DOCSLIB.ORG

LPIB Issue 163 January 2021

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
LPIB Issue 163 January 2021 THE PERSEVERANCE MARS ROVER: NASA’s Next Giant Leap in the Search for Signs of Life Beyond Earth Featured Story From the Desk of Lori Glaze Meeting Highlights News from Space Spotlight on Education In Memoriam Milestones New and Noteworthy Calendar LUNAR AND PLANETARY INFORMATION BULLETIN January 2021 Issue 163 FEATURED STORY About the author: Briony Horgan is an Associate Professor of Planetary Science at Purdue University. She is a Par- ticipating Scientist on NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory rover mission and a Co-Investigator on NASA’s upcoming Mars 2020 rover mission, the first step toward Mars sample return. Her research program uses data from NASA satellites and rovers, along with laboratory and field work back on Earth, to understand the surface processes that have shaped Mars and the Moon. THE PERSEVERANCE MARS ROVER: NASA’s Next Giant Leap in the Search for Signs of Life Beyond Earth Briony Horgan, Purdue University On February 18, 2021, the most ambitious Welcome to and orbiters have built a picture of mission to Mars yet will land on Mars: an Earth-like ancient Mars. Three to 4 the aptly named Perseverance rover. Jezero Crater billion years ago, Mars hosted vast river Perseverance will trek through ancient networks as long as the Mississippi, deep lake beds and river channels in Jezero On February 18, Perseverance will enter lakes that contained the building blocks Crater to search for signs of past microbial the martian atmosphere at 21,000 kilo- of life, and hot springs that bubbled with life on Mars preserved in the rocks. Along meters per hour (13,000 miles per hour), potential for life. These watery envi- the way, the rover will collect samples of and seven nerve-wracking minutes later, ronments were able to exist because martian rocks, regolith, and atmosphere. will be gently lowered onto the surface by ancient Mars had a thick atmosphere. These samples will be picked up by a a jetpack and tether combination known However, that atmosphere has been future mission and brought back to Earth, as the Sky Crane. The rover will land in leaking away, leaving the surface where laboratory scientists will scrutinize Jezero Crater, a site that NASA hopes will today cold, dry, and inhospitable. them for signs of life and clues to the provide a window to a time when rain history of Mars for decades to come. fell and rivers flowed on ancient Mars. After five years of debate, Jezero Crater was selected as the site on Mars that is The Perseverance rover on the Mars 2020 Over the past 30 years, a fleet of rovers most likely to preserve signs of life that mission is likely the best chance within our lifetimes for NASA to create a scientific revolution in astrobiology. Decades of Mars exploration have clearly shown that Mars has hosted a variety of environments with conditions suitable for life as we know it, and NASA has made the case that Jezero Crater in particular had the right combination of timing, geologic pro- cesses, and water chemistry to preserve signs of ancient microbial life, if it existed. This means that there is a chance that Perseverance will collect the sample from Mars that answers the question: “Are we alone in the universe?” This question is especially relevant right now. During the coronavirus pandemic, the mission has stayed on track in spite of disruptions Fig. 1. In a clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, engineers observed the first and delays, and we have been reminded driving test for NASA’s Mars 2020 rover on December 17, 2019. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. that all life is vulnerable and precious. 2 Issue 163 January 2021 © Copyright 2021 Lunar and Planetary Institute FEATURED STORY beautifully preserved deltas; what makes a partial “bathtub ring” of mineral Jezero special is that it also contains deposits right at the elevations where unique mineral deposits. These minerals, the shorelines of an ancient lake might known as carbonates, provide a totally have reached. In a paper earlier this different mechanism for preserving life year, we suggested that these carbon- in an ancient lake in Jezero Crater. ates might have formed along ancient beaches as lake waters evaporated. Microbes: The Stromatolites can fossilize the microbial colonies that helped form them and even preserve textures of the microbes Fig. 2. Lighter colors represent higher elevation in this Original Beach Bums image of Jezero Crater on Mars, the landing site for themselves. Ancient stromatolites pre- NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. The oval indicates the Orbital spectrometers have shown that serve some of the earliest signs of life on landing ellipse, where the rover will be touching down carbonate is present throughout Jezero Earth, and Perseverance will search for on Mars. The color added to this image helps the crater Crater and in the watershed. On its similar signs of past life along the ancient rim stand out clearly, and makes it easier to spot the shoreline of a lake that dried up billions of years ago. own this is exciting since carbonates beaches of Jezero Crater on Mars. Scientists want to visit this shoreline because it may on Earth most commonly form due to have preserved fossilized microbial life, if any ever interactions between atmospheric carbon formed on Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/ dioxide, rain, and rocks. That means JHU-APL/ESA. Perseverance: that carbonates on Mars might provide answers to important questions like A Robotic might have inhabited Mars billions of “How much rain fell on ancient Mars?” years ago, when microbial life was first Astrobiologist starting on Earth. Satellite images of However, the orbital data also show Jezero show a river leading into the crater that carbonates are particularly con- The payload that each Mars rover has and ending in a large delta, which must centrated around the inside edge of brought to the Red Planet has varied have formed in a long-lived ancient lake. Jezero Crater. The carbonates create depending on the kind of science the The Muddy Search for Organic Molecules The delta in Jezero is the first major target for Perseverance’s search for life. When a river flows into a body of water and slows down, the bigger particles like sand tend to drop out right away around the mouth of the river, creating deposits like sandbars. However, the smallest particles like mud and organic molecules tend to travel farther, creating thin layers at the bottom of the lake that can be pre- served underneath deltas as they build. On Earth, these muddy layers are one of the best places to look for concentrated organic molecules derived from life in the watershed and the lake itself. Using orbital data, scientists like Prof. Tim Goudge at the University of Texas–Austin have argued that these thin layers are exposed in the now eroded front of the Fig. 3. This image of Jezero Crater was taken by instruments on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which Jezero delta and could preserve signs regularly takes images of potential landing sites for future missions. Green indicates the presence of carbonates. On ancient Mars, water carved channels and transported sediments to form fans and deltas within lake basins. of ancient life in the lake and beyond. Examination of spectral data acquired from orbit show that some of these sediments have minerals that indicate chemical alteration by water. Here in Jezero Crater delta, sediments contain clays and carbonates. Credit: But other craters on Mars also contain NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU. 3 Issue 163 January 2021 © Copyright 2021 Lunar and Planetary Institute FEATURED STORY evidence of microbial life is extremely difficult. Ultimately, we will need to look at samples from Jezero with advanced instruments on Earth. This is why Perseverance will also col- lect up to 38 pencil-sized rock cores that will be returned to Earth by a series of missions in the late 2020s. Paving the Way for Future Mars Exploration Perseverance will have many new capabilities that will transform how we explore Mars. The rover carries Ingenuity, a small helicopter that will be the first aircraft to fly on another planet. Because Mars’ atmosphere today is so thin — only 1% of Earth’s — Ingenuity has to be extremely lightweight [1.8 kilograms (4 pounds)] with very large blades [1.2 meters (4 feet) tip-to-tip] to get off the ground. Ingenuity will take Fig. 4. You may not be able to travel to Jezero Crater on Mars, but you can visit the next best thing: Lake Salda, images of the distant landscape and Turkey. Although it is located a world away, Lake Salda has mineralogy and geology similar to the dry martian help us scout the rover’s traverse; future lakebed. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory. Mars missions could adopt this model of rovers and aircraft working in tandem. mission aimed to achieve. Spirit and Perseverance will look a lot like Opportunity were robotic field geolo- Curiosity — the two rovers share the same Looking even further ahead, Perseverance gists, searching for signs of past water chassis and landing system. However, will help prepare for future human by looking at the surfaces of rocks with Perseverance has received a major missions to Mars. One of the many a hand lens and mineral identification overhaul under the hood in order to not challenges for astronauts will be the instruments. Curiosity is a roving geology only search for possible biosignatures but packing list for a two-year roundtrip laboratory analyzing the habitability to also place them in fine-scale context. journey, which includes air, water, and of these ancient watery environments Perseverance packs two Raman spectrom- rocket fuel to get home.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Of 13 Human Mars Mission Design – the Ultimate Systems Challenge
    Human Mars Mission Design – The Ultimate Systems Challenge John F. Connolly a, B. Kent Joostenb, Bret Drakec, Steve Hoffmanc, Tara Polsgroved, Michelle Ruckera, Alida Andrewsc, Nehemiah Williamsa a NASA Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Texas 77058, john.connolly- [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] b Consultant,2383 York Harbour Ct., League City, TX 77573, [email protected] c The Aerospace Corporation, 2310 E El Segundo Blvd, El Segundo, California 90245, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] d NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama 35812, [email protected] Abstract A human mission to Mars will occur at some time in the coming decades. When it does, it will be the end result of a complex network of interconnected design choices, systems analyses, technical optimizations, and non-technical compromises. This mission will extend the technologies, engineering design, and systems analyses to new limits, and may very well be the most complex undertaking in human history. It can be illustrated as a large menu, or as a large decision tree. Whatever the visualization tool, there are numerous design decisions required to assemble a human Mars mission, and many of these interconnect with one another. This paper examines these many decisions and further details a number of choices that are highly interwoven throughout the mission design. The large quantity of variables and their interconnectedness results in a highly complex systems challenge, and the paper illustrates how a change in one variable results in ripples (sometimes unintended) throughout many other facets of the design.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Mars Architecture
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Human Mars Architecture Tara Polsgrove NASA Human Mars Study Team 15th International Planetary Probe Workshop June 11, 2018 Space Policy Directive-1 “Lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities. Beginning with missions beyond low-Earth orbit, the United States will lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.” 2 EXPLORATION CAMPAIGN Gateway Initial ConfigurationLunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (Notional) Orion 4 5 A Brief History of Human Exploration Beyond LEO America at DPT / NEXT NASA Case the Threshold Constellation National Studies Program Lunar Review of Commission First Lunar Architecture U.S. Human on Space Outpost Team Spaceflight Plans Committee Pathways to Exploration Columbia Challenger 1980 1990 2000 2010 Bush 41 Bush 43 7kObama HAT/EMC MSC Speech Speech Speech Report of the 90-Day Study on Human Exploration of the Moon and Mars NASA’s Journey to National Aeronautics and November 1989 Global Leadership Space Administration Mars Exploration and 90-Day Study Mars Design Mars Design Roadmap America’s Reference Mars Design Reference Future in Reference Mission 1.0 Exploration Architecture Space Mission 3.0 System 5.0 Exploration Architecture Blueprint Study 6 Exploring the Mars Mission Design Tradespace • A myriad of choices define
    [Show full text]
  • Lurking in the Shadows: Wide-Separation Gas Giants As Tracers of Planet Formation
    Lurking in the Shadows: Wide-Separation Gas Giants as Tracers of Planet Formation Thesis by Marta Levesque Bryan In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Pasadena, California 2018 Defended May 1, 2018 ii © 2018 Marta Levesque Bryan ORCID: [0000-0002-6076-5967] All rights reserved iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to thank Heather Knutson, who I had the great privilege of working with as my thesis advisor. Her encouragement, guidance, and perspective helped me navigate many a challenging problem, and my conversations with her were a consistent source of positivity and learning throughout my time at Caltech. I leave graduate school a better scientist and person for having her as a role model. Heather fostered a wonderfully positive and supportive environment for her students, giving us the space to explore and grow - I could not have asked for a better advisor or research experience. I would also like to thank Konstantin Batygin for enthusiastic and illuminating discussions that always left me more excited to explore the result at hand. Thank you as well to Dimitri Mawet for providing both expertise and contagious optimism for some of my latest direct imaging endeavors. Thank you to the rest of my thesis committee, namely Geoff Blake, Evan Kirby, and Chuck Steidel for their support, helpful conversations, and insightful questions. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with Brendan Bowler. His talk at Caltech my second year of graduate school introduced me to an unexpected population of massive wide-separation planetary-mass companions, and lead to a long-running collaboration from which several of my thesis projects were born.
    [Show full text]
  • Lecture 9: Faint Young Sun Paradox Faint Young Sun Paradox
    Lecture 9: Faint Young Sun Paradox Faint Young Sun Paradox ! Solar luminosity was much weaker (~30%) in the early part of Earth’s history (a faint young Sun). ! If Earth’s albedo and greenhouse effect remained unchanged at that time, Earth’s mean surface temperature would be well below the freezing point of water during (from Earth’s Climate: Past and Future) a large portion of its 4.5 Byr ! Carbon Cycle As a Thermostat for Earth history. ! Chemical Weathering and Continental Drift ! That would result in a “snowball” Earth, which was not evident in ! Why No Similar Thermostat on Venus and Mars geologic record. ESS11 (from The Earth System) ESS11 Prof. Jin-Yi Yu Prof. Jin-Yi Yu Negative Feedback From Chemical Weathering Earth’s Thermostat – Chemical Weathering ! The chemical weathering works as ! Chemical weathering acts as a negative feedback that moderates Earth’s thermostat and long-term climate change. regulate its long-term climate. ! This negative feedback mechanism ! This thermostat mechanism links CO2 level in the atmosphere lies in two facts: to the temperature and (1) the average global rate of precipitation of the atmosphere. chemical weathering depends on the state of Earth’s climate, ! A warm and moist climate (2) weathering also has the produces stronger chemical capacity to alter that state by weathering to remove CO2 out of regulating the rate which CO the atmosphere " smaller 2 greenhouse effect and colder (from Earth’s Climate: Past and Future) is removed from the atmosphere. climate. ESS11 ESS11 Prof. Jin-Yi Yu (from Earth’s Climate: Past and Future) Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Two-Step Rise of Atmospheric Oxygen Linked to the Growth of Continents Cin-Ty A
    PERSPECTIVE PUBLISHED ONLINE: 16 MAY 2016 | DOI: 10.1038/NGEO2707 Two-step rise of atmospheric oxygen linked to the growth of continents Cin-Ty A. Lee1*, Laurence Y. Yeung1, N. Ryan McKenzie2,3, Yusuke Yokoyama4, Kazumi Ozaki4 and Adrian Lenardic1 Earth owes its oxygenated atmosphere to its unique claim on life, but how the atmosphere evolved from an initially oxygen-free state remains unresolved. The rise of atmospheric oxygen occurred in two stages: approximately 2.5 to 2.0 billion years ago during the Great Oxidation Event and roughly 2 billion years later during the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event. We propose that the formation of continents about 2.7 to 2.5 billion years ago, perhaps due to the initiation of plate tectonics, may have led to oxygenation by the following mechanisms. In the first stage, the change in composition of Earth’s crust from iron- and magnesium-rich mafic rocks to feldspar- and quartz-rich felsic rocks could have caused a decrease in the oxidative efficiency of the Earth’s surface, allowing atmospheric O2 to rise. Over the next billion years, as carbon steadily accumulated on the con- tinents, metamorphic and magmatic reactions within this growing continental carbon reservoir facilitated a gradual increase in the total long-term input of CO2 to the ocean–atmosphere system. Given that O2 is produced during organic carbon burial, the increased CO2 input may have triggered a second rise in O2. A two-step rise in atmospheric O2 may therefore be a natural consequence of plate tectonics, continent formation and the growth of a crustal carbon reservoir.
    [Show full text]
  • Curriculum Vitae - 24 March 2020
    Dr. Eric E. Mamajek Curriculum Vitae - 24 March 2020 Jet Propulsion Laboratory Phone: (818) 354-2153 4800 Oak Grove Drive FAX: (818) 393-4950 MS 321-162 [email protected] Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/Mamajek/ Positions 2020- Discipline Program Manager - Exoplanets, Astro. & Physics Directorate, JPL/Caltech 2016- Deputy Program Chief Scientist, NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program, JPL/Caltech 2017- Professor of Physics & Astronomy (Research), University of Rochester 2016-2017 Visiting Professor, Physics & Astronomy, University of Rochester 2016 Professor, Physics & Astronomy, University of Rochester 2013-2016 Associate Professor, Physics & Astronomy, University of Rochester 2011-2012 Associate Astronomer, NOAO, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 2008-2013 Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy, University of Rochester (on leave 2011-2012) 2004-2008 Clay Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics 2000-2004 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Arizona, Astronomy 1999-2000 Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Arizona, Astronomy 1998-1999 J. William Fulbright Fellow, Australia, ADFA/UNSW School of Physics Languages English (native), Spanish (advanced) Education 2004 Ph.D. The University of Arizona, Astronomy 2001 M.S. The University of Arizona, Astronomy 2000 M.Sc. The University of New South Wales, ADFA, Physics 1998 B.S. The Pennsylvania State University, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Physics 1993 H.S. Bethel Park High School Research Interests Formation and Evolution
    [Show full text]
  • Orbital Evidence for More Widespread Carbonate- 10.1002/2015JE004972 Bearing Rocks on Mars Key Point: James J
    PUBLICATIONS Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets RESEARCH ARTICLE Orbital evidence for more widespread carbonate- 10.1002/2015JE004972 bearing rocks on Mars Key Point: James J. Wray1, Scott L. Murchie2, Janice L. Bishop3, Bethany L. Ehlmann4, Ralph E. Milliken5, • Carbonates coexist with phyllosili- 1 2 6 cates in exhumed Noachian rocks in Mary Beth Wilhelm , Kimberly D. Seelos , and Matthew Chojnacki several regions of Mars 1School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2The Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, USA, 3SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA, 4Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA, 5Department of Geological Sciences, Brown Correspondence to: University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, 6Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA J. J. Wray, [email protected] Abstract Carbonates are key minerals for understanding ancient Martian environments because they Citation: are indicators of potentially habitable, neutral-to-alkaline water and may be an important reservoir for Wray, J. J., S. L. Murchie, J. L. Bishop, paleoatmospheric CO2. Previous remote sensing studies have identified mostly Mg-rich carbonates, both in B. L. Ehlmann, R. E. Milliken, M. B. Wilhelm, Martian dust and in a Late Noachian rock unit circumferential to the Isidis basin. Here we report evidence for older K. D. Seelos, and M. Chojnacki (2016), Orbital evidence for more widespread Fe- and/or Ca-rich carbonates exposed from the subsurface by impact craters and troughs. These carbonates carbonate-bearing rocks on Mars, are found in and around the Huygens basin northwest of Hellas, in western Noachis Terra between the Argyre – J.
    [Show full text]
  • CHLA 2017 Annual Report
    Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Annual Report 2017 About Us The mission of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is to create hope and build healthier futures. Founded in 1901, CHLA is the top-ranked children’s hospital in California and among the top 10 in the nation, according to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll of children’s hospitals for 2017-18. The hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute and is one of the few freestanding pediatric hospitals where scientific inquiry is combined with clinical care devoted exclusively to children. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a premier teaching hospital and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932. Table of Contents 2 4 6 8 A Message From the Year in Review Patient Care: Education: President and CEO ‘Unprecedented’ The Next Generation 10 12 14 16 Research: Legislative Action: Innovation: The Jimmy Figures of Speech Protecting the The CHLA Kimmel Effect Vulnerable Health Network 18 20 21 81 Donors Transforming Children’s Miracle CHLA Honor Roll Financial Summary Care: The Steven & Network Hospitals of Donors Alexandra Cohen Honor Roll of Friends Foundation 82 83 84 85 Statistical Report Community Board of Trustees Hospital Leadership Benefit Impact Annual Report 2017 | 1 This year, we continued to shine. 2 | A Message From the President and CEO A Message From the President and CEO Every year at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is by turning attention to the hospital’s patients, and characterized by extraordinary enthusiasm directed leveraging our skills in the arena of national advocacy.
    [Show full text]
  • Curiosity Assesses Conditions Favorable for Life
    Jet APRIL Propulsion 2013 Laboratory VOLUME 43 NUMBER 4 Curiosity assesses conditions Chemical analysis of rock shows key ingredients for development favorable for life of microbes on Mars By Mark Whalen This mosaic of images from Curiosity’s mast camera shows Mount Sharp, which rises more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) above the crater floor. It is the mission’s primary target after exploring Yellowknife Bay. Through its analysis of powder from a drilled rock, Deputy Project Scientist Joy Crisp said the near-term mentary rocks, abundant clay minerals and different JPL’s Curiosity rover has officially fulfilled its objec- emphasis will be on completing the analyses of the signatures of water alteration. “The gray interior of tive to assess whether past environmental conditions drilling of the rocks in the “John Klein” area—named in the rock we drilled into was a welcome surprise—if at Gale Crater were favorable for the development of honor of the former Mars Science Lab deputy project future rock drilling reveals similarly low oxidation microbial life on Mars. manager—and a more complete characterization of the levels, that should improve the likelihood of preserving Data returned by Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at concretions and veins in the rock. And there’s no hurry. organic compounds if any were there when the rocks Mars and Chemistry and Mineralogy instruments “We have no specific period of time scheduled for how were formed.” showed that the Yellowknife Bay area was the end long we will remain at Yellowknife Bay,” she said. “It Curiosity’s been making other surprising discoveries of an ancient river system or an intermittently wet depends on what we discover.” in addition to the primary goal of habitable environ- lakebed that could have provided chemical energy and The initial drilling has given the science and engineer- ments, noted Vasavada.
    [Show full text]
  • LSAH Newsletter
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration THE LIFETIME SURVEILLANCE OF ASTRONAUT HEALTH Newsletter Volume 25, Issue 1 Editor’s Note: We hope you are all doing well during this unprecedented time in our history. This edition of the LSAH Newsletter looks at the most recent updates to the TREAT Astronauts Act, as well as how to make a behavior- al telehealth appointment with the JSC Clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic. We dive into the history of LSAH in the last three decades, and peer into the future of the Artemis program while remembering the great strides taken from the Apollo era. A Message from the JSC Clinic! As a reminder, your routine medical evaluation now includes a dedicated behavioral health session with our Clinical Neuropsychologist, Dr. Carmen Pulido. The initial session will take approximately 1.5 hours, and will include a review of your devel- opmental, occupational, and medical history. In response to COVID-19 and the current limitations Nov. 15, 2019 - NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan waves as on travel, we have this service available virtually! he is photographed during the first spacewalk to repair the For a behavioral telehealth appointment with Dr. Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a cosmic particle detector on Pulido, please contact the JSC Flight Medicine the International Space Station. Clinic at 281-483- 7999 during normal business hours. Making a behavioral telehealth appointment LSAH: Looking Back, Moving Forward will not affect your ability to visit the JSC Clinic Mary Wear, Ph.D. and Jacqueline Charvat, Ph.D. for your routine physical and other health appoint- The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 ments.
    [Show full text]
  • May 4-10, 2021 Further Reproduction Or Distribution Is Subject to Original Copyright Restrictions
    Weekly Media Report – May 4-10, 2021 Further reproduction or distribution is subject to original copyright restrictions. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…… RESEARCH: 1. Annual NRWG Connects NPS Researchers to Fleet Sponsors, Warfighter Challenges (Navy.mil 3 May 21) … Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tom Tonthat (NPS.edu 3 May 21) … Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tom Tonthat The Naval Research Program (NRP) at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) held its annual Naval Research Working Group (NRWG) event virtually, April 20-22, providing a forum for Department of Defense (DOD) organizations to be research topic sponsors, communicating their operational challenges and recommending research topics to NPS faculty and students. 2. NPS Student Invents, Patents Durable Uniform Nametags (Navy.mil 3 May 21) … Javier Chagoya (NPS.edu 3 May 21) … Javier Chagoya (Ethical Editor 5 May 21) … Javier Chagoya (EurekAlert! 6 May 21) … Javier Chagoya (Techxplore 6 May 21) … Javier Chagoya Using his own time and resources, Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Space Systems Engineering student Lt. Mitchell Kempisty ventured into unchartered waters to bring an invention of his making through the patent process, an invention which he hopes will improve Navy uniform fabric nametag durability. 3. NPS, NASA Team Up on “Astrobatics” Project to Advance Spacecraft Robotics (Navy.mil 4 May 21) … Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Leonard Weston (NPS.edu 4 May 21) … Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Leonard Weston (EurekAlert! 5 May 21) … Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Leonard Weston On March 17, Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) students and researchers in the NPS Spacecraft Robotics Laboratory, working with NASA and the International Space Station research team, including astronauts Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Geochemistry Constrains Global Hydrology on Early Mars ∗ Edwin S
    Earth and Planetary Science Letters 524 (2019) 115718 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Earth and Planetary Science Letters www.elsevier.com/locate/epsl Geochemistry constrains global hydrology on Early Mars ∗ Edwin S. Kite , Mohit Melwani Daswani 1 University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: Ancient hydrology is recorded by sedimentary rocks on Mars. The most voluminous sedimentary rocks Received 28 December 2018 that formed during Mars’ Hesperian period are sulfate-rich rocks, explored by the Opportunity rover from Received in revised form 17 July 2019 2004–2012 and soon to be investigated by the Curiosity rover at Gale crater. A leading hypothesis for the Accepted 18 July 2019 origin of these sulfates is that the cations were derived from evaporation of deep-sourced groundwater, Available online xxxx as part of a global circulation of groundwater. Global groundwater circulation would imply sustained Editor: W.B. McKinnon warm Earthlike conditions on Early Mars. Global circulation of groundwater including infiltration of water Keywords: initially in equilibrium with Mars’ CO2 atmosphere implies subsurface formation of carbonate. We find Mars that the CO2 sequestration implied by the global groundwater hypothesis for the origin of sulfate-rich geochemistry rocks on Mars is 30–5000 bars if the Opportunity data are representative of Hesperian sulfate-rich rocks, hydrology which is so large that (even accounting for volcanic outgassing) it would bury the atmosphere. This planetary science disfavors the hypothesis that the cations for Mars’ Hesperian sulfates were derived from upwelling of deep-sourced groundwater.
    [Show full text]