space station for which MirCorp has a commercial lease agreement. MirCorp's initial Citizen Explorer candidate is Dennis Tito, a former U.S. space program engineer who founded Wilshire Associates--the Santa Monica, California-based company that revolutionized the field of investment management consulting. Today's Citizen Explorer program go-ahead follows the successful completion of MirCorp's historic 73-day manned flight to Mir, which was the first privately funded mission of its kind. Two Russian cosmonauts reactivated the large space station, preparing it for MirCorp's future commercial flights. Mission commander Sergei Zalyotin and flight engineer Alexander Kalery landed in Kazakhstan on June 16 after orbiting the Earth more than 1,100 times. "MirCorp was founded on the belief that wonderful things can happen in space by unleashing the private sector's imagination," MirCorp President Jeffrey Manber said. "Our new Citizen Explorer program is one element of MirCorp's broad-based business plan, which also foresees commercial uses of Mir that range from pharmaceutical research and other traditional space activities to novel business applications such as an Internet portal and real-time imaging of the Earth." Manber said MirCorp has entered initial discussions with several other Citizen Explorer candidates, and flights to Mir will begin in 2001. MirCorp is setting up an office in Moscow to coordinate and support its Citizen Explorers - becoming the first operation in the world to manage a corps of private space travelers. MirCorp's mission schedule for 2001 and beyond will be announced following the company's next board meeting, to be held in July. To ensure Mir remains in operational condition for the long-term, MirCorp will fund a new resupply mission in the coming months using a Progress unmanned spacecraft. This will be the third such resupply mission to Mir since MirCorp saved the station from a destructive reentry earlier this year. Speaking on behalf of MirCorp's investors, Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria said Dennis Tito is an excellent example of the Citizen Explorers that MirCorp expects to attract by opening space for commercial manned missions. Dr. Kathuria is one of MirCorp's major investors and is a member of the company's board of directors. "Dennis made invaluable contributions to the space program before becoming a respected member of the international financial community," Dr. Kathuria said. "Mir is now ready to receive Dennis and the other Citizen Explorers who will follow." Tito currently is undergoing Russian medical examinations in preparation for his flight--which he said will fulfill a lifelong dream. "The launch of Sputnik in 1957 influenced me to become involved in the space program, and I was one of the first persons to graduate with a bachelors degree in aeronautics and astronautics," he said. "As the result of MirCorp's own pioneering efforts, I will be able to accomplish something I have been wanting to do for more than 40 years." As an engineer in the 1960s and early 1970s, Tito developed flight trajectories for the U.S. series of Mariner interplanetary spacecraft that went to Mars and Venus. Today, Tito's Wilshire Associates advises investors on about $1 trillion in assets, as well as directly managing about $10 billion in assets and providing analytical tools to some 350 institutions around the world. Wilshire Associates is perhaps best known for its Wilshire 5000 stock index. The Holland-based MirCorp was formed earlier this year to operate as a direct link between commercial users of Mir and the space station's Russian operators. In February, MirCorp signed a first-of-its kind commercial lease agreement for Mir with RSC Energia, the Russian space systems manufacturer that built and operates the space station. MirCorp acts as a commercial facilitator, beginning with the establishment of business conditions for Mir's use, and continuing through successful completion of a user's activity on board the station. MirCorp is 60% owned by RSC Energia, while the remaining 40% held by its investors. Press/media contact: Jeffrey M. Lenorovitz The InfoWEST Group Telephone (U.S.): +1 (703) 448-5669 Telephone (France): +33 6 80-85-86-25 e-mail: jleno@infowestgroup.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- SETH SHOSTAK: UFOS AND SETI By Patrick Huyghe From Space.com 20 June 2000 UFO believers and SETI proponents mix about as well as cats and dogs. Though the aim of the two groups is alien contact, their means could not be more different. SETI people tend to wrap themselves in the mantle of science, turning their backs on their fellow alien seekers in the UFO community, whom they regard as not only unscientific but often as unsavory. Besides, the UFO community is seen as a rival for funding dollars... ... One astronomer who has to confront this often highly sensitive UFO/SETI relationship on a regular basis is Seth Shostak, the witty and eloquent spokesperson of the SETI Institute. When he spoke in London, Ontario last week at the 19th annual meeting of the Society for Scientific Exploration--a group of scientists interested in probing UFOs, psychic phenomena and other unorthodox topics--I took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about the behavior of this decidedly "odd couple." Get the full story at http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/phenomena/ufo_seti_000619.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCOVERY.COM AND SPACEREF.COM LAUNCH ULTIMATE ONLINE SPACE RESOURCE Discovery Communications and SpaceRef Interactive release 22 June 2000 Discovery.com, a trusted internet destination from Discovery Communications Inc., and SpaceRef.com, the personal space reference site, today announced that they have entered into an agreement in which Discovery.com will exclusively host SpaceRef.com creating the ultimate online resource for students, professionals and space buffs everywhere. As part of the agreement, Discovery.com will integrate SpaceRef.com content into the site's existing Space Guide. Included in the integration is SpaceRef.com's suite of tools and services such as daily news and status reports, a calendar of events, and the extensive SpaceRef Directory of space related resources which includes the world's only dedicated space search engine. SpaceRef.com also houses the Whole Mars Catalog and Astrobiology Web and will launch a new digital multimedia collection that contains over 10,000 NASA images and descriptions covering all American manned missions. "Space is a signature area of our site and a natural fit with our brand. We are extremely pleased to be able to expand upon our popular space content through this new relationship with SpaceRef.com," said William Allman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Discovery.com. "Our mission is to empower users to "Discover Something New Everyday," and with the addition of this new, deep content that connects our audiences to the mysteries of space, they truly can find something new on each visit." "We are excited to be working with Discovery.com," said Keith Cowing, Co-Founder of SpaceRef.com. "Their commitment to quality content has set the gold standard for science and technology programming around the world. Their emphasis upon education is one of their core strengths and one we hope to further enhance with SpaceRef.com" Cowing's partner Marc Boucher said, "SpaceRef.com was looking for a partner that would compliment and augment our reference tools, creating the basis for the Internet's primary space portal. With Discovery.com, we have found the perfect partner." This latest announcement is part of Discovery.com's ongoing build out of space-related content, which has included regular updates on MIR, astronomy, space travel, exploration, history and more. Highlighting the space category will be the addition of a comprehensive interactive look at the International Space Station, slated for fourth quarter of this year. Users can find Discovery.com's space related content by heading to Discovery.com and exploring by subject under "Space." About Discovery.com Discovery.com is a trusted destination on the internet that consolidates the resources of Discovery's flagship networks (Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel and Discovery Health Channel) into one destination dedicated to empowering audiences to discover something new every day. The premier Web site devoted to enriching people's lives, it offers rich, useful content and commerce opportunities in seven distinct categories: Discoveries, Animals/Pets, Health, Travel, Lifestyles, Schools and Kids. Discovery.com, Inc. is a subsidiary of Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI). DCI is a privately held, global entity headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and is the leading global real-world media company. DCI operates three distinct business units: Discovery Networks, U.S.; Discovery Networks, International; and Discovery Enterprises Worldwide. About SpaceRef.com SpaceRef.com is a suite of tools and services designed to allow both the novice and specialist alike to explore outer space from their personal computer. SpaceRef.com is operated by SpaceRef Interactive, Inc., an international internet content and database firm specializing in scientific and technical web sites with offices in Reston, Virginia and Victoria, British Columbia. Contacts: Discovery.com Eileen Ratnofsky, (301)771-4449 Eileen_Ratnofsky@discovery.com SpaceRef.com Keith Cowing, (703) 787-6567 kcowing@reston.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY, EXOBIOLOGY AND TERRAFORMATION INDEX By David J. Thomas 23 June 2000 Astrobiology, exobiology and terraformation articles online http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s1.html M. Bau, R. L. Romer, V. Lüders and N. J. Beukes, 1999. Pb, O, and C isotopes in silicified Mooidraai dolomite (Transvaal Supergroup, South Africa): implications for the composition of Paleoproterozoic seawater and 'dating' the increase of oxygen in the Precambrian atmosphere. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 174(1-2):43-57. S. A. Benner, K. G. Devine, L. N. Matveeva and D. H. Powell, 2000. The missing organic molecules on Mars. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 97(6):2425-2430. A. Boyle, 2000. Astrobiology: flights of fancy. MSNBC. A. Boyle, 2000. Mars' gullies hint at liquid water. MSNBC. A. Boyle, 2000. New energy in debate over alien life. MSNBC. A. Boyle, 2000. The secret of Europa's slushy seas. MSNBC. A. Bridges, 2000. Latest Galileo data further suggest Europa has liquid ocean. Space.com. A. Bridges, 2000. Scientists find sugar in space, building block of life. Space.com. A. Bridges, 2000. NASA's newest 'search for life' technology. Space.com. A. Bridges and L. David, 2000. Water discovered on Mars. Space.com. J. C. Bridges and M. M. Grady, 2000. Evaporite mineral assemblages in the nakhlite (martian) meteorites. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 176(3-4):267-279. R. R. Britt, 2000. Europa: the facts. Space.com. A. Chaikin, 2000. Mars: where the water is. Space.com. G. Clark, 1999. Dating of meteorite mineral leaves Mars-life hypothesis alive. Space.com. H. J. Cleaves and S. L. Miller, 1998. Oceanic protection of prebiotic organic compounds from UV radiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 95(13):7260-7263. L. David, 1999. Move over Mars--Europa needs equal billing. Space.com. L. David, 2000. Hands off the planet? How finding life on Mars could stop exploration. Space.com. L. David, 2000. Life detection technology gets room to grow. Space.com. L. David, 2000. Mars discovery may speed NASA, European plans. Space.com. L. David, 2000. Old data holds new hope for life on Mars. Space.com. D. P. Glavin, J. L. Bada, K. L. F. Brinton and G. D. McDonald, 1999. Amino acids in the martian meteorite Nakhla. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 96(16):8835-8838. P. Hoversten, 2000. Scientists report water in gullies on Mars. Space.com. P. Huyghe, 2000. Seth Shostak: UFOs and SETI. Space.com. R. Irion, 2000. The science of astrobiology takes shape. Science, 288(5466):603-605. J. L. Kirschvink, E. J. Gaidos, L. E. Bertani, Nicholas J. Beukes, J. Gutzmer, L. N. Maepa and R. E. Steinberger, 2000. Paleoproterozoic snowball Earth: extreme climatic and geochemical global change and its biological consequences. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 97(4):1400-1405. M. Levy and S. L. Miller, 1998. The stability of the RNA bases: implications for the origin of life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 95(14)7933-7938. D. Segré, D. Ben-Eli and D. Lancet, 2000. Compositional genomes: prebiotic information transfer in mutually catalytic noncovalent assemblies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 97(8):4112-4117. R. Shapiro, 1999. Prebiotic cytosine synthesis: a critical analysis and implications for the origin of life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 96(8):4396-4401. D. Sorid, 2000. Argus expands the search for life. Space.com. D. Sorid, 2000. Salt in meteorites may hold clues to how life formed. Space.com. D. Sorid, 2000. Water discovery increases chance of martian life. Space.com. Space.com, 2000. Sample return missions scare some researchers. Space.com. Spaceflight Now, 2000. NASA finds evidence of water on Mars. Spaceflight Now. M. Weinstock, 2000. There may be friction among Europa's ice slabs. Space.com. C. Woese, 1998. The universal ancestor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 95(14):6854-6859. Articles on the biology of extreme environments (on Earth) http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s2.html BBC, 1999. Hidden Antarctic lake links to alien life. BBC. A. Boyle, 2000. Astrobiology: a down to Earth view. MSNBC. R. R. Britt, 1999. Life found near sub-antarctic lake, fueling ET hopes. Space.com. C. Langmuir, S. Humphris, D. Fornari, C. Van Dover, K. Von Damm, M. K. Tivey, D. Colodner, J.-L. Charlou, D. Desonie, C. Wilson, Y. Fouquet, G. Klinkhammer and H. Bougault, 1997. Hydrothermal vents near a mantle hot spot: the Lucky Strike vent field at 37°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 148(1- 2):69-91. K. D. Malloy, M. A. Holman, D. Mitchell and H. W. Detrich III, 1997. Solar UVB-induced DNA damage and photoenzymatic DNA repair in antarctic zooplankton. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 94(4):1258-1263. D. O'Brien, M. Carton, D. Eardly and J. W. Patching, 1998. In situ filtration and preliminary molecular analysis of microbial biomass from the Rainbow hydrothermal plume at 36°15´N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 157(3-4):69-91. D. Perlman, 2000. Ancient organisms born in undersea inferno: a "medieval version of hell" as cradle of life. San Francisco Chronicle. P. B. Price, 2000. A habitat for psychrophiles in deep Antarctic ice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 97(3):1247-1251. S. Taggart, 2000. New find proves life can thrive in hostile conditions. Space.com. Articles on human space exploration and the microgravity environment http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s3.html P. Hoversten, 2000. Mars water could sustain human colonies. Space.com. Astrobiology and extreme environments book list http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/astrobiology_b ooks.html J. Achenbach, 1999. Captured by Aliens: The Search for Life and Truth in a Very Large Universe. Simon & Schuster, New York. M. Allaby and J. E. Lovelock, 1984. The Greening of Mars. St. Martins Press, New York. A. P. Boss, 1998. Looking for Earths: The Race to Find New Solar Systems. John Wiley & Sons, New York. B. Bova, B. Preiss and W. R. Alschuler (eds.), 1999. Are We Alone in the Cosmos? The Search for Alien Contact in the New Millennium. Ibooks. S. S. Butcher, R. J. Charleson, G. Orians and G. V. Wolfe, 1992. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. Academic Press, Boston. W. L. Chameides and E. M. Perdue, 1997. Biogeochemical Cycles: A Computer-Interactive Study of Earth System Science and Global Change. Oxford University Press, Oxford. K. Croswell, 1998. Planet Quest: The Epic Discovery of Alien Solar Systems. Oxford University Press, Oxford. P. M. Dauber and R. A. Muller, 1997. The Three Big Bangs: Comet Crashes, Exploding Stars, and the Creation of the Universe. Perseus Books, New York. P. Davies, 1996. Are We Alone? Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life. Basic Books, New York. D. W. Deamer and G. R. Fleischaker, 1994. Origins of Life: The Central Concepts. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Boston. D. G. Duemler, 1993. Bringing Life to the Stars. University Press of America, Lanham. C. De Duve, 1996. Vital Dust: Life As a Cosmic Imperative. Basic Books, New York. J. J. R. Frausto Da Silva and R. J. P. Williams, 1994. The Biological Chemistry of the Elements: The Inorganic Chemistry of Life. Clarendon Press, Oxford. E. I. Friedmann, 1993. Antarctic Microbiology. John Wiley & Sons, New York. D. Goldsmith and J. Lomberg, 1997. Worlds Unnumbered: The Search for Extrasolar Planets. University Science Books, Sausalito. D. Goldsmith and T. Owen, 1992. The Search for Life in the Universe. Addison-Wesley Publishing, Reading. W. J. Green and E. I. Friedmann, 1993. Physical and Biogeochemical Processes in Antarctic Lakes. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC. A. A. Harrison, 1997. After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life. Perseus Books, New York. A. A. Hoffmann and P. A. Parsons, 1997. Extreme Environmental Change and Evolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. F. Hoyle and N. C. Wickramasinghe, 1999. Astronomical Origins of Life - Steps Towards Panspermia. Kluwer Academic Press, Boston. J. B. Kaler, 1997. Cosmic Clouds: Birth, Death, and Recycling in the Galaxy. Scientific American Liberary/W. H. Freeman & Co., New York. M. D. Lemonick, 1998. Other Worlds: The Search for Life in the Universe. Simon & Schuster, New York. S. Levay and D. W. Koerner, 2000. Here Be Dragons: The Scientific Quest for Extraterrestrial Life. Oxford University Press, Oxford. J. E. Lovelock, 1987. Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth. Oxford University Press, Oxford. J. E. Lovelock, 1990. The Ages of Gaia: A Biography of Our Living Earth. Bantam Books, New York. L. Margulis and D. Sagan, 1997. Microcosmos: Four Billion Years of Evolution from Our Microbial Ancestors. University of California Press, Berkeley. H. J. Melosh, 1997. Origins of Planets and Life. Annual Reviews, Palo Alto. D. Morrison, 1993. Exploring Planetary Worlds. Scientific American Library/W. H. Freeman, New York. M. D. Papagiannis (ed.), 1980. Strategies for the Search for Life in the Universe. Kluwer Academic Press, Boston. B. R. Parker, 1998. Alien Life: The Search for Extraterrestrials and Beyond. Perseus Books, New York. I. Peterson, 1993. Newton's Clock: Chaos in the Solar System. W. H. Freeman, New York. M. B. Rambler, L. Margulis and L. Fester, 1989. Global Ecology: Towards a Science of the Biosphere. Academic Press, Boston. C. Ryan, 1995. The Pre-Astronauts: Manned Ballooning on the Threshold of Space. United States Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. C. Sagan, 1983. Cosmos. Random House. C. Sagan and I. S. Shklovskii, 1998. Intelligent Life in the Universe. Emerson-Adams Press. M. T. Savage, 1994. The Millennial Project: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps. Little Brown, Boston. S. H. Schneider and P. J. Boston (eds.), 1991. Scientists on Gaia. MIT Press, Cambridge. SETI Institute, 1997. Project Haystack: The Search for Life in the Galaxy. Teacher Ideas Press, Englewood. R. Shapiro, 1999. Planetary Dreams: The Quest to Discover Life Beyond Earth. John Wiley & Sons, New York. L. Smolin, 1997. The Life of the Cosmos. Oxford University Press, Oxford. D. W. Swift, 1990. SETI Pioneers: Scientists Talk About Their Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. C. L. Van Dover, 1996. The Octopus's Garden: Hydrothermal Vents and Other Mysteries of the Deep Sea. Addison-Wesley Publishing, Reading. C. L. Van Dover, 1997. Deep-Ocean Journeys: Discovering New Life at the Bottom of the Sea. Perseus Press, New York. C. L. Van Dover, 2000. The Ecology of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents. Princeton University Press, Princeton. T. Volk, 1998. Gaia's Body. Copernicus Books, New York. M. Walter, 1999. The Search for Life on Mars. Perseus Books, Cambridge. D. C. B. Whittet, 1997. Planetary and Interstellar Processes Relevant to the Origins of Life. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. R. J. P. Williams and J. R. R. Frausto Da Silva, 1996. The Natural Selection of the Chemical Elements: The Environment and Life's Chemistry. Clarendon Press, Oxford. --------------------------------------------------------------------- GALILEO MILLENNIUM MISSION STATUS JPL release 19 June 2000 NASA's Galileo spacecraft has left the powerful influence of Jupiter's magnetosphere, marking the first time since early 1996 that Galileo has been outside Jupiter's magnetic area. The spacecraft has now entered the solar wind, which is a stream of particles emitted continually from the Sun that flows at roughly 400 kilometers per second (about 1 million miles per hour.) This transition from the magnetosphere to the solar wind could be thought of as marking the beginning of the joint data gathering by the Galileo and Cassini spacecraft. Galileo will return close to Jupiter in October of this year, and Cassini is preparing to swing by Jupiter in December 2000 to slingshot toward Saturn. While both spacecraft are in Jupiter's neighborhood, their measurements will be compared to gain new understanding about how the solar wind changes as it flows outward near Jupiter's orbit. Later this year, the simultaneous, joint observations of the two spacecraft will allow investigators to discover more about how the solar wind influences Jupiter's magnetic field and the charged particles trapped within it. "One of the elements of study will be to try to determine the influence of the solar wind on Jupiter's magnetosphere," said Galileo Project Scientist Dr. Torrence Johnson. "We know from previous missions that the magnetosphere is affected by the solar wind-- expanding and contracting depending on solar wind conditions--but this will be new territory, an opportunity to find out exactly what the solar wind is doing to the magnetosphere." "We have now passed through the boundary of Jupiter's magnetosphere and look forward to studying its properties," said Dr. Margaret Kivelson, principal investigator for Galileo's magnetometer instrument at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles. "We know that the boundary has two components--the shock, which is like the sound barrier, and the magnetopause, where the direct influence of Jupiter's magnetic field ends. In the last week, Galileo passed though this boundary." In preparation for its observations of Jupiter, Cassini performed a flight path adjustment last week, on June 14. It is now on the path to fly by the huge planet and will be closest to Galileo at the end of December. This maneuver will also allow it to pass by Saturn's outermost moon, Phoebe, at a distance of 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles). Cassini will leave the solar wind and enter Jupiter's magnetosphere at the end of the year. Until then, Cassini will be analyzing cosmic dust and continuing to make fields and particles measurements. Additional information about the Galileo mission is available at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov, and information on the Cassini mission is at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/. Galileo has been orbiting Jupiter and its moons since December 7, 1995, and successfully completed its two-year primary mission on December 16, 1997. That was followed by a two-year extended mission which concluded in December 1999, and Galileo is now continuing its studies under yet another extension, called the Galileo Millennium Mission. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. Cassini is a joint mission of NASA, the European Space Agency and Italian Space Agency, and is managed by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. --------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK ON GALILEO JPL release 19-25 June 2000 The northern hemisphere's summer solstice finds the Galileo spacecraft still in orbit around Jupiter, approximately 10-1/2 years after having been launched from Earth in October 1989. This week's activity schedule for Galileo continues to hold a mix of real-time data gathering and data playback. These activities are interrupted twice this week to perform spacecraft maintenance. On Thursday, Galileo flushes out its propulsion lines, thus preventing debris accumulation. On Friday, the spacecraft performs a standard gyroscope performance test. Galileo's gyroscopes are used to control the spacecraft's orientation in space. Monday is the last day of data collection by the Dust Detector instrument (DDS). For the last few weeks, DSS has been mapping the distribution and character of dust streams emanating from the Jupiter system. Recent data analyses from previous Galileo data sets have shown that these dust streams emanate from Io and that their ultimate source is volcanic activity on Io's surface. The Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EUV) continues observing the Io torus, which is a ring- shaped cloud of plasma characterized by intense radiation. The region is created and maintained by a combination of Jupiter's powerful magnetic field and, again, volcanic activity on Io. With these data, scientists will continue to study the shape and energy output of the torus, and compare these characteristics with those seen in data accumulated over the past 41/2 years, starting from Galileo's arrival at Jupiter in December 1995. This week's data playback schedule returns observations taken by the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) and the Photopolarimeter Radiometer (PPR). The observations were taken during the spacecraft's February 22, 2000 flyby of Io, the closest-ever approach to the volcanic moon with a flyby altitude of 198 kilometers (123 miles). This was 102 kilometers (63 miles) closer than Galileo's previous Io flyby in November 1999. Three observations are returned this week. All of these contain PPR measurements, and two also contain data from NIMS. They focus on different volcanic regions on Io, with the last observation focusing on the Prometheus volcanic vent in particular. For more information on the Galileo spacecraft and its mission to Jupiter, please visit the Galileo home page at one of the following URL's: http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISS STATUS REPORT NASA JSC release 22 June 2000 International Space Station flight controllers continued preparations this week for the arrival of the Zvezda living quarters module, expected to launch in the next few weeks. Controllers sent commands to the Station Tuesday night to begin transferring onboard propellant to the appropriate fuel tanks for the upcoming rendezvous and docking with Zvezda. The procedure will have moved about 1,650 pounds of propellant between tanks on the Station when completed on Friday. Early next week, tests of the automatic docking system aboard the Station will be conducted and the Station will be commanded through a type of rendezvous and docking rehearsal. Zvezda remains tentatively planned for a launch sometime between July 10-12 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. On Monday, United States and Russian station managers will convene in Moscow for a General Designer's Review, a thorough review of the Zvezda module's readiness for flight, following which a launch date is expected to be announced. The Station continues to operate well and flight controllers have noted no problems with any systems onboard. The International Space Station is in an orbit with a high point of 245 statute miles and a low point of 230 statute miles (394 x 371 kilometers), circling Earth every 92 minutes. The next Mission Control Center ISS Status Report regarding on-orbit activities will be issued June 29. For further information, please contact the NASA Public Affairs Office at the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, 281-483-5111. --------------------------------------------------------------------- End Marsbugs, Volume 7, Number 24.