Opportunity rover finds
signs of mineral linked to water
Last Updated Fri, 30 Jan 2004 18:31:53
PASADENA, CALIF. - NASA scientists were "ecstatic" but cautious Friday
that the Opportunity rover seems to have spotted signs of a mineral on
Mars that usually forms in water.
Opportunity
and its twin Spirit are roving robotic geologists equipped with tools
to search for evidence that the barren planet was once wet enough to
possibly support life.
The
surface of the planet is now dry and dusty.
Ohio State
science team member Ron Li and deputy main scientist Ray Arvidson
(left) show an animation Friday of the first microscopic images taken
by the Mars Spirit rover (AP photo) |
Scientists
said they were "ecstatic" that one of Opportunity's mini-thermal
imaging spectrometers (mini-TES) seems to have discovered grey
hematite, said Ray Arvidson, the mission's deputy principal
investigator.
"We're
still in the process of looking at the data," Arvidson said. "But if
you look at the mini-TES team they have huge smiles on their faces."
Confirmation of the discovery will take a few days.
Grey
hematite is an iron-rich mineral. On Earth, it usually forms in
iron-rich lakes. It can also arise from iron-rich volcanic lava,
without water.
The
six-wheeled Opportunity rover should roll off its lander early Saturday
and onto the grey plain where it landed near the Martian equator.
Rover
systems engineer Daniel Limonadi said Opportunity's path off the lander
looks clear.
Aside
from a 15-watt power loss, Opportunity is in excellent shape. Engineers
believe a heater in the shoulder of its robotic arm has been turning on
at night unnecessarily.
Meanwhile,
Opportunity's twin, Spirit, is expected to recover fully by Sunday.
Software problems had stalled its mission temporarily.
On
Friday, NASA showed Spirit's first-ever microscopic image of a Martian
rock. Spirit should drill into the rock, which scientists call
Adirondack, in the next four days.
Spirit's
instruments will compare the rock's surface to an unweathered surface
underneath.
Initial
measurements of Adirondack suggest it is a volcanic rock common on
Earth, but it doesn't require water to form.
The
rock doesn't help the science team's search for signs of past water.
"It is not the kind of smoking gun data we were looking for in the
climatic history of the planet," said Arvidson.
Written by CBC News Online staff
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