Attachment 797

OK look at the flat white spots under the Phoenix.
That is frkkn ice. Blew out by the landing.
It has to be. I hope.

they know there's water there. that's why they picked the spot.

i love the fact they won't make a definitive call until they dig in and test the stuff. it could be a salt deposit.

the slow steady "have proof before you make the definitive call" is typical. and why science is better than fairy tales.

Not in big frozen lakes that close to the surface.
Little crystals strewn in the dust was expected.

I still retain the right to get
excited.

Science is better than fairy tales.
But Star Wars and all the space movies
make this and other ventures
perfectly mundane to most.

I think many people expect some sort of
giant insect to crawl from under a rock
and eat the lander on camera. If not, then who cares.

Oops. Could be called a nerd for this post.

Nahhh. My position is already solidified.

I found out they named the spot
under the Phoenix "Holy Cow", after
the cameras took that shot.

The dark, deliberate scientists get a bit excited.

so if it turns out to be ice, what's next?
what are the ramifications for us earthlings?

Could give us more idea how life started here.
Even if we dont find any signs of "biochemical"
life there.

And, not for us old folks... A possible place to go.
And maybe stay.
Actually not even for the youngest folks.

Soil sample pulled up.
Being analzyed; results in about a week
and a half.

Scientists again excited. Danced to
KC and the Sunshine Band's "Shake Your
Booty". NASA eclipsing past records
of Nerdom.

Even Colder!
 

Adam and Eve DUH :rolleyes:

Phil :D

and Ethel :p




Garden

:)

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ph...-20080619.html

Cool.
The Ice probably sublimated.
Its cold, but the air pressure is way low.
If there is a whole bunch of water...

One of the two main problems.
Water and O2.
Big bubble full of plants that do well
in the shade solve the O2.
Getting a little ahead I am.

This is good news. Just need to get
data back on the samples.

one of the things keeping us from attempting to travel to and land on mars is water. it's a loooong trip in both directions. food is easy-you can dehydrate and carry enough food to last-but what about water? so, if there are viable sources there, you could travel there and not have to worry about pre-shipping evian!

my son wants to go to the naval academy and become a pilot, and then go to nasa from there to be an astronaut. he said the other day 'hey, maybe i could be the first guy on mars'. i told him to go for it.

I think Peter Smith taught me the astronamy class I took when at the U of A... granted I dropped the course a few weeks in... too much math!! Shoot I was there to study horse racing!

aww you are a good supportive Mom!

Exactly.
Water is damn heavy (I should say dense because water is heavier
on the earth than on mars).
The payload to take enough water would make it
ridiculous to stay for any amount of time.

You can also turn water into O2 using electrolysis
powered by the sun. but if anyone wanted to stay
more long term... plants could solve a lot of food problems.
Problems with the winds, cold, pressure, etc... can be overcome.
We could set some telescopes up their also, the moon as well.
Im Getting way ahead again.

We also think the moon has water but mostly small crystalized
pieces in the soil.

sounds like a good career path, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were him about mars. that ain't going to happen any time soon if at all.

We need for Russia to get to Mars first.
That seemed to fire us to out-do them before.
Then we will be the first to establish a permanent
Colony. And claim all minerals.

Nahh. I think some international law on this is set,
but Im not sure.

Heck we dont have enough money right now for war(s).

you never know. i bet back in the 50's neil armstrongs parents told him he'd never get to the moon!!

that 'when we left earth' series has been something. those guys were nuts! you look at the old film of their 'state of the art' equipment--it looks like cardboard and tin foil.


and yeah, getting to mars will be a trick. the key is water. they had said before that if there was a way found to 'make' water on mars, they'd get all the equipment there to do so and generate plenty of water before trying to travel there. it sounds like an almost impossible task. who knows?? but if a guy ends up going, i'd love to see eric be the one! he's a throwback to explorers, he was born 500 years too late.