MARSBUGS: The Electronic Astrobiology Newsletter Volume 9, Number 15, 15 April 2002. 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. Information concerning the scope of this newsletter, subscription formats and availability of back-issues is available from the Marsbugs web page at http://welcome.to/marsbugs or http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/marsbugs/marsbugs.html. _____________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS 1) STRENGTHENING CASE FOR LIFE ON MARS University of Newcastle upon Tyne release 2) SPACE STATION AGENCIES MAY AXE CREW "LIFEBOAT" From Agence France-Presse and SpaceDaily 3) GREENHOUSE FOR A RED PLANET By Keith Cowing 4) SOCIAL SCIENTISTS PREPARE FOR ASTEROID IMPACTS: ANY INTELLIGENT LIFE WOULD By Douglas Vakoch 5) LONG-TERM BED REST STUDY: SECOND PERIOD 22 MARCH - 27 JULY 2002 ESA release 26-2002 6) ADMINISTRATOR UNVEILS FUTURE NASA VISION AND A RENEWED JOURNEY OF LEARNING NASA release 02-66 7) NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY INDEX By David J. Thomas 8) CASSINI SIGNIFICANT EVENTS NASA/JPL release 9) MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR STATUS REPORT NASA/JPL release 10) MARS ODYSSEY THEMIS IMAGES Arizona State University release 11) STARDUST STATUS REPORT NASA/JPL release _____________________________________________________________________ STRENGTHENING CASE FOR LIFE ON MARS University of Newcastle upon Tyne release http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/content.phtml?ref=101 8284981 8 April 2002 When it was announced last month that the Mars Odyssey satellite had found water ice beneath the planet's frozen carbon dioxide south polar ice cap, Dr. Lidija Siller, a physicist from the University of Newcastle, was excited. "I believe that the data I have explains how this water became trapped underneath the surface", she says. Dr. Siller will be presenting the results of her research--which involves studying photochemical reactions in ice--at the Condensed Matter physics conference today, Monday 8 April, part of the Institute of Physics Congress in Brighton. Photochemical reactions are changes in the chemistry of a substance that occur when light is shone at it. On Mars, both ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun and low energy electrons can cause photochemical reactions in the carbon dioxide ice caps. The electrons are produced when high energy X-rays from the Sun fall on the ice. To replicate Martian conditions, Dr. Siller creates carbon dioxide ice in an ultra-high vacuum chamber that has been cooled to a very low temperature, then bombards this ice with beams of electrons or photons (tiny "particles" of light). When the electrons or photons hit the ice, they cause its molecules to split up. Any electrically charged atoms or molecules released by this photochemical process-- which would go into the atmosphere on Mars--are then detected via a device known as a mass spectrometer. In a recent experiment carried out before NASA announced its discovery, Siller looked for a way in which water might get under the Martian ice caps and remain undetected by many of the remote sensing techniques used to analyze planetary surfaces. She put water on top of the carbon dioxide ice, then fired electrons at it. If the water remained on top, its molecules would leave the ice after the electrons hit it. Although some water molecules were initially detected in the experiment, the rest seemed to disappear, suggesting the electrons were somehow driving the water beneath the surface. "Something happens to this water when I irradiate it with electrons. I believe that it is inter-diffusing into the ice," says Siller. "But more experiments should be done to prove this," she cautions. Electrons may not only be likely candidates for trapping the recently detected water on Mars below the surface of the south polar ice cap. If other experiments carried out by Siller are correct, then they [electron/photon irradiation] could also be a possible trigger for the formation of life on the planet. When she added some hydrogen to carbon dioxide ice and then bombarded it with low energy electrons, oxygen and formaldehyde were released. "This is the first step for life," she explains. Siller hopes to carry out further experiments to determine the precise chemical changes the electrons and photons are causing in the ice. The Institute of Physics is a leading international professional body and learned society with over 36,000 members, which promotes the advancement and dissemination of a knowledge of and education in the science of physics, pure and applied. An additional article on this subject is available at http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-life-02c.html. _____________________________________________________________________ SPACE STATION AGENCIES MAY AXE CREW "LIFEBOAT" From Agence France-Presse and SpaceDaily 9 April 2002 One of the planned lifeboats for crew of the International Space Station (ISS) could be axed due to NASA budget cuts, European space officials said Tuesday. That drastic choice is one of three options being mulled by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the national space agencies of Canada, Japan and Russia to tackle the ISS's cash crunch, the ESA officials said. ...NASA has overrun by around four billion dollars (4.5 billion euros) in its spending on the ISS and hopes to recuperate most of this by abandoning the CRV. The big problem, though, is that this would reduce the ISS crew from seven to only three--the maximum that could be taken back by a Russian Soyuz craft, the other form of permanent evacuation. ESA and the other non-US agencies raised howls of protest at the idea of a three-man permanent crew. Get the full story at http://spacedaily.com/news/020409155736.yw12labx.html. _____________________________________________________________________ GREENHOUSE FOR A RED PLANET By Keith Cowing 11 April 2002 SpaceRef Interactive Inc. today announced the donation of an experimental greenhouse to the SETI Institute's Center for the Study of Life in the Universe. The donation supports research activities on Devon Island, Nunavut, in the Canadian high Arctic, conducted under the auspices of the NASA Haughton-Mars Project. Named after and dedicated to Sir Arthur C. Clarke, originator of communications satellites, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey and almost 100 other books, the "Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse" will support research activities that increase our understanding of life in the universe and help pave the way for the human exploration of Mars. "Look out, Mars--here we come!" said Clarke, about the greenhouse. The NASA Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) is an international, interdisciplinary planetary-analog field research project led by Dr. Pascal Lee, planetary scientist, of the SETI Institute. Pending acquisition of all necessary resources, the Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse will be deployed and equipped in two stages, the first in Summer 2002, the second in Summer 2003. The 2002 field season will be dedicated to installation and monitoring of the environmental characteristics of the greenhouse. Research operations involving selected plant growth would begin in 2003. The assembled greenhouse is 24 feet long, 12 feet wide, and has a maximum height of 10 feet along its center spine. The greenhouse will undergo test assembly at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA, and is displayed at the Second Astrobiology Science Conference 7-11 April, 2002. Installation on Devon Island is expected to occur in July, 2002 at the earliest. The Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse is being donated by SpaceRef to the SETI Institute so as to allow the growth and harvesting of selected plants in support of basic and applied research in the fields of astrobiology, space biology, life support systems studies, information technologies, and human factors relating to the human exploration of Mars. "It is one thing to talk about doing complex technical operations in a remote, potentially hazardous location. It is another thing altogether to actually go there and try to make it work" said Marc Boucher, SpaceRef CEO and HMP-2000 field season veteran. The Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse initiates an experimental testbed that supports field research with the goal of understanding the operational challenges faced by future astronauts on the surface of Mars. "We hope that our contribution will lead--indeed stimulate-- the deployment of high fidelity simulations of potential Mars greenhouses in the years to come" said SpaceRef President Keith Cowing. Ultimately, this greenhouse, and the scientific research that is conducted within, is intended to further the prospect of sending humans to Mars. "The Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse will help us plan the human exploration of Mars and teach us more about the possibilities and requirements of life in extreme environments on Earth, Mars and beyond" said Lee. About SETI Institute, HMP and SpaceRef The NASA HMP Principal Investigator is Dr. Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist with the Center for the Study of Life in the Universe at the SETI Institute. Lee is based at NASA Ames Research Center. SpaceRef's Greenhouse Project Manager is Keith Cowing, President of SpaceRef Interactive, Inc., and former NASA space biologist and payload integration manager. Once deployed, research in the greenhouse will be overseen by a science team under the auspices of the NASA HMP. About SpaceRef Interactive Inc. SpaceRef Interactive Inc. (http://www.spaceref.com) is an international Internet content and database firm specializing in scientific and technical web sites with offices in Reston, Virginia USA, and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Among SpaceRef's products are SpaceRef.com, SpaceRef.ca, and Astrobiology.com which provide a daily collection of news stories, press releases and status reports housed in the world's largest online searchable database of space news items; a directory of space-related web sites; and a series of dedicated search engines for both broad and specialized areas of space research and exploration. SpaceRef also believes in giving something back to the audience and community that utilize its resources and has made a practice since its founding in 1999 of providing monetary, hardware, and personnel support to research efforts such as the Haughton-Mars Project. Further information about the greenhouse is available at http://research.spaceref.com. About the NASA Haughton-Mars Project The NASA Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) (http://www.marsonearth.org) is an international interdisciplinary field research project centered on the scientific study of the Haughton impact crater and surrounding terrains, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canadian high Arctic, viewed as a possible Mars analog. The rocky polar desert setting, geologic features and biological attributes of the site offer unique insights into the evolution of Mars, the effects of impacts on Earth and other planets, and the possibilities of life in extreme environments. Scientific field studies at Haughton also support exploration research, allowing for investigations of the technologies, strategies, humans factors and hardware designs relevant to the future exploration of Mars and other planetary bodies by robots and humans. HMP-2002 will be the 6th field season of the HMP. The SETI Institute manages the HMP at the Institute's Center for the Study of Life in the Universe. About the SETI Institute The SETI Institute (http://www.seti.org) was incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit California corporation on November 20, 1984. The purpose of the Institute, as defined at that time and still true today, is to conduct scientific research and educational projects relevant to the origin, nature, prevalence, and distribution of life in the universe. This work includes two primary research areas: 1) the scientific Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), and 2) Life in the Universe research. Concurrent with its research focus, the Institute strives to contribute to both formal and informal science education related to these fields of interest. Over its seventeen-year history, the Institute has administered over $150 million of funded research. Contacts: SETI Institute: Diane Richards, drichards@seti.org 650- 960-4513 SpaceRef: US: Keith Cowing, keith@spaceref.com 703-787-6567 SpaceRef: Canada: Marc Boucher, marc@spaceref.com 250-920-7222 NASA Haughton-Mars Project: Dr Pascal Lee, pclee@earthlink.net 408-666-2001 _____________________________________________________________________ SOCIAL SCIENTISTS PREPARE FOR ASTEROID IMPACTS: ANY INTELLIGENT LIFE WOULD By Douglas Vakoch From Space.com 11 April 2002 On Friday, April 12, 2002, a handful of leading social scientists will gather for the first international workshop on the societal impact of a large asteroid or comet colliding with Earth. Held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association in Irvine, California, this full-day session on Managing Global-Scale Disasters will help psychologists, sociologists, and management specialists play catch-up in an area that has gotten increasing attention in the physical sciences in recent years. While the social sciences have given attention to the societal aftermath of disasters of both local and regional scales, far less work has been done to anticipate global disasters. Perhaps the most extensive discussions about widespread devastation have focused on scenarios related to nuclear winter, in which global climate change could result from large-scale nuclear war. But is this attempt to plan for an event that may not occur for thousands of years a peculiarly human preoccupation? If some day beings beyond Earth are detected by SETI experiments, will their anthropologists and psychiatrists have held similar workshops? Get the full story at http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_asteroid_vakoch_020411.html. _____________________________________________________________________ LONG-TERM BED REST STUDY: SECOND PERIOD 22 MARCH - 27 JULY 2002 ESA release 26-2002 11 April 2002 Long-term exposure to the weightless environment of space has significant effects on astronaut physiology, notably changing the skeleton and muscle. To meet the requirements of long-stay missions aboard the International Space Station, the European (ESA), French (CNES) and Japanese (NASDA) space agencies are jointly conducting ground-based research to evaluate ways of countering the adverse effects. Countermeasures are tested on the healthy subject using an experimental model reproducing the effects of weightlessness by sustained bed rest, i.e. lying in a minus 6° head-down tilted (HDT) position. Experimentation of this type is currently taking place at the MEDES Space Clinic in Toulouse, France. The first study period ran from August to December 2001 with 14 volunteers participating; they are all being tested through to the end of the experiment. The results of their follow-up medical check- ups in January and March are satisfactory. The second period started on 22 March and will end on 27 July 2002. 11 volunteers have been selected this time. Like the first period, the study comprises a 15-day preparation phase, a three-month bed rest phase and a 15-day recovery phase. This is the most complex and the longest HDT bed rest study ever undertaken in Europe. During the campaign, experiments are also being conducted on the cardiovascular system, neuroendocrine system control, psychological behavior and sleep-wake cycle changes. From the medical viewpoint, the study should improve our knowledge of the impact on bone mineral loss and muscle status atrophy and thus help prevent prolonged periods spent bed-ridden following accidents or long illness. It is also testing new techniques, such as measuring activity and movement using specially designed mattresses, which are very promising for preventing eschar and monitoring sleep disturbance. The research protocols were proposed by European investigators in response to a call for proposals issued by ESA and also by NASDA investigators studying bone physiology. Ten teams of scientists representing around eighty researchers are participating. As over the first period, the volunteers will undergo stress response tests, bone densitometry, magnetic resonance imaging and muscular biopsy. In-depth histological, biochemical and biological analysis will evaluate body cell and molecular-level response to the experimental living conditions. The volunteers will also undergo special medical check-ups 45 days, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after bed rest and then monitoring over three years. In their free time, the subjects may read, watch TV and use a computer. Continuous confinement means that they are not allowed to sit up, even at mealtimes. Over the three months, they have no direct contact with the outside world. They can regularly phone family and close friends. To make the group as homogenous as possible and enable sound interpretation of the scientific results, it was decided to use male subjects aged 25 to 45. Of the 450 candidates, 11 were selected, 10 French and one Belgian, their ages ranging from 26 to 35. They have various professional backgrounds: managerial, IT and mobile telephony, biochemistry student, musician, catering management, etc. Candidate selection and the study itself are being carried out by a team of doctors and psychologists from the French Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology. Based at Toulouse, MEDES has over ten years' experience in the area of HDT simulation. Since 1996, staff [members] at its Space Clinic have taken part in six different bed rest studies. For further information contact: Benny Elmann-Larsen ESA - Physiology experiment coordinator, HDT study project manager Phone: +31-71-565-3322 Fax: 31-71-565-3661 E-mail: benny.elmann-larsen@esa.int Antonio Guell CNES - Head of life sciences programmes, HDT study programme committee member Phone: +33-561-28-2577 Fax: +33-561-27-3091 E-mail: antonio.guell@cnes.fr For any other further information, contact: Eliane Moreaux Service de Presse du CNES Phone: +33(0)5-61-27-33-44 Fax: +33(0)5-61-28-21-47 Franco Bonacina ESA Media Relations Office Phone: +33(0)1-53-69-71-55 Fax: +33(0)1-53-69-76-90 _____________________________________________________________________ ADMINISTRATOR UNVEILS FUTURE NASA VISION AND A RENEWED JOURNEY OF LEARNING NASA release 02-66 12 April 2002 In his first major address since being sworn into office, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe today outlined his strategic vision for the agency's future, including a component designed to inspire and educate a new generation of explorers and scientists. The Administrator shared his vision of NASA's future in a speech at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, located on the campus of Syracuse University. U.S. Representative Sherwood L. Boehlert, who oversees the agency as Chairman of the House Science Committee, and U.S. Representative James T. Walsh, who heads the House subcommittee that supervises NASA's budget, both of New York, joined Administrator O'Keefe at Maxwell. "The nation faces extraordinary new challenges. The world is changing, and if NASA is going to exploit these new opportunities then America's space program must also change," said Administrator O'Keefe. "Our future decisions will be science-driven, not destination-driven. The investments we make today must be justified by their contributions to the long-range goals of the agency." Administrator O'Keefe spelled out NASA's vision and mission. The new NASA vision for the future is: ? To improve life here, ? To extend life to there, ? To find life beyond The NASA mission is: ? To understand and protect our home planet ? To explore the Universe and search for life ? To inspire the next generation of explorers as only NASA can In his speech titled "Pioneering the Future," Administrator O'Keefe outlined the importance of inspiring a new generation of explorers through education. "Education is part of our core mission," added Administrator O'Keefe. In an effort to take students on a new journey of learning, the Administrator unveiled plans for a new type of space explorer--an Educator Mission Specialist. Shortly after completion of the core elements of the International Space Station in 2004, NASA will send Barbara Morgan, the agency's first Educator Mission Specialist, into space. Morgan was selected as the backup candidate in 1985 for the Teacher in Space program. She trained side-by-side with Christa McAuliffe and the Challenger crew at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Teacher in Space program ended when Challenger exploded January 28, 1986, killing McAuliffe and her six crewmates. "The time has come for NASA to complete the mission--to send an educator to space to inspire and teach our young people," Administrator O'Keefe said. "Working in partnership with Education Secretary Rod Paige, we will make Barbara's flight the first in a series of missions in the new Educator in Space program." Administrator O'Keefe said it is fitting that Morgan complete the mission of STS-51L. "For the past 16 years, Barbara has worked with NASA and countless science organizations, keeping alive Christa McAuliffe's inspiration. She is uniquely qualified to take our students on a journey of education that only NASA could make possible." The new vision for the agency builds on NASA's unique capabilities as the nation's premiere aeronautics and aerospace research and technology organization. "The biggest difference is that we will let specific science objectives tell us where to go," concluded Administrator O'Keefe. "NASA's mission of discovery will be carried out with a new commitment to fiscal responsibility and the synergy that comes from working with other government agencies, private industry and academia." The complete text of the Administrator's address and additional supporting material are available on the Internet at http://www.nasa.gov/bios/vision.html. Additional information about Education Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan is online at http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/morgan.html. Contacts: Bob Jacobs Headquarters, Washington, DC Phone: 202-358-1600 Jill Leonhardt Maxwell School of Syracuse University, NY Phone: 315-443-5492 _____________________________________________________________________ NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY INDEX By David J. Thomas http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/astrobiology.h tml 15 April 2002 Astrobiology, exobiology and terraformation articles http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s1.html R. Stenger, 2002. Mars soil gives hints of green planet. CNN. Human space exploration and microgravity effects articles http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s3.html Agence France-Presse, 2002. Space station agencies may axe crew "lifeboat". SpaceDaily. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) articles http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s4.html D. Vakoch, 2002. Social scientists prepare for asteroid impacts: any intelligent life would. Space.com. Evolutionary biology and chemistry articles http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s5.html University of Newcastle, 2002. Building a case for life on Mars. SpaceDaily. _____________________________________________________________________ CASSINI SIGNIFICANT EVENTS NASA/JPL release 4-10 April 2002 The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired from the Goldstone tracking station on Wednesday, April 10. The Cassini spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and is operating normally. Information on the present position and speed of the Cassini spacecraft may be found on the "Present Position" web page located at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/english/where/. Instrument activities this week included periodic instrument maintenance for the Radio and Plasma Wave Science subsystem, and an Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph Hydrogen Deuterium Absorption Cell conditioning exercise. The purpose of conditioning is to regularly exercise the H and D cell filaments. Additional spacecraft activities included clearing of the ACS high water marks, and an ACS periodic engineering maintenance (PEM). The PEM contains the main engine gimbal actuator exercise, Backup ALF Injection Loader maintenance, and backup reaction wheel exercise. Results of the PEM were as expected. The first Science Planning Team input port for C33 occurred this week. Process output files will now be merged and delivered to ACS for pointing validation runs. A Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) Target Working Team met for the first time this week. Integration work has begun on the period immediately following SOI. A Science Operations Plan (SOP) implementation Tiger Team met to explore an alternate approach of developing four tour sequences in two Science Planning Team processes. Some issues were identified and will be worked over the next couple of weeks. In general, this approach was agreed to be a good option since it reduces the number of processes and overhead associated with implementing the SOP. The Spacecraft Office held a maneuver wrap-up meeting after Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) 18. At this meeting it was confirmed that the TCM performance was nominal. The team reviewed the new tour processes that were used in the design of this TCM to identify desired improvements or lessons learned. A Flight Software Monthly Management Review was held this week. Development progress for Saturn Orbit Insertion, Huygens Probe Relay, ACS flight software, and CDS flight software were reviewed. All items are proceeding as scheduled. Uplink Operations personnel made a presentation to Program Management for performing a tour Science and Sequence Uplink Process (SSUP) Verification and Validation (V&V) activity in mid 2003. A series of smaller pre-tests and demonstrations was proposed, culminating in a full-up SSUP demonstration mid-year. To make the needed personnel available, the proposal included plans to create a minimal set of activities in C38, moving most of them into C37 and C39. V&V would then be performed during the C38 development/execution period. Program Management approved the plan, and directed the team to proceed as proposed. All of the planned Mission Sequence Subsystem D8 deliverable applications are in hard-freeze and system testing is proceeding as planned. May 8, 2002, is still a firm date for the delivery to support the May 13, 2002, start of Science Operations Plan integration. User acceptance testing for the Cassini adaptation of the Command System Version 26.4 was completed this week. An in-flight demonstration was also performed. Additional demonstrations have been scheduled for mid April and early June. A scale model of the Huygens Probe is now on loan to the Space Center Museum in Houston, Texas. The model will be part of a summer exhibition and will be returned to the Space Flight Operations Facility at JPL for display in September. 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. _____________________________________________________________________ MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR STATUS REPORT NASA/JPL release 10 April 2002 Launch / Days since Launch = November 7, 1996 / 1981 days Start of Mapping / Days since Start of Mapping = April 1, 1999 / 1105 days Total Mapping Orbits = 13,809 Total Orbits = 15,492 Recent events We have recovered MGS from C-Mode. It is nadir pointed with downlink communications through the HGA. An on-board script that is triggered every time the spacecraft emerges from solar eclipse is controlling HGA movement and TWTA cycling. The mm168 background sequence begins tonight at 23:57:00 SCET UTC on 02-101 (4/10/02). It will return the spacecraft to the relay-16 attitude and commence normal operations. All on-board recorded data have been played back. A STAREX flight software patch has been uplinked to prevent attitude knowledge from being corrupted if star processing is reset while MGS is pointed off- nadir. The MOC has been powering up and is imaging MARS. No ROTOs were accomplished this week. MGS has completed 235 ROTOs to date. Spacecraft health All spacecraft subsystems report good health and status. Uplinks There have been 60 uplinks to the spacecraft during the past week, including C-mode recovery commands, new star catalogs and ephemeris files, instrument command loads, STAREX flight software patch, the mz168 return to nadir mini-sequence, the mz169 data playback mini- sequence, the mm168 background sequence, and the mz170 science instrument turn-on minisequence. 6,561 command files have been radiated to the spacecraft since launch. Upcoming events The MOLA, MAG/ER, and TES science instruments will be powered on 02- 101 (4/10/02). _____________________________________________________________________ MARS ODYSSEY THEMIS IMAGES Arizona State University release April 8-13, 2002 * Gorgonum Chaos (Released 8 April 2002) * Uzboi Vallis, Nirgal Vallis, and Luki Crater (Released 9 April 2002) * Medusae Fossae Formation (Released 10 April 2002) * Southern rim of Isidis Planitia basin (Released 11 April 2002) * The so-called "Face on Mars" (Released 13 April 2002) These images have not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Image credits: NASA/JPL/Arizona State University. Mars 2001 Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) Gorgonum Chaos (Released 8 April 2002) http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20020408a.html This image shows the cratered highlands of Terra Sirenum in the southern hemisphere. Near the center of the image running from left to right one can see long parallel to semi-parallel fractures or troughs called graben. Mars Global Surveyor initially discovered gullies on the south-facing wall of these fractures. This image is located at 38°S, 174°W. Mars 2001 Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) Uzboi Vallis, Nirgal Vallis, and Luki Crater (Released 9 April 2002) http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20020409a.html This THEMIS image captures two channels (Nirgal Vallis the smaller sinuous channel on the left and Uzboi Vallis the larger channel located in the lower right) and Luki Crater located in the upper right. The mouth of Nirgal Vallis appears to be truncated by Uzboi Vallis. This indicates that Nirgal Vallis is an older channel than Uzboi Vallis. The floor of Uzboi Vallis was subsequently bombarded by an asteroid or comet which gouged out the 21 km diameter crater named Luki. Luki is named after a town in the Ukraine. Uzboi is the name of a dry river in Russia. Nirgal is the Babylonian name for Mars. Gullies and alluvial deposits discovered by Mars Global Surveyor are clearly visible on the polar-facing (south) wall and floor of Nirgal Vallis and also in the inner rim of Luki crater. These gullies appear to emanate from a specific layer in the walls. There is a pronounced sparsity of gullies on the equator-ward facing slopes but some are present in this image. The gullies have been proposed to form by the subsurface release of water. The western channel wall of Uzboi Vallis does not appear to have the fine-scale gullying as does Nirgal Vallis. However, the western channel wall of Uzboi Vallis does show some evidence of downslope movement (mass wasting). Some patches of dunes are also seen on the channel floor, notably along the edges of the channel floor near the canyon walls. There is also a landslide located along the southern wall of Luki Crater. Mars 2001 Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) Medusae Fossae Formation (Released 10 April 2002) http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20020410a.html The Story Medusa of Greek mythology fame, the name-giver to this region, had snaky locks of hair that could turn a person to stone. Wild and unruly, this monster of the underworld could certainly wreak havoc on the world of the human imagination. As scary as she was, Medusa would have no advantage over the fierce, masterful winds blowing across Mars, which once carved the streaky, terrain at the top of this image. Wild and whipping, these winds have slowly eroded away the "topsoil," revealing ancient craters and other surface features they once covered. The loosely cemented particles of this "topsoil" are likely made up of dust or volcanic ash, and are thus more susceptible to windblown erosion. The Martian winds have actually been strong and relentless enough over time to strip the land in the bottom of this image of the material that once covered it, leaving it hard and bare to the eye. The Science This THEMIS visible image was acquired near 7° S, 172° W and shows a remarkable Martian geologic deposit known as the Medusae Fossae Formation. This Formation, seen here as the raised plateau in the upper two-thirds of the image, is a soft, easily eroded deposit that extends for nearly 1,000 km along the equator of Mars. In this region the deposit has been heavily eroded by the wind to produce a series of linear ridges called yardangs. These parallel ridges point in direction of the prevailing winds that carved them, and demonstrate the power of Martian winds to sculpt the dry landscape of Mars. The Medusae Fossae Formation has been completely stripped from the surface in the lower third of the image, revealing a harder layer below that is more resistant to wind erosion. The easily eroded nature of the Medusae Fossae Formation suggests that it is composed of weakly cemented particles, and was most likely formed by the deposition of wind-blown dust or volcanic ash. Several ancient craters that were once completely buried by this deposit are being exposed, or exhumed, as the overlying Medusae Formation is removed. Very few impact craters are visible on this Formation, indicating that the surface seen today is relatively young, and that the processes of erosion are likely to be actively occurring. Mars 2001 Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) Southern rim of Isidis Planitia basin (Released 11 April 2002) http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20020411a.html The Story Battered and beaten up, the surface of Mars reads like a history book to geologists, who want to study what has happened to the red planet over its geological history. Look for two larger craters diagonal from one another in the northern part of this image, and then for the smattering of tinier craters near them. How did these smaller craters come to be? Did a large meteoroid streak in through the Martian atmosphere and get broken up as it passed through, pummeling Mars moments later with its smaller, scattered pieces? Or were rocks and dirt blasted off the surface when the two larger craters were formed, only to rain down again on Mars shortly afterwards? No one quite knows for sure. Another enigmatic-looking feature is near the left center of this image. Dark and shadowy-seeming, it looks something like an exclamation point with the small crater just below it. Look closely, and you'll see dunes within the large, dark, blurry patch, which is itself probably composed of moving sands. Dark, streaky features also appear on the eastern side of the ridge that runs down the right side of the image, showing how debris once tumbled down its steepened slopes The Science This image, crossing the southern rim of the Isidis Planitia basin, displays the contrasting morphologies of the relatively rough highland terrain (in the lower portion of the image) and the relatively smooth materials of the basin (at top). Upon closer viewing, the basin materials display an extensive record of cratering, including a small cluster of craters just north and west of the two prominent craters in the upper part of the image. This cluster of craters may represent what are called 'secondary' craters, which are craters that form as a result of the ejection of debris from a nearby impact. Alternatively, these craters may have formed simultaneously by the impact of many pieces of a larger meteoroid that broke up upon entry into Mars' atmosphere. The large craters in the image are approximately 800 meters (~875 yards) in diameter. Also visible in the image are dark streaks on the east-facing side of the north-south trending ridge. These streaks are likely the result of debris movement down slope. A dark patch of material is visible at the left of the image; dark materials are typically mobile sands, and linear duneforms are apparent within the dark patch. Mars 2001 Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) The so-called "Face on Mars" (Released 13 April 2002) http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20020413a.html The Story Nature is an imaginative artist, creating all kinds of wonderful landforms, cloud shapes, and other patterned features that remind people of familiar things in our lives. We see a "man in the moon" when it is full in the night sky, and dream of a dromedary-dotted desert when coming upon Arizona's Camelback Mountain or Colorado's "Kissing Camels" in the "Garden of the Gods." Near Ludlow, California, a lonely prospector once noticed that the appealing outline of the mountains resembled a reclining woman, and named the place Sleeping Beauty. And this naming delight isn't limited to Earth. The Mars Pathfinder mission team couldn't help but name the rocks at the landing site, including a bear-headed-looking one named Yogi. Part of the fun of exploration is not just visiting a strange world, but relating to it in human terms. On Mars, we've already seen a valentine heart-shaped crater, a happy-faced crater, and even a murky and mysterious "face" on Mars. This face (seen here about halfway down the image and to the right) is really just a hill with slopes and ridges that are shadowed in a way that can sometimes resemble a face from far away. The first picture of this area was taken by the Viking spacecraft in the 1970s, and people have been intrigued ever since. However, orbiter camera technologies have actually become so good in providing a clear view of the hill that it's almost a disappointment to see how normal an eroded hill this well-liked feature is. Well, disappointing unless you're a geologist, that is! This whole area is, in fact, a geologist's dream. Erosion has been Nature's sculptor throughout the area, and all kinds of remarkably shaped knobs and hills speckle the region. While their shapes are fun to contemplate, it's no mystery to geologists how they formed. Several flat ledges part way up the slopes of these hills are made of layers of rock that stand strong against erosion's relentless carving. Less resistant layers in the region have eroded away completely in most places, leaving behind only the small, isolated hills and knobs we see today. Don't think everything in this scene is easily understandable, however. What captures the attention of scientists is a bunch of unusual deposits of material on the cold, north-facing slopes of the hills. Did Nature mix some Martian dirt and ice from the planet's "pallet," and then "paste" on a slightly cemented deposit over the northern slopes? Or did an upper layer of material slowly creep downslope over time, carried by the movement of ice? Ground ice, in this case, has probably been more of a preserver than an eroder, keeping a record of the formation and existence of these deposits over time. Geologists are grateful for that peek into the Martian past and the chance to study it in-depth. The Science The so called "Face on Mars" can be seen slightly above center and to the right in this THEMIS visible image. This 3-km long knob, located near 10° N, 40° W, was first imaged by the Viking spacecraft in the 1970's and was seen by some to resemble a face carved into the rocks of Mars. Since that time the Mars Orbiter Camera on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has provided detailed views of this hill that clearly show that it is a normal geologic feature with slopes and ridges carved by eons of wind and downslope motion due to gravity. A similar-size hill in Phoenix, Arizona resembles a camel lying on the ground, and Phoenicians whimsically refer to it as Camelback Mountain. Like the hills and knobs of Mars, however, Camelback Mountain was carved into its unusual shape by thousands of years of erosion. The THEMIS image provides a broad perspective of the landscape in this region, showing numerous knobs and hills that have been eroded into a remarkable array of different shapes. Many of these knobs, including the "Face", have several flat ledges partway up the hill slopes. These ledges are made of more resistant layers of rock and are the last remnants of layers that once were continuous across this entire region. Erosion has completely removed these layers in most places, leaving behind only the small isolated hills and knobs seen today. Many of the hills and ridges in this area also show unusual deposits of material that occur preferentially on the cold, north-facing slopes. It has been suggested that these deposits were pasted on the slopes, with the distinct, well-defined boundary on their upslope edges being the highest point of this pasted-on layer. Alternatively, these unique features could be the result of the slow downslope motion of the surface layer, possibly enhanced by the presence of ground ice. In this model the top layer of material has separated from the sub-surface near the crest of the slope and moved downslope, creating the rounded boundary seen at the top of the detached layer. In several cases, such as in the large knob directly south of the "Face" these deposits occur at several different heights on the hill, providing evidence that downslope motion may be the more likely explanation. In either case, ground ice likely plays an important role in the formation and preservation of these deposits because they only occur on the cold slopes facing away from the Sun where ground ice is more stable and may still be present today. This image is the 13th image in a series of daily images released by the THEMIS Team. _____________________________________________________________________ STARDUST STATUS REPORT NASA/JPL release 12 April 2002 There were three Deep Space Network trackin gpasses during the past week and all subsystems are normal. Stardust is currently 2.71 AU (252 million miles, or 405 million kilometers) from the Sun. To ensure a positive power margin, we plan to not contact the spacecraft from April 11 to April 25, when the spacecraft passes its farthest from the Sun. Stardust will reach aphelion (its farthest distance from the Sun) on April 18 at a distance of 2.72 AU. 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 9, Number 15.