Re: 5000+As yet-Unprocessed Images from Mars


Posted by Uncle Al on Feb 28, 2004 at 09:47
(68.99.179.162)

Re: 5000+As yet-Unprocessed Images from Mars (Mike Kremer)

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity.html

Stereopairs are a nice touch. What have we gotten for our ~$billion?


  1. Volcanic regolith background, plus
  2. Meteoric strikes, then
  3. Mix well with wind and cook with solar UV; wait a couple of billion years.
  4. http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov/releases/2003/03_87AR.html
  5. WIRED 12.03 146 (2004)

Nothing. The only thing NASA will eructate is studies on its studies. There will be no "discoveries" because there is nothing present to be discovered. Not all real estate is valuable. At least the moon is a competent and accessible platform for observation (UV through deep radio in hard vacuum, with the bonus of low gravity and for large structures and physically blocked terrestrial EMF emissions) and launch (vacuum, low gravity).

BTW - no canals. The only usable major power source on Mars would be a local nuclear reactor. Combustion is out, solar panels don't receive enough sunlight even at the equator.

The singular interesting project would be to pepper Mars with synchronized seismic sensors then de-orbit and crash Deimos (2.4x10^15 kg or 22.6% the mass of Phobos, and orbiting more slowly 1.36 vs. 2.138 km/sec mean). A nice big thump would tell us about Mars' internal structure.

--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/qz.pdf
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/eotvos.htm
(Do something naughty to physics)


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