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The Latest from the Mars Exploration Rovers

The Latest from the Mars Exploration Rovers. Spirit at Gusev Crater. Primary goal of Mars exploration: Search for water on Mars. Summary: Orbital photography shows evidence for water on ancient Mars. Also evidence for large standing bodies of water.

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The Latest from the Mars Exploration Rovers

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  1. The Latest from the Mars Exploration Rovers

  2. Spirit at Gusev Crater

  3. Primary goal of Mars exploration: Search for water on Mars

  4. Summary: Orbital photography shows evidence for water on ancient Mars Also evidence for large standing bodies of water

  5. MER Landing Sites: Gusev Crater (Spirit) and Meridiani Planum (Opportunity) http://marsonweb.nas.nasa.gov/landingsites/mer2003/mocs

  6. MER Landing sites: Gusev crater (Spirit) and Meridiani Planum (Opportunity)

  7. Landing Sites for Spirit and Opportunity Spirit Opportunity

  8. Mineralogy: Key to hydrological history of Mars • Magnetite: Fe3O4 • Hematite: Fe2O3 • Olivine: Fe2SiO4 • Pyroxine: CaFeSi2O6 Minerals tell about hydrological history, what chemical reactions were occurring

  9. Measurements of mineral structure via the Mossbauer Effect

  10. Radioisotope selection for MER • 57Co -> 57Fe* -> 57Fe + 14.4 keV • Iron dominant element in rocks, good mineralogical diagnostic • 57Co has half life of 271 days. A challenge for interplanetary missions

  11. How does Mossbauer Effect tell you about mineral structure of Mars rocks? Klingelhoefer et al 2003, JGR 108, E12, ROV 8

  12. Transmission versus scattering Mossbauer Effect

  13. MIMOS II experiment on MER

  14. The MIMOS II Instrument

  15. Mossbauer spectra of Mars rocks from MER

  16. More Mossbauer spectra from Mars

  17. Results from MER spacecraft • Evidence of water at Meridiani from the outset: haematite chondrules, sedimentary rocks with chemically weathered compositions: “there are other possible scenarios; they all require liquid water and acidic conditions”. • Early results from Gusev seemed to argue against water; high abundance of pristine olivine. “the ubiquitous presence of olivine in the soil suggests that physical rather than chemical weathering processes…”

  18. Recent results from MER (cont) • More recent results from Gusev, coatings on rock with 2-5 times high S & Cl concentrations than interior, crystalline haematite. • “The physical and chemical characteristics provide evidence for limited by unequivocal interaction between water and the volcanic rocks of the Gusev plains”

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