2003-2004 Colloquium Series
NAU Physical Sciences (Bldg 19, Rm 218), Thursday, 4 December 2003, 6:00 PM
(Pizza & Soda at 5:30pm)
Robot Geologists on Mars
Larry Soderblom , USGS.
Abstract
During this past summer two NASA Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) were launched toward Mars. In January 2004, after seven months in flight, they will land on the martian surface. Immediately after landing, each rover will begin reconnaissance of its landing site by acquiring 360-degree visible color image and mid-infrared spectral panoramas. Scientists will choose rock and soil targets and command the rovers to begin their journeys of exploration, leaving the landing structures behind. Each rover is like a robotic field geologist. In addition to color cameras and infrared spectrometers used to analyze targets from a distance, each is equipped with a multi-jointed arm that has a microscope, two spectrometers to measure iron mineral logy and elemental composition, and a grinding tool to expose fresh rock surfaces. The instrument suite will be used to study in detail the geology and chemistry of the martian surface materials. Initial rock and soil targets will be close to the landing site, but because these rovers will be able to travel hundreds of meters during the mission, a variety of more distant scientific sites will be explored. The MER mission seeks to determine the history of climate and water at a site on Mars where conditions may once have been favorable to life. The landing sites at Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum were selected on the basis of intensive study of orbital data collected by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft and other missions. These sites offer evidence that liquid water was once present. The rovers' scientific instruments will be used to read the geologic record at each site, to investigate what role water played there, and to determine how suitable the conditions would have been for life.
Sponsored by the Northern Arizona Astronomy Association