Month: September 2011

Washington, 2 sep (EFE).-the robot Rover has been discovered on Mars rocks with a texture and never seen until now, while it continues to search for other clays may have traces of life, announced today scientists of the NASA.

The Opportunity arrived three weeks ago at the edge of the Endeavour, 25 times larger than the Victoria Crater from which it came, and scientists expect to find it much more ancient rocks that the hitherto observed in more than seven years of mission.

The executive director of the Mission of robot explorers to Mars for NASA, Dave Lavery; researcher main project, Steve Squyres of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and the project director of propulsion laboratory to Jet (JPL) of NASA, John Callas, presented the first images.

The first rock which examined the robot in its new destination is the size of a stool, as they explained, its surface is flat and apparently it was unearthed by impact with another object that was that formed the crater, which is 22 kilometres in diameter.

“This is different from any rock never before seen on Mars,” said Squyres, who assured that it has a similar composition to some volcanic rocks, but with more zinc and bromine from what they have detected previously.

In addition to send hundreds of photos with microscopic camera and its panoramic, camera filters the Opportunity also used its robotic arm to better study the composition of the rock.

The rock has been informally named “Tisdale 2” and, as indicated, the diversity of found fragments could be the prelude that will find other minerals that throw more light on the composition and origins of the red planet.

His next mission will be to go hunting for clays rocks so sought after, said Arvidson.

Orbitadoras of Mars spacecraft observations suggest that the rock on the edge of crater formations date back to early in the planet history and include clay, minerals that form in less acidic conditions and moisture, possibly more favorable to life.

The crater is discontinuous in its rim crests and scientists have identified a few marks on the sedimentary, which seems that it would have been cut, and full of cavities filled with material possibly swept into the water, said Arvidson.

However, they indicated that it is still early to make speculation and will require more data from the robot.

After seven years and a half mission on Mars, equivalent 2.703 days Martian, Callas made an assessment on the health of the robot, which, he said, has some ailments due to his age, but continues in good shape to go ahead with new discoveries.

“It has a little arthritis in his robotic arm, we have seen some paralysis on his neurological, system but batteries are still functioning,” said Callas.

However, warned that at any time could lose some critical component of the essential Explorer robot system and the mission would be concluded.

“We have an old robot who is showing his age but is in good shape, sleep well and has excellent levels of cholesterol, we hope to continue his scientific work,” joked.

The Opportunity and its twin Spirit were released in 2003, with the aim of exploring the red planet from two opposite points. They started his exploration, planned initially for three months, in January 2004, but its mission has been extending.

Opportunity still works seven and a half years later but the road was its brother Spirit, whose wheels were bogged down in the Martian sand and after unsuccessful attempts by the NASA to save him left communicate in March 2010.

The NASA is already preparing the new generation of Martian robots and is almost ready for take-off Curiosity that will start between November 25 and December 18 this year for a landing in August 2012.

Reproduction of the picture taking robot Rover to the rocks with a texture never seen before on Mars, while continuing to search and capture of siltstones stones that may have traces of life, according to NASA scientists announced. EFE