Another Mars Orbiter

[jacky5283 0]

Glitch stalls Mars missionCAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- NASA postponed launching a spacecraft to Mars on Thursday after a glitch popped up in the computer software used for monitoring the fueling of the rocket used for liftoff.

The problem with sensors and software that measure the amount of fuel being loaded into the rocket appeared with just minutes left until liftoff. The launch was rescheduled for Friday morning.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is expected to spend four years circling Mars, collecting information that will help NASA plan where to land two robotic explorers later this decade and possible future human exploration of the Red Planet.

The Phoenix Mars Scout, in search of organic chemicals, will be launched in 2007, and the Mars Science Laboratory will follow two years later.

"We don't want to be hauling cement to Mars. That's very expensive," said project scientist Richard Zurek of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "Better to know what we can make on the surface of the planet."

The two-ton orbiter, equipped with the largest telescopic camera ever sent to another planet, will provide unparalleled information on Mars' weather, climate and geology. The $720 million mission is also expected to help build on NASA's knowledge of the history of ice on the planet.

The planet is cold and dry with large caps of frozen water at its poles. But scientists think it was a wetter and possibly warmer place eons ago -- conditions that might have been conducive to life. Scientists are also trying to determine if it could support future human outposts.

"With the subsurface of Mars, we've literally just scratched the surface and we're trying to probe, now, more than a couple of feet into it," Zurek said.

The orbiter will join three other spacecraft, including a European orbiter, when it arrives at the planet in March 2006. Two NASA rovers launched in 2003, Spirit and Opportunity, also continue to roam the planet, providing information.

With more instruments and higher-resolution imagery, the larger Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will be able to offer a more comprehensive sweep of the planet and send back more data than the other orbiters, said project manager Jim Graf of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

It has a powerful antenna that can transmit 10 times more data per minute than the current trio of satellites positioned around the planet -- NASA's Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey and the European Space Agency's Mars Express.

The orbiter is also loaded with two cameras that will provide high-resolution images and global maps of Martian weather, a spectrometer that will identify water-related minerals and a radiometer to measure atmospheric dust. The Italian Space Agency has provided ground-penetrating radar that will peer beneath the surface of layers of rocks or ice.

"They're bringing their data back, we think, through a straw," Graf said of the current orbiters. "We're going to start opening up the fire hose ... We're going to be awash in data that will allow us to better understand the planet as a whole."

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

This is totally insane, and another $720 mil spent on exploration to mask. With that ammout of money, NASA could've save thousands of HIV victims. Sigh, isn't it enough rocketing money onto Mars?

What are you guys' opinions?

[iGuest 3]

This is totally insane, and another $720 mil spent on exploration to mask. With that ammout of money, NASA could've save thousands of HIV victims. Sigh, isn't it enough rocketing money onto Mars?

 

What are you guys' opinions?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree and disagree. It seems like a mismash of priority, but we spend money on things that are far less constructive. Like worlds biggest things.... I have seen the veiny 100ft sausages in Alberta.... they cost over 150grand. Space is our future if we survive that long. Our resourses are about to be come visibly finite to the masses, with the coming of the oil shortage. In order to survive as a race we must continue to explore and consume... we love consuming so much that we give nothing to those whom really need it. Greed.

[iGuest 3]

I agree and disagree. It seems like a mismash of priority, but we spend money on things that are far less constructive. Like worlds biggest things.... I have seen the veiny 100ft sausages in Alberta.... they cost over 150grand. Space is our future if we survive that long. Our resourses are about to be come visibly finite to the masses, with the coming of the oil shortage. In order to survive as a race we must continue to explore and consume... we love consuming so much that we give nothing to those whom really need it. Greed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's very true. Either we find a planet with the resources necessary for our race to survive, or we're doomed to be extinct one day on our planet. Yeah, it won't really matter to our generation, but you gotta feel sorry for the coming generations so helping them is the only way. Also, they already are spending millions trying to save victims of HIV and sorts, that doesnt' mean they should spend it all on them. In some cases it might just be their own fault, or their parent's fault for not doing what they can. It's life, greed, and self abuse that we live with these days. Helping others will lead to greed in times too. Basically everything can be a cycle, unless we find this planet.

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

Mars is one of the million steps we're taking so we can discover new worlds and eventually attempt to colonize it for future uses.xboxrulz

[Mahanon 0]

I think that is it nessesary to be sending these orbiters to Mars and eventually beyond, would you rather the money go to expanding the cumulative knowledge of the civilization or would you rather see it spent on another bomb.Actually they should probably spend the money on new shuttles when you hear about all the stuff that seems to be happening to them lately.

[koolio 0]

I agree that the knowledge we get from these types of exploration can't be measured by money. One day mars will be populated by humans. Populating the solarsystem is one of the options for the sharp rise in human population on earth. Meanwhile mars is rich in some resources which are now dwindling on earth. The red color comes from iorn copmounds in the soil. If we can extract the iorn and purify it on mars and bring the finished product to earth, we can quench the demand for iorn, and by doing the purifying process on mars, we save our planet from further pollution.It's true that there are many problems to be solved on earth. But exporation must go parralel with that because we might get better solutions to our problems through it.

[Neverseen 0]

I agree that the knowledge we get from these types of exploration can't be measured by money. One day mars will be populated by humans. Populating the solarsystem is one of the options for the sharp rise in human population on earth. Meanwhile mars is rich in some resources which are now dwindling on earth. The red color comes from iorn copmounds in the soil. If we can extract the iorn and purify it on mars and bring the finished product to earth, we can quench the demand for iorn, and by doing the purifying process on mars, we save our planet from further pollution.

It's true that there are many problems to be solved on earth. But exporation must go parralel with that because we might get better solutions to our problems through it.

1064320375[/snapback]

Mars populated by humans ? in your dreams maybe ? Sorry to say that, but Mars doesn't fit for humans to live on..

Now about saving Earth by using Mars - that looks better to me Would be good if it's all really possible

[stusrud 0]

This is totally insane, and another $720 mil spent on exploration to mask. With that ammout of money, NASA could've save thousands of HIV victims. Sigh, isn't it enough rocketing money onto Mars?

 

What are you guys' opinions?

1064317784[/snapback]

I think they are spending way too much on space exploration, etc. I am a big science guy especially with space, the universe, etc. I love it! But, when things like HIV like said above in the quote or Hurricane Katrina, that money is not being spent wisely. They could have put that kind of money towards anything better.

 

Also, this is where you may think I am weird, I think that money could have been used to prevent deaths, etc. But, I am so excited about this, I love space exploration and I cannot wait until this project goes through.

[Logan Deathbringer 0]

With the exploration of mars we could be opening up new doors on how to solve problems here on earth. If people travel there one day what will they do on the long trip there? How about science experiments that might better life here on earth. Who knows maybe they will find the cure to some cancer or even HIV/AIDs on the trip there. As for updating the Shuttle fleet, you do have a good point there but on the same note, what about finishing off the International Space Station then set up a colony or 2 on the moon. The reason for the space station and moon base, a trip to mars cannot be physically launched from earth. The reason for this statement? A ship large enough to carry crew, life support equipment, food, water, etc. would be way to large to be launched from our planet and would have to be constructed in space. To be able to do this we will have to have a way to train/support a massive construction project in space.Lets go ahead and set the most basic ground work for a mars colonization/resource explotation project but lets not put the cart before the horse, even in a thread here...lets take it one step at a time.

[finaldesign1405241487 0]

Looks to me like spending a whole lot of money. But, if you consither the fact that for about 25-30 years there will be no more oil, and many countries will be in crisis with fuel... There has to be some place where will we get natural resources... Mars looks like one of that places. For man kind there is only one solution too, for solvin a problem of population - there is too much of people on this world. We have to find another place where will go to live, mars is just one of that options. Many scientist believe that people will be able to go to mars and live there in just abot 15 years, maybe little more... But $720 mil... !? that could save many people.. Many.

[Herbert1405241469 0]

Mars is one of the million steps we're taking so we can discover new worlds and eventually attempt to colonize it for future uses.

 

xboxrulz

1064318822[/snapback]

We haven't even gotten anything accomplished with the moon, let alone some planet millions of more miles away

[Shadow X 0]

I think that space is interesting and why scientists are so keen to investigate but that doesn't explain why they use so much money, so many times, all in one go! I agree, the money should really be used to help the poor and the sick and help them get on with their lives.