MARSBUGS: The Electronic Astrobiology Newsletter Volume 8, Number 38, 8 October 2001. Editors: Dr. David J. Thomas, Science 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 monthly 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://welcome.to/marsbugs. 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, the biology of terrestrial extreme environments, planetary biology, primordial evolution, space physiology, biological life support systems, and human habitation of space and other planets. _____________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS 1) SCIENTISTS TOAST THE DISCOVERY OF VINYL ALCOHOL IN INTERSTELLAR SPACE NRAO release 2) RETURNING ROCKS FROM MARS: THE LATEST PLANS By Leonard David 3) NIAC PHASE I CALL FOR PROPOSALS, CP 01-02 By Robert A. Cassanova 4) OUTER SPACE CONTINUES TO INSPIRE, PROVIDE BENEFITS TO ALL HUMANITY, ANNAN SAYS United Nations release 5) "LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE" TO BE TOPIC OF UPCOMING ASTRONOMY TALK NASA/ARC release 01-71AR 6) ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THE 33RD LPSC By Carl Agee and David C. Black 7) NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY INDEX By David J. Thomas 8) CASSINI WEEKLY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS NASA/JPL release 9) ISS STATUS REPORT NASA/JSC release 10) MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR STATUS REPORT NASA/JSC release 11) TOP 25 TES SCIENCE RESULTS NASA/JPL release 12) STARDUST STATUS REPORT NASA/JPL release _____________________________________________________________________ SCIENTISTS TOAST THE DISCOVERY OF VINYL ALCOHOL IN INTERSTELLAR SPACE NRAO release 1 October 2001 Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's 12-Meter Telescope at Kitt Peak, AZ, have discovered the complex organic molecule vinyl alcohol in an interstellar cloud of dust and gas near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The discovery of this long- sought compound could reveal tantalizing clues to the mysterious origin of complex organic molecules in space. "The discovery of vinyl alcohol is significant," said Barry Turner, a scientist at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Va., "because it gives us an important tool for understanding the formation of complex organic compounds in interstellar space. It may also help us better understand how life might arise elsewhere in the Cosmos." Vinyl alcohol is an important intermediary in many organic chemistry reactions on Earth, and the last of the three stable members of the C2H4O group of isomers (molecules with the same atoms, but in different arrangements) to be discovered in interstellar space. Turner and his colleague A. J. Apponi of the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory in Tucson detected the vinyl alcohol in Sagittarius B--a massive molecular cloud located some 26,000 light- years from Earth near the center of our Galaxy. The astronomers were able to detect the specific radio signature of vinyl alcohol during the observational period of May and June of 2001. Their results have been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Of the approximately 125 molecules detected in interstellar space, scientists believe that most are formed by gas-phase chemistry, in which smaller molecules (and occasionally atoms) manage to "lock horns" when they collide in space. This process, though efficient at creating simple molecules, cannot explain how vinyl alcohol and other complex chemicals are formed in detectable amounts. For many years now, scientists have been searching for the right mechanism to explain how the building blocks for vinyl alcohol and other chemicals are able to form the necessary chemical bonds to make larger molecules--those containing as many as six or more atoms. "It has been an ongoing quest to understand exactly how these more complex molecules form and become distributed throughout the interstellar medium," said Turner. Since the 1970s, scientists have speculated that molecules could form on the microscopic dust grains in interstellar clouds. These dust grains are thought to trap the fast-moving molecules. The surface of these grains would then act as a catalyst, similar to a car's catalytic converter, and enable the chemical reactions that form vinyl alcohol and the other complex molecules. The problem with this theory, however, is that the newly formed molecules would remain trapped on the dust grains at the low temperature characteristic of most of interstellar space, and the energy necessary to "knock them off" would also be strong enough to break the chemical bonds that formed them. "This last process has not been well understood," explained Turner. "The current theory explains well how molecules like vinyl alcohol could form, but it doesn't address how these new molecules are liberated from the grains where they are born." To better understand how this might be accomplished, the scientists considered the volatile and highly energetic region of space where these molecules were detected. Turner and others speculate that since this cloud lies near an area of young, energetic star formation, the energy from these stars could evaporate the icy surface layers of the grains. This would liberate the molecules from their chilly nurseries, depositing them into interstellar space where they can be detected by sensitive radio antennas on Earth. Astronomers are able to detect the faint radio signals that these molecules emit as they jump between quantum energy states in the act of rotating or vibrating. Turner cautions, however, that even though this discovery has shed new light on how certain highly complex species form in space, the final answer is still not in hand. "Although vinyl alcohol and its isomeric partners may well have formed on grains," said Turner "another important possibility has been found. The grain evaporative processes near star formation appear to release copious amounts of somewhat simpler molecules such as formaldehyde (H2CO) and methanol (CH3OH), which may be reacting in the gas phase to produce detectable amounts of vinyl alcohol and its isomers." A program to search for other families of isomers is planned, which the astronomers believe could distinguish between these two possibilities. The astronomers used 2- and 3-mm band radio frequencies to make their observations with the 12-Meter Telescope. This telescope was taken off-line by the NRAO to make way for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, and is now operated by the Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona. Built in 1967, the telescope has had a long and productive history in detecting molecules in space. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. Image caption: [http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/pr/vinyl_alcohol.jpg] Vinyl alcohol and its fellow isomers. Contact: Charles Blue, Public Information Officer National Radio Astronomy Observatory 520 Edgemont Road Charlottesville, VA 22903 Phone: 434-296-0323 E-mail: cblue@nrao.edu http://www.nrao.edu _____________________________________________________________________ RETURNING ROCKS FROM MARS: THE LATEST PLANS By Leonard David From Space.com 1 October 2001 The robotic reach to the Red Planet includes grabbing, bagging and then shipping Martian soil and rocks back to Earth. But bringing home the goods, Mars style, is neither easy nor cheap to do. In terms of engineering difficulty, some officials call it "Apollo without astronauts." For years, NASA has wrestled with numerous cash and carry concepts to return chunks of the extraterrestrial terra firma, enough material so electron-microscope peering scientists can get a hands-on feel for Mars. Scrutiny of those bits and pieces may well reveal a message of life. Whether it’s old news or a fresh communiqué from the Sun’s fourth planet is part of the allure. Bolstered by the purported finding of microfossils in Mars meteorite ALH 84001, top NASA officials once ballyhooed plans to have Martian material here on Earth by 2005. That enthusiasm was squashed with the back-to-back Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander losses. Now under way is another look at how best to return Martian samples to Earth. Industry and NASA teams are scoping out a strategy to scoop up a healthy serving of Mars and lob it our way. On the table is a novel approach to utilize the space shuttle as part of the Mars- to-Earth transportation link. Get the full story at http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/missions/marssample_return_01100 1-1.html. _____________________________________________________________________ NIAC PHASE I CALL FOR PROPOSALS, CP 01-02 By Robert A. Cassanova 2 October 2001 The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) has released the next Phase I Call for Proposals, CP 01-02. The due date for submission of proposals is midnight, February 11, 2002. You may view and download CP 01-02 from the NIAC web site at http://www.niac.usra.edu/files/call/CP_01_02/CP_01-02.pdf. The NIAC home page is located at http://www.niac.usra.edu. This release of the NIAC Phase I Call for Proposals is a continuation of the process to identify and nurture revolutionary advanced concepts that may have a significant impact on the future of aeronautics and space. I invite you to respond with innovative and technically credible advanced concepts that will help to redefine the possible in aeronautics and space. You should check the NIAC web site periodically to receive any updates or additional guidance regarding CP01-02. The NIAC is particularly interested in receiving proposals for innovative and visionary concepts from disciplines that are normally focused on non-aerospace endeavors and may have the potential for innovative application in the aerospace sector. These concepts may be emerging at the interface of traditional disciplines where innovation often springs forth in non-aerospace fields. Please forward all correspondence to questions@niac.usra.edu. _____________________________________________________________________ OUTER SPACE CONTINUES TO INSPIRE, PROVIDE BENEFITS TO ALL HUMANITY, ANNAN SAYS United Nations release 4 October 2001 As outer space exploration continues to inspire people and lead to technologies that can benefit all people, World Space Week [http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/wsw/index.html] was an occasion to "rededicate ourselves to sharing those inspirations and discoveries with all humanity," Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today. "Space is a part of the world's cultural heritage," Mr. Annan said in a message marking the annual observance of World Space Week, which runs from today to 10 October. "It has inspired generations of artists, poets, scientists and musicians. Throughout history, societies have admired and searched for meaning in the same night sky." Space exploration can even help bring cultures together, the Secretary-General noted, as today's manned space missions were rarely top-secret national projects. "Much more common are international crews, with members from a variety of backgrounds," he said. "Their missions capture the imaginations not only of their native lands, but of people around the world." Meanwhile, space technology has produced tools that were transforming weather forecasting, environmental protection, humanitarian assistance, education, medicine, agriculture and a wide range of other activities. "And, of course, a fascination with space leads many young people to pursue careers in science and technology, helping developing countries in particular to build up their human resources, improve their technological base and enhance their prospects for development," the Secretary-General said. World Space Week, which this year has the theme, "Inspiration from Space," marks the launching of the Sputnik-1 satellite in 1957 and the entry into force of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and will be celebrated in at least 20 countries. _____________________________________________________________________ "LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE" TO BE TOPIC OF UPCOMING ASTRONOMY TALK NASA/ARC release 01-71AR 5 October 2001 Life in the universe--what scientists mean by "life", the search for life and what life forms might exist in the universe--will be the topic of a free, non-technical talk next Wednesday, October 10, at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA. Chris Chyba, Ph.D., of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute and Stanford University, will give an illustrated talk about "Life in the Universe: Is It Just Around the Corner?" It will be the opening talk in this year's Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, which is co- sponsored by NASA's Ames Research Center, Foothill College's Division of Physical Science, Mathematics and Engineering, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the SETI Institute. Chyba will discuss what scientists today mean by life, what familiar and unfamiliar forms of life might be found in the universe, and just where and how we propose to look for life beyond the Earth. Admission is free and the public is invited. Chyba holds the Carl Sagan Chair for the Study of Life in the Universe at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif. He also serves as an associate professor at Stanford, where he is co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation. He was on the White House national security staff from 1993-1995, working on issues related to science and technology. Both his research and teaching focus on the scientific search for life beyond Earth. Chyba recently headed the NASA committee to define the type of probe to send to explore Jupiter's mysterious moon Europa, which may harbor an underground ocean. NASA's astrobiology program pursues the cross-disciplinary study of life in the universe. Astrobiology addresses many fundamental questions about the origin, distribution and future of life in the universe. Ames Research Center is NASA's Center of Excellence for astrobiology and manages the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). The NAI, with central administrative offices at Ames, represents a partnership between NASA and a number of academic and other research organizations to promote, conduct and lead integrated multidisciplinary astrobiology research. The Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series is held at Foothill College's Smithwick Theater in Los Altos Hills. From Interstate 280, exit at El Monte Road and travel west to the campus. Visitors must purchase a required campus parking permit for $2. A unit of Foothill College academic credit will be available for those who attend all six lectures in the 2001-2002 series and write a short paper. Material for registering for the Astronomy 36 course will be available at the lecture October 10. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Children over the age of 13 are welcome. More information is available by calling the series hotline at 650/949-7888. Contact: Ann Hutchison NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA Phone: 650-604-3039 or 650-604-9000) E-mail: ahutchison@mail.arc.nasa.gov _____________________________________________________________________ ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THE 33RD LPSC By Carl Agee and David C. Black, Co-chairs, LPSC 5 October 2001 The events of September 11, 2001, have affected all of us in one way or another. Some of the effects will be short-term, transitory phenomena. Others effects may have longer-term implications. Those of us who share the fruits of our labor and exciting new ideas with our colleagues at scientific meetings will find that our past experience with travel may not be what we have in the future. We may also find that large, international meetings at government laboratories become difficult, perhaps even impossible, at least in the short term. Unfortunately, this is the case for the 33rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Because of security procedures that are now in place at the Johnson Space Center, and the uncertainty as to when those would be relaxed to a point that we could run the LPSC as we have in the past, we must change the venue of the Conference. This year the LPSC, both oral and poster sessions, will be held at the South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center, which is located almost directly across Clear Lake from JSC. Another consequence of this change is that we will have to move the time of the LPSC back one week. The new dates for the LPSC are March 11-15, 2002. The second announcement and additional logistical information should be available no later than October 12 on the meeting web site (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2002). It is our hope and expectation that steps will be taken at JSC to permit easier public access to the Gilruth Center by the time of the 34th LPSC. We regret any inconvenience that these changes may cause, but hope that you will bear with us, and more importantly, with the LPI staff as they adjust on the fly to what is a major logistical change. _____________________________________________________________________ NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY INDEX By David J. Thomas http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/astrobiology.h tml 8 October 2001 Articles about astrobiology, exobiology and terraformation http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s1.html L. David, 2001. Returning rocks from Mars: the latest plans. Space.com. _____________________________________________________________________ CASSINI WEEKLY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS NASA/JPL release 27 September - 3 October 2001 The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired from the Goldstone tracking station on Saturday, September 29. The Cassini spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and is operating normally. Information on the spacecraft's position and speed can be viewed on the "Present Position" web page at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/english/where/. Recent instrument activities include a Radio and Plasma Wave Science High Frequency Receiver calibration, and the second in a series of Cosmic Dust Analyzer noise evaluations. Engineering activities taking place onboard the spacecraft this week included further Attitude Control Subsystem deadband testing, which will provide more data for a trade study on hydrazine consumption for two different Reaction Control Subsystem deadband settings. The Cassini program hosted the kickoff meeting of the Huygens Mission Recovery Team on September 27-28. This meeting begins the second phase of the recovery effort wherein the results of the Huygens Recovery Task Force are implemented along with the accompanying detailed analyses. The team allocated the remaining work to the supporting technical sites and developed a schedule for the effort. One outcome of the work plan is the long-term collocation of several Huygens personnel at JPL. This will considerably increase the efficiency of the iterative work between the two programs. The next meeting will be held at JPL in December. The Project Briefing for the C30 Science Planning Team sequence product was held this week, and the sequence was approved for implementation. Due to the high workload of supporting the various tour planning activities, this cruise sequence was constrained not to have any observations that require turning the spacecraft, greatly simplifying implementation. The Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) teams analysis of the C28 timing test data shows that the new VIMS Flight Software Version 4.2 is performing as expected. The SCO delivered Version 7.0 of the Cassini Spacecraft Analysis System. This version contains significant upgrades to the Kinematic Prediction Tool/Inertial Vector Propagator software, which will support the Science Operations Plan (SOP) development. A workshop was held this week to train Cassini Project members in the use of the Pointing Design Tool (PDT) and Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA) software sets. Forty individuals from six different countries were on hand for this five-day workshop, including personnel from ten Instrument Teams, the Huygens Probe, Science Planning and the Spacecraft Operations Office (SCO). Developed by JPL Deep Space Mission Services in conjunction with Cassini Uplink Operations (ULO), SOA allows investigators to perform high-level science planning and identify key opportunities to perform science observations. PDT is being developed by ULO and is used to design detailed observations. When used in operations, this software outputs files that are incorporated into the sequences to be flown aboard the spacecraft. Mission Sequence Subsystem (MSS) has held several meetings to define the MSS D8 delivery scope. Participation by Science, Science Planning, System Engineering and Coordination, and SCO personnel have helped significantly in refining the target capabilities the MSS implement to support the SOP effort. Mission Assurance has reviewed the JPL Design Principles with respect to Cassini Mission Operations and Data Analysis (MO&DA). A matrix has been produced that documents which principles apply to MO&DA and of these whether Cassini is compliant or non-compliant. The matrix has been reviewed by the SCO and will be released to the Cassini Electronic Library shortly. Cassini is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA, manages the Cassini mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. _____________________________________________________________________ ISS STATUS REPORT NASA/JSC release 3 October 2001 The International Space Station's Expedition Three crew--Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin--is spending the week preparing for the first of three spacewalks next Monday to outfit the new Pirs Docking Compartment and to attach scientific experiments to the outside of the Zvezda Service Module. The first spacewalk by Dezhurov and Tyurin is scheduled to begin around 10:00 AM Eastern time on Monday to hook up a cable between Pirs and Zvezda for telemetry and data transmission from Russian Orlan spacesuits, and to attach handrails, an access ladder and a cargo boom to Pirs, which serves as both a docking port for future Russian spacecraft arriving at the Station, and as an airlock for spacewalks out of the Russian segment of the outpost. Dezhurov and Tyurin will conduct a second spacewalk on October 15 and Culbertson and Dezhurov will perform a third excursion outside the Station on November 5 to complete the outfitting of Pirs. Dezhurov, who conducted five previous spacewalks on the Mir Space Station in 1995, and Tyurin, who will be making his first spacewalk, checked out their suits, communications gear and spacewalking tools this week and reviewed plans and timelines. This will be the first external spacewalk staged from the Station without the presence of a visiting Space Shuttle and the 27th spacewalk in support of the assembly of the complex. On Monday, Dezhurov and Tyurin will close hatches between the Zvezda Service Module Transfer Compartment to which Pirs is docked, and Zvezda's living quarters and the Zarya module prior to depressurizing Pirs for the first time Monday morning. Dezhurov, who will wear the Orlan spacesuit bearing the red stripes, and Tyurin, who will the suit with the blue stripes, will then float out of one of two hatches on Pirs to begin their initial spacewalk. Culbertson will monitor the spacewalk from inside Zarya, to which the Soyuz return craft is attached. He will have access to the U.S. modules to the Station during the spacewalk, but not to Zvezda. The spacewalk is expected to last at least 4.5 hours. The new Docking Compartment will be used for the first time on Oct. 19, when the crew temporarily leaves the Station and boards its Soyuz rescue craft to relocate it from its current docked position on the nadir port of the Zarya module to the Pirs. The undocking and redocking of the Soyuz is expected to take about an hour to complete. That will set the stage for the launch of a fresh Soyuz return craft on October 21 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A taxi crew consisting of Commander Victor Afanasyev, Flight Engineer Konstantin Kozeev and Flight Engineer Claudie Haignere of CNES, the French Space Agency, will arrive at the station October 23 for an eight-day stay and will return to Earth on October 31 aboard the Soyuz currently at the Station. The orbiting trio also continued a variety of scientific investigations this week as they moved into the second half of their four-month stay on orbit. Oversight of science investigations on the station from the ground is handled by the Payload Operations Center at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The Human Research Facility is managed by the Johnson Space Center. Details on ISS science operations can be found at the center's web site at http://www.scipoc.msfc.nasa.gov. With all of its systems operating in good shape, the station is orbiting at an average altitude of 240 statute miles (385 km). For additional information, including sighting opportunities from anywhere on the Earth, visit http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/. Spacewalk coverage on NASA TV from the Johnson Space Center will begin at 9:30 AM EDT on Monday, October 8. NASA Television is available on GE-2, Transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, vertical polarization, with a frequency of 3880 MHz, and audio of 6.8 MHz. The next ISS status report will be issued on Monday, October 8, after the spacewalk by Dezhurov and Tyurin, or earlier, if events warrant. _____________________________________________________________________ MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR STATUS REPORT NASA/JSC release 3 October 2001 Launch/Days since Launch = November 7, 1996 / 1792 days Start of Mapping/Days since Start of Mapping = April 1, 1999 / 916 days Total Mapping Orbits = 11,498 Total Orbits = 13,181 Recent events The spacecraft is operating nominally in performing daily recording and transmission of science data. The mm153 sequence has performed well since it started 01-256 (9/13/01). It terminates on 01-290 (10/17/01). Three Roll Only Targeted Observations (ROTOs) were performed this past week. All three occurred during scheduled communications orbits. Previously, MGS had been restricted to performing ROTOs only during non-communications orbits. This new capability of performing ROTOs during communications orbits will allow MGS to perform ROTOs during the Odyssey aerobraking support phase, when MGS has 24 hours of DSN coverage each day. MGS has completed 201 ROTOs to date. Spacecraft health All subsystems report good health and status. The MOLA instrument team has completed their investigation of the MOLA anomaly of 01-181 (6/30/01). The collective results from the instrument tests indicate the anomaly was caused by an interruption of the 100-MHz signal from the precision oscillator in the MOLA altimeter electronics. Without the oscillator signal, the 10-Hz laser trigger signal cannot occur and the laser cannot fire. All testing since July 2001 shows that the instrument responds properly to commanding and that all other parts of the MOLA are operating normally. The diagnostic tests also demonstrated that the MOLA is fully capable of continuing to collect data in passive radiometer mode. Uplinks There have been 19 uplinks to the spacecraft during the past week, including new star catalogs and ephemeris files, instrument command loads, and the MZ137 and MZ138 ROTO mini-sequences. 5,790 command files have been radiated to the spacecraft since launch. Upcoming events A Solar Array (SA) and High Gain Antenna (HGA) flexible modes baseline diagnostic test will be performed on 01-278 (10/05/01). It is designated MZ139. Performing this test periodically should give us insight into any additional SA hinge or HGA gimbal degradation, if it occurs. Five MOC defocus calibrations will be performed between 01-281 (10/8/01) and 01-289 (10/16/01). A fifth and final MOLA diagnostic test will be conducted on 01-283 (10/10/01) after which the MOLA will be left on to operate in passive radiometer mode. _____________________________________________________________________ TOP 25 TES SCIENCE RESULTS NASA/JPL release http://tes.asu.edu/top25.html TES is both an instrument and a technique. The Thermal Emission Spectrometer is a scientific instrument that first flew aboard the Mars Observer spacecraft. Following the loss of that spacecraft, TES was rebuilt and launched along with five of the original seven Mars Observer instruments aboard the new Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. The purpose of TES is to measure the thermal infrared energy (heat) emitted from Mars. This technique, called thermal emission spectroscopy, can tell us much about the geology and atmosphere of Mars. TES data will provide the first detailed look at the composition of Mars. TES science results generally fall into one of four categories: surface mineralogy, polar processes, atmospheric processes, and thermophysical properties of the surface. Key surface mineralogy results include: 1. The mineralogy of volcanic materials varies from basaltic, composed of plagioclase, feldspar, clinopyroxene, olivine, plus/minus sheet silicates, to andesitic, dominated by plagioclase feldspar and high-silica volcanic glass. The basalts occur primarily in the ancient, southern hemisphere highlands, and the andesites occur primarily in the younger northern plains. 2. The spectra from dark regions closely match both the spectral shape and contrast of particulate samples of terrestrial rocks. 3. No unusual particle size or other environmental effects are observed, nor are required, to account for the spectra observed for Mars. 4. Aqueous mineralization has occurred in limited regions under ambient or hydrothermal conditions. Gray, crystalline hematite is found in three locations that are interpreted to be in-place sedimentary rock formations. These units provide evidence for the long-term stability of liquid water near the surface of Mars. 5. No evidence for carbonates has been found. Arguments can be made for the failure to detect these minerals, but we can conclude that large-scale (10's of km), coarse-grained (>50 micron) deposits of >~10% carbonates are not currently exposed at the Martian surface. This lack of detection is consistent with many models for early Mars in which large volumes of carbonates never formed. 6. Olivine has been identified and mapped in specific locations in the basaltic terrains at abundances up to 15-20%. 7. Unweathered volcanic minerals (pyroxene, feldspar, and minor olivine) dominate the spectral properties of Martian dark regions. Conversely, no evidence has been found for weathering products above the TES detection limit. This lack of evidence for chemical weathering of the Martian surface indicates a geologic history dominated by a cold, dry climate in which mechanical weathering was the dominant form of erosion. 8. The composition of "White Rock" appears to match that of typical Martian dust. Many other unique surfaces remain to be investigated. Key polar conclusions include: 9. CO2 condensation occurs in three forms: fine-grained, coarse grained, and slab ice; the form can change in a few days. Most condensation occurs at the surface, not in the atmosphere. Slab ice is the prevalent form in the outer regions of the forming cap, and persists until shortly after seasonal sunrise. 10. The interiors of the seasonal caps are characterized by spatially non-uniform behavior, with several small, unique regions. Comparisons with Viking observations indicate little difference in the seasonal cycle 12 Martian years later. The observed radiation balance indicates CO2 sublimation budgets of up to 1250 kg m-2. 11. For most of the seasonal cap, while kinetic temperatures remain near the CO2 frost point, albedos increase slowly with the rise of the Sun, then drop rapidly as the frost becomes patchy and disappears over a period of ~20 days. 12. A "cryptic" region in the south cap remains dark and mottled throughout its cold period. TES spectra indicate that the Cryptic region has much larger grained solid CO2 than the rest of the cap and that the solid CO2 here may be in the form of a slab. Although CO2 grain size may be the major difference between different regions, incorporated dust is also required to match the observations. 13. The Mountians of Mitchel remain cold and bright well after other areas at comparable latitude, apparently as a result of unusually small-sized CO2 frost grains. 14. Regional atmospheric dust is common; localized dust clouds are seen near the edge of the cap prior to the onset of a regional dust storm and interior to the cap during the storm. Key atmospheric science results include: 15. The life cycle of five regional dust storms has been observed. These storms have significant impact on the atmospheric temperature structure, increasing the temperature by up to 15 K to several scale heights. 16. Direct heating of the atmosphere in one hemisphere can lead to an intensification of the Hadley cell circulation and produce a similar-scale heating of the atmosphere in the opposite hemisphere almost instantaneously. 17. The occurrence of water-ice clouds is highly sensitive to atmospheric temperatures, and heating by dust virtually removes water-ice clouds from a large portion of the planet for months. 18. Water-ice clouds have a seasonal cycle as distinctive as the dust seasonal cycle. In aphelion (northern summer) season, an equatorial cloud belt is observed between 10 degrees south and 30 degrees north, where upward motion of the Hadley circulation is expected. At all seasons (except during regional dust storms) clouds are common near large topography (Tharsis, Alba Patera, and Elysium). 19. The thermal structure of the atmosphere is observed to warm and cool according to season and distance from the Sun. Maximum atmospheric temperatures are found at the south pole at southern hemisphere solstice. 20. The Hadley circulation changes from a (nearly) symetrical two- cell configuration at equinox to one cross-equatorial cell at solstice. 21. At solstice the steep temperature gradient between the descending branch of the hadley cell and the polar night produces a strong eastward jet of winds or polar vortext with velocities approaching 160 m s-1. 22. Waves are common throughout the atmosphere and are especially strong in the winter mid-latitudes. Zonal wavenumber 2 dominates at lower altitudes while zonal wavenumber 1 becomes stronger at higher altitudes. Key surface physical property results include: 23. A third inertia-albedo mode, corresponding to intermediate inertia and albedo values, has been identified using high-resolution albedo and temperature TES data. This distinct unit is separate from the low-inertia/bright, and high-inertia/dark regions discovered previously. It may consist of a bonded, duricrust unit. 24. Localized regions of high inertia (greater than 800 J m-2 K-1 s- 1/2) are identified in TES data. These low-lying surfaces, e.g., channel and crater floors, may have formed by a combination of aeolian, fluvial, or erosional processes, or may be exposed bedrock. 25. More results arriving soon... _____________________________________________________________________ STARDUST STATUS REPORT NASA/JPL release 5 October 2001 There were two Deep Space Network (DSN) tracking passes in the past week and all subsystems are performing normally. Data sent back from the spacecraft showed that the large solar flare last week caused forty-four star camera outages of up to 25 seconds, compared to only one or two normal outages per week of less than 5 seconds. The on- board fault protection is designed to handle an outage of up to five minutes. Stardust is currently at 2.35 AU from the Sun, the furthest any solar-powered spacecraft has flown. Next April, Stardust will be 2.72 AU from the Sun and the power subsystem was designed to have margin at this distance. The battery operating points of maximum state of charge and state (SOC) of charge level to trigger recharge were increased for the upcoming deep space operations. The pre- launch battery design value was 34 volts at full charge while we are now operating at about 32 volts, still providing margin at this large distance from the Sun. Previously, when the battery SOC reached 100%, the battery was allowed to discharge until the SOC reached 95%. At 95% SOC the battery was then commanded to re-charge back to 100% using a trickle charge (0.125 amps). This 5% discharge helps keep the battery cells active and in good condition during normal cruise. The operating points of the battery were changed to provide additional capacity and voltage by increasing the upper SOC limit to 108%. The battery now cycles between 108% and 107%. The battery voltage increased to 32.1 volts and the SOC was at 107.3% by the end of the DSN pass. It is anticipated the average battery voltage will be 32 volts, providing additional power. The small depth of discharge is not a concern, as the battery will be heavily used to provide power during DSN passes for the next year. Next April when Stardust is at maximum distance from the Sun, the maximum communication time is expected to be just over two hours and will leave the battery SOC at 60%, keeping the battery cells alive and in good condition. On-board fault protection is design to take action only if the SOC reaches 50%. There was an excellent collaboration between Stardust and Deep Space 1 as it successfully flew by the Comet Borrelly. Stardust shares the optical navigator and flight software being used aboard both spacecraft to track the comet nucleus during flyby. This worked exceptionally well, as the exciting images returned by DS1 showed. Also, Stardust's project scientist, responsible for computing the cometary dust environment and nucleus brightness for choosing camera exposure times, performed these functions for Borrelly, supporting the DS1 science and navigation team. Stardust has gained valuable flight experience from this collaboration and is now better prepared for its Comet Wild 2 encounter in 2004. For more information on the Stardust mission--the first ever comet sample return mission--please visit the Stardust home page at http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov. _____________________________________________________________________ End Marsbugs, Volume 8, Number 38.