The PLANETARYPLANETARY REPORT REPORT Volume XXIV Number 2 March/April 2004 Mars’Mars’ WateryWatery PastPast Volume XXIV Table of Number 2 Contents March/April 2004 A PUBLICATION OF Features From We Make It Happen! The 4 The Planetary Society on Mars Editor The Planetary Society has taken for its motto the phrase “We make it happen.” Over and over again, we’ve proved this statement true. As you’ll read here, we are now on Mars—as part of the Spirit and Opportunity rover missions. Each lander carried to ext year, The Planetary Society will Mars a Planetary Society–provided DVD with the names of 4 million Earthlings. Ncelebrate its 25th anniversary. Over Each rover also carries a MarsDial we helped to make a reality. Red Rover Goes to that quarter century, we’ve witnessed and Mars sent 16 students from around the world to JPL, where they contributed to the celebrated many stupendous missions of public success of the mission. We also staged the biggest party on Earth to celebrate discovery throughout our solar system. the Mars missions and Stardust’s flight through comet Wild 2. You helped make We’ve also experienced long years of each one of these fantastic accomplishments happen. drought, when no new spacecraft were launched and the future of planetary explo- Return to Saturn’s Realm ration itself was sometimes in doubt. 12 When the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe finally get to the Saturn This is not one of those years. Right now system this year, it will be a moment of triumph for Charley Kohlhase, who served there are five spacecraft exploring Mars. as science and mission design manager almost from the project’s inception through Stardust is on its way back to Earth with its launch in 1997. Few people on Earth know the mission as well as Charley does, samples of a comet. In May, MESSENGER and here he shares that knowledge with Planetary Society members. In 1998, is scheduled to launch to Mercury. In June, when he retired from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Charley joined the Society’s Cassini-Huygens will reach Saturn. In Advisory Council. Ever since, he has regularly contributed his considerable ex- September, Genesis will return samples of pertise and energy to our projects. the solar wind to Earth. Finally, if our schedule holds, this fall Annual Report to Our Members Cosmos 1 will become the first solar sail and 18 Your Planetary Society has been extraordinarily busy over the past year, the first space mission flown by a member- and this year promises to be just as jam-packed with accomplishments. For our ship organization. members, we have put together a short report on our activities, and we provide This extraordinary roster of missions is an overview of the Society’s financial status. being flown by NASA and ESA with the co- operation of a host of nations (not to men- tion The Planetary Society). This flowering of scientific discovery is due, in part, to the Departments great public support for space exploration demonstrated over and over again by our 3 Members’ Dialogue members. In a very real sense, over the past 25 years 10 World Watch you have helped keep the dream of explo- Questions and Answers ration alive. We have a lot to celebrate—and 20 even more to look forward to. —Charlene M. Anderson Contact Us On the Cover: Mailing Address: The Planetary Society, 65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106-2301 This false-color composite image, taken by Opportunity in a re- gion close to its landing site dubbed “Opportunity Ledge,” General Calls: 626-793-5100 Sales Calls Only: 626-793-1675 shows finely layered sediments that have been accentuated by E-mail: [email protected] World Wide Web: http://planetary.org erosion. The sphere-like grains, or “blueberries,” distributed The Planetary Report (ISSN 0736-3680) is published bimonthly at the editorial offices of The Planetary Society, 65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106-2301, throughout the outcrop are geologic features called concretions 626-793-5100. It is available to members of The Planetary Society. Annual dues in the US are $30 (US dollars); in Canada, $40 (Canadian dollars). Dues in other countries are $45 (US dollars). Printed in USA. Third-class postage at Pasadena, California, and at an additional mailing office. that form in preexisting wet sediments. This image was taken Canada Post Agreement Number 87424. by Opportunity’s panoramic camera on the 50th Martian day, Editor, CHARLENE M. ANDERSON Copy Editor, A. J. SOBCZAK Associate Editor, DONNA ESCANDON STEVENS Proofreader, LOIS SMITH or sol, of the mission. Image: NASA/JPL/Cornell Managing Editor, JENNIFER VAUGHN Art Director, BARBARA S. SMITH Technical Editor, JAMES D. BURKE Science Editor, BRUCE BETTS Viewpoints expressed in columns and editorials are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent positions of The Planetary Society, its officers, or its advisers. ©2004 by The Planetary Society. Cofounder CARL SAGAN 1934–1996 Board of Directors Chairman of the Board BRUCE MURRAY Members’ Professor of Planetary Science and Geology, California Institute of Technology President Dialogue WESLEY T. HUNTRESS JR. Director, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington Vice President NEIL DE GRASSE TYSON Astrophysicist and Director, Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History Executive Director LOUIS D. FRIEDMAN ANN DRUYAN Wild About Mars concern on those faces, watch- spaceflight and the subsequent author and producer I would like to thank The Plane- ing the drama of the whole deadly risks are to seek knowl- DANIEL GERACI Executive Vice President, Phoenix Companies tary Society for the excellent event as years of work came edge and to learn about ourselves JOHN M. LOGSDON Director, Space Policy Institute, Wild About Mars conference. down to 6 minutes of hell. Fi- and our role in the universe. George Washington University Advisory Council Chair In my hometown I typically nally, there was the eruption of There is no more profound CHRISTOPHER P. McKAY planetary scientist, NASA Ames Research Center found myself as one of the few cheers and hugs as the rover question in science, and we ELON MUSK people truly interested in space- performed its maneuvers in must be willing to take the risks. Chairman, CEO, SpaceX BILL NYE flight. It was a wonderful change picture-perfect fashion and No other program has influ- science educator JOSEPH RYAN to see the live video from the beeped a clear and present C enced our understanding of the Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Marriott International Jet Propulsion Laboratory and note to signal “I’m here.” universe as profoundly as the ROALD Z. SAGDEEV former Director, Institute for Space Research, Spirit’s new images with over I have been a member of The Hubble Space Telescope. It has Russian Academy of Sciences STEVEN SPIELBERG 2,000 people instead of by my- Planetary Society since its in- changed the way we view the director and producer self at home! ception in 1980. I have read the universe and influenced the MARIA T. ZUBER Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology I would also like to thank articles on space exploration way millions of people consider Mat Kaplan, Bruce Betts, and triumphs and tragedies in The our very existence. Hubble im- Advisory Council JIHEI AKITA Emily Lakdawalla for all the Planetary Report and on the ages have become iconic, repre- Executive Director, The Planetary Society, Japan BUZZ ALDRIN work they put into Planetary website. But never have I felt so senting everything from simple Apollo 11 astronaut NORTON BELLKNAP Radio. Their commercials for proud and full of myself for be- wonder to creation itself. Isn’t President, Paul Taylor Dance Company RICHARD BERENDZEN Wild About Mars and subse- ing a member at this moment. I this the desired outcome of educator and astrophysicist quent discussions of it sold me just wish Carl were here to see space exploration? JACQUES BLAMONT Chief Scientist, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, France on making the trip from New this. —JACK SHAW, RAY BRADBURY Hampshire to Pasadena! —BILL CAMPBELL, Mount Shasta, California poet and author DAVID BRIN After the Columbia accident, Calgary, Alberta, Canada author FRANKLIN CHANG-DIAZ the desire for a new direction We at The Planetary Society be- NASA, Astronaut Office ARTHUR C. CLARKE in manned spaceflight led me Save the Hubble lieve that the Hubble Space author FRANK DRAKE to several space societies, It has been announced that the Telescope has been of enormous President, SETI Institute; Professor of Astronomy and As- including The Planetary Soci- Hubble Space Telescope will public and scientific value, and trophysics, University of California,Santa Cruz OWEN GARRIOTT former astronaut; Professor, ety, the National Space Society, not receive the maintenance we encourage any action to pro- University of Alabama, Huntsville and the Mars Society. Each necessary for its survival, the long its productivity until it is GARRY E. HUNT space scientist, United Kingdom has slightly different goals, and reason being that safety con- replaced. We believe that the THOMAS D. JONES different strengths, and I am a siderations won’t allow for an- actions taken by NASA and the planetary scientist; former astronaut and author SERGEI KAPITSA Institute for Physical Problems, member of each. On a day-to- other shuttle visit. While safety US Congress for independent Russian Academy of Sciences day basis, however, I find the must always be given review are the correct course CHARLES E. KOHLHASE JR. mission designer, author, digital artist most new information, sup- the highest priority, I disagree to determine if NASA’s decision JON LOMBERG artist port, projects, and hard work with the logic behind allowing to terminate the planned main- HANS MARK toward making a difference the Hubble program to end.