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The Planetary Report

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The Planetary Report Volume xx On the Cover: Table of Number 6 In what part of our galaxy wi ll we first detect other forms of life? Simple logic dictates that starrier regions will have more planets, November/December 2000 thus more possibilities. But who knows? The answer may lie in the Contents wilderness of a nebula. John Gleason captured this image of the Orion nebula in October 1998 from the Sierra Nevada mountains in northern California. Features Image: (e) John Gleason, Ce lestial Images 4 Opinion: No Threat? No Way! We've expanded our usual Opinion section to encompass opposing views to Robert Zubrin's piece in our July/August issue. There, Robert expressed his view that neither human exploration of Mars nor samples returned from the Red Planet would pose a threat to life-forms on these worlds. We expect the controversy will be with us for a while, as it evidently touched Froln a deep chord among Planetary Society members. The Life Frotn Space? Testing Panspertnia With Editor B Martian Meteorite ALH84001 That one little rock from Mars-ALH8400 I-may be the most-studied conglomeration of minerals in scientific history, and it still has lots to teach us. Just four years ago, it caught e humans are a very egocentric the world's attention when researchers announced they had found traces of ancient Martian species. As we contemplate the vast W life within its recesses. Now it plays a role in another possible story about life-that of universe in which we float, we tend to focus panspermia, the transfer of life-forms between worlds. our interest on seeking phenomena like our­ selves-that is to say, life. Judging from the 12 SETI@hotne and The Planetary Society- two major features in this issue of The The Bond Strengthens Planetary Report-one on searching for When The Planetary Society was formed in 1980, its prime directive was to engage the extraterrestrial life, the other on the possibil­ people of Earth in the exploration of the solar system and the search for extraterrestrial life. ity of life arriving here from space-this No single program in our 20-year history has fulfilled that directive as well as SETI@home. focus is shared by members of The Planetary The Society was the founding sponsor for SETI@home, and now with the help of the Society. And, in fact, NASA has declared the OneCosmos Network, we have been able to go far beyond our initial support. With nearly 2.5 million participants around the world, and the potential to involve even more in the search for life on other worlds to be the prime search for other civilizations, who knows how far we will be able to go. driver of its planetary program. But, as in all tightly focused endeavors, The Next Generation of Mars Explorers- we can miss something extraordinary lying 20 Introducing the Red Rover Goes to Mars Teatn just off to the side. Right now, this focus on What a time we've had with our Red Rover Goes to Mars international student contest! Just as life may cost us the opportunity to send a we were launching the competition, NASA canceled the Mars Surveyor 2001 lander mission, spacecraft to Pluto, perhaps for a generation. which was to involve our winners. Thanks to our ability to improvise, we reconstituted the As Society members lmow, NASA has contest to work with the Mars Global Surveyor mission, and now our nine winners from ordered work stopped on the Pluto-Kuiper around the world are preparing to operate that spacecraft's camera and take pictures of Express mission to explore the fringe of our possible landing sites on the Red Planet. You can meet our winners here! solar system. One reason for halting the mis­ sion was that it did not fit NASA's current Departlnents concentration on seeking evidence for life. At moments like this, we face difficult 3 Metnbers' Dialogue choices. Is the prime reason we explore space to seek ourselves among the worlds, or is it 17 World Watch to explore worlds as yet unvisited? Should Questions and Ansvvers NASA concentrate on Mars and Europa, 1 B worlds that might support life, and give up 22 Society Nevvs the rest of the solar system? Or should it complete the planetary reconnaissance started so boldly when Mariner 2 traveled to Venus Contact Us in 1962? I have no easy answer; I welcome your views. I can be reached at the address Mailing Address: The Planetary SOCiety, 65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106-2301 to the right. General Calls: 626 -793-5100 Sales Calls Only: 626 -793-1675 -Charlene MAnderson E-mail: [email protected] World Wide We b: http://planetary.org The Planetary Repon (ISSN 0736-3680) is published bimonthly at the editorial offices of The Planetary Society, 65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 911 06-2301,626-793-5100. It is available to members of The Planetary Society. Annual dues in the US are $25 (US dollars); in Canada, $35 (Canadian dollars). Dues in other countries are $40 (U S dollars). Printed in USA. Third-class postage at Pasadena, California, and at an additional mailing office. Canada Post Agreement Number 87424. A Publication of Editor, CHARLENE M. ANDERSON Copy Editor, AMY SPITALNICK Associate Editor. DONNA ESCANDON STEVENS Proofreader, LOIS SMITH THE-PLAN~T~V SOCIETY Managing Editor, JENNIFER VAUGHN A rt Director, BARBARA S. SMITH Technical Editor, JAMES D. BURKE o .~-e- ¢ -& 0 Viewpoi nts expressed in columns or editorials are those of the authors and do not necessarily rep resent positions of The Planetary Society. its officers, or advisors. © 2000 by The Planetary Society. o Co-founder CARL SAGAN Members' 1934-1996 Board of Directors Dialogue President BRUCE MURRAY Professor of Planetary ScIence and Geology, California Institute of Technology Vice President WESLEY T. HUNTRESS JR. Director, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington Executive Director LOUIS D. FRIEDMAN ANN DRUYAN author and producer DONALD J. KUTYNA former Commander. Save Pluto The Planetary Society has not you, Clark, for keeping our eyes US Space Command Advisory Council Chair Express? given up on a mission to Pluto on the ball, and for helping point JOHN M. LOGSDON Director. Space Policy Institute, I share every Planetary Society just yet. Keep an (;)Ie on our web­ the way. We'll miss your wisdom George Washington University Member's sadness at the cancella­ site, planetary.org,for continuous in these pages. CHRISTOPHER P. McKAY planetary scientist. tion of the Pluto Express mission. updates on our members' fight to - DAVID H. LEVY, NASA Ames Research Center BILL NYE However, I am not the least bit ensure the planet is explored by vail, Arizona educator surprised that this mission faced this generation. JOSEPH RYAN Executive Vice President and the chopping block. I do not view -Charlene MAnderson, We agree completely-and we General Counsel, Marriott International the current situation as a disaster. Associate Director deeply appreciate Clark Chapman ROALD Z. SAGDEEV s former Director, Institute for Space Research. In fact, I am pleased that NASA devoted years as a contributor to Russian Academy of Sciences STEVEN SPIELBERG is getting more realistic about In Appreciation The Planetary Report. Tfe were director and producer just what can be done given the It's been a few issues since I've pleased to nominate him for the KATHRYN D. SULLI VAN President and CEO. "faster, better, cheaper" mantra. seen Clark Chapman's News and Carl Sagan Medal in the Division Ohio's Center of Science and Industry and former astronaut They are still on a learning curve, Reviews in The Planetary Report, ofPlanetary Sciences ofthe NEIL DE GRASSE TYSON Director, Hayden Planetarium, and mistakes are to be expected. and I fear it has been stopped. I American Astronomical Society American Museum of Natural History Ifwe lose Pluto Express, delay am saddened at the loss of this and were honored when he won the Europa orbiter, and keep all column, which I have enjoyed for that prize. Advisory Council the approved Discovery missions, years. In fact, wasn't News and - Louis D. Friedman, JIHEI AKITA we are still way ahead of where Reviews a staple in the magazine Executive Director Executive Director. The Planetary Society, Japan BUZZ ALDRIN we were before "faster, better, from the first issue? Apolfo 11 astronaut cheaper" debuted. I found Clark's column full of NEOS@hoR1e RICHARD BERENDZEN educator and astrophysicist -JOHN DAY, interesting news, unexpected opin­ I want to lend one more vote in JACQUES BLAMONT Chief Scientist, Los Angeles, California ions, and novel ideas. It was a support of the suggestion in the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, France favorite part of The Planetary July/August 2000 issue for devel­ RAY BRADBURY While I am sorry to hear about the Report for me, because the con­ oping a NEOs@home type of poet and author DAVID BRIN scrapping of the mission to Pluto, tents were always straight from its distributed processing network author FRANKLIN CHANG·DlAl I can't help thinking it may be a writer's heart. News and Reviews for near-Earth asteroid identifi­ NASA. Astronaut Office small price to pay for the preser­ was well written, incisive, and fun. cation and tracking. ARTHUR C. ClARKE vation of other, more important I remember being woken one I've been logging more than author FRANK DRAKE projects a little closer to home, morning in 1984, while doing the average amount oftime on PreSident, SETl lnstilute; Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, such as the continued exploration asteroid research at Kitt Peak. SETI@home but would much University of California, Santa Cruz STEPHEN JAY GOULD of Mars, Europa, and Saturn.
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