After four decades running, now Mars mission enters new phase. Exploration is initially much struggling in water searches, are now widespread in the search for signs of life on the red planet.
"We will enter the transition from mission to mission in search of water looking for signs of life," said Doug McCuistion, director of NASA's Mars Exploration Program at the panel discussion at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington last week.
New phase of Mars exploration began in line with the launch of NASA spacecraft, Curiosity. Spacecraft is different from the Spirit and Opportunity, launched earlier because of smaller size.
However, this does not mean less sophisticated aircraft. Curiosity will be charged more complex instruments. In addition, this spacecraft will be equipped with a chemical laboratory on board.
Curiosity will also be equipped with "chemical camera." McCuistion said, the tool can shoot the laser at the rock and create a plasma that can he analyzes so that it can identify the sample.
In a sign of life was finding mission, the search for organic compounds become important agenda done. Compounds that could be indicative of or had any life on Mars.
"One of the key questions that we ask is, where the organic compounds that exist," said Jennifer Eigenbrode, scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, USA.
Answer it, researchers reveal the logic of that life which may never be able to leave the organic compounds. Just as animals leave fossils, microorganisms can also leave traces of their existence.
Eigenbrode said, "Under certain conditions, organic compounds (which are formed on the carbon bond) could be preserved. It's called molecular fossils." For example, there is in the form of microorganisms that preserved the cell membrane.
Curiosity will be equipped with equipment that can detect these molecular fossils. So, Curiosity can find microorganisms as small life forms that exist on Mars.
Although equipped with advanced equipment, barriers still exist in the study. Not primarily in terms of inadequate equipment, but on limited knowledge or concepts mastered.
One of them about organic compounds. If later is found, this compound is not necessarily a sign there life on Mars. Therefore, it could have come from meteorites compounds formed through geological processes or Mars.
Second is the notion of life. For example, currently understood that living beings are always in need of water. But, whether it is true? Is there no other compounds, such as methane, which can support life?
Related to this last, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA in 2016 will work together carrying out a mission to Mars. The goal is to find methane, digging the surface of Mars to find life forms that may exist.
"We will enter the transition from mission to mission in search of water looking for signs of life," said Doug McCuistion, director of NASA's Mars Exploration Program at the panel discussion at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington last week.
New phase of Mars exploration began in line with the launch of NASA spacecraft, Curiosity. Spacecraft is different from the Spirit and Opportunity, launched earlier because of smaller size.
However, this does not mean less sophisticated aircraft. Curiosity will be charged more complex instruments. In addition, this spacecraft will be equipped with a chemical laboratory on board.
Curiosity will also be equipped with "chemical camera." McCuistion said, the tool can shoot the laser at the rock and create a plasma that can he analyzes so that it can identify the sample.
In a sign of life was finding mission, the search for organic compounds become important agenda done. Compounds that could be indicative of or had any life on Mars.
"One of the key questions that we ask is, where the organic compounds that exist," said Jennifer Eigenbrode, scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, USA.
Answer it, researchers reveal the logic of that life which may never be able to leave the organic compounds. Just as animals leave fossils, microorganisms can also leave traces of their existence.
Eigenbrode said, "Under certain conditions, organic compounds (which are formed on the carbon bond) could be preserved. It's called molecular fossils." For example, there is in the form of microorganisms that preserved the cell membrane.
Curiosity will be equipped with equipment that can detect these molecular fossils. So, Curiosity can find microorganisms as small life forms that exist on Mars.
Although equipped with advanced equipment, barriers still exist in the study. Not primarily in terms of inadequate equipment, but on limited knowledge or concepts mastered.
One of them about organic compounds. If later is found, this compound is not necessarily a sign there life on Mars. Therefore, it could have come from meteorites compounds formed through geological processes or Mars.
Second is the notion of life. For example, currently understood that living beings are always in need of water. But, whether it is true? Is there no other compounds, such as methane, which can support life?
Related to this last, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA in 2016 will work together carrying out a mission to Mars. The goal is to find methane, digging the surface of Mars to find life forms that may exist.
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