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welcome to NASA's Jet Propulsion

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Laboratory JPL in Pasadena California

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I'm guy Webster with the JPL News team

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11 years ago NASA's twin Mars

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exploration Rovers didn't yet have the

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name Spirit and Opportunity they were

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right here two buildings east of this

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auditorium and that in JPL's spacecraft

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assembly facility exactly 10 years ago

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tomorrow evening two buildings north of

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here the control room team celebrated

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boisterously on getting the signal that

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opportunity had landed safely on Mars

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spirit had been working for three weeks

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already at that point and opportunity

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was ready to begin a mission that was

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scheduled to last for just three months

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spirit Byul lasted six years kept

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working for six years in 2012 NASA sent

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a bigger Mars rover Curiosity which

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reached Mars ten years after

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opportunity's landing opportunity is

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still working on Mars very productively

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I'm going to introduce you to four

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panelists who will be telling you about

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a decade of roving on Mars and in

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particular some important new results

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being published in the journal Science

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tomorrow to two of the presenters are

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here at JPL Ray Arvidsson of Washington

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University in st. Louis is the deputy

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principal investigator for the Mars

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exploration Rovers Spirit and

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Opportunity

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he's also the lead author for the

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research report that you'll hear about

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John Kallis of JPL is the project

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manager for the Mars exploration Rovers

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and two of today's presenters are

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joining us from the television studio at

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NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in

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Greenbelt Maryland they will be the

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first and the last and the order of

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presentation and you will hear from

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Michael Meyer of NASA's headquarters in

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Washington DC he's the lead

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scientist for NASA's Mars exploration

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program which includes several missions

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at Mars and in development Steve Squyres

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of Cornell University in Ithaca New York

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is the principal investigator for the

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Mars exploration Rovers after all for

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presentations we'll have plenty of time

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for questions and answers so let's stay

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at Goddard Space Flight Center and hear

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from Michael Mayer well thank you guy it

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will be ten years ago tomorrow that the

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mars exploration rover Opportunity

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landed on the surface of Mars and to

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kind of relive that excitement we have a

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video showing the rover going to the

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surface so if we roll that video we can

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see the capsule entering the Mars

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atmosphere it will slowly unpack deploy

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airbags and then bounce several times on

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the surface before actually coming to a

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halt and landing but the real payoff

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from this mission is started on the day

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that opportunity landed it began science

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operations that lasted over ten years

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nine point seven five years beyond the

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rover's warranty we are here to

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celebrate the 10th anniversary but more

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importantly 10 years of groundbreaking

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research that has exemplified in the

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paper that is the public published

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coming out this week in science magazine

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the bottom line is we have discovered

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discovered another place on Mars that

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shows could have provided a habitat for

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life in a more ancient time this paper

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also highlights the importance of the

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Mars program in sweet land which in

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which we have landed assets and orbital

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assets on Mars that have played an

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important synergistic role for instance

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for opportunity Mars Global Surveyor and

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Mars Odyssey identified opportunities

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landing site finding hematite which is

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an aqueous mineral which became known as

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blueberries both Odyssey and the Mars

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Reconnaissance Orbiter provide

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telecommunications between law

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in earth the high-resolution camera on

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the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter provided

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strategic navigation information for the

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extended mission and the infrared

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spectral imaging on the Mars

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Reconnaissance Orbiter prism has

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identified the clay minerals that were

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studied by opportunity that are

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published in this issue of science it

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has been this Mars program the logical

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sequence of missions that have brought

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us to this point by standing on the

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shoulders of on the solar panels of

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Spirit and Opportunity we see the future

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of Mars exploration that has progressed

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to the point of looking for

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biosignatures the ability to catch

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samples for sample return and planning

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for future humans to Mars to tell us

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more about the latest science results

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I'll turn the microphone over to the

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lead author of the science paper Ray

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artisan rates something that Michael

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said and our science results to be

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published tomorrow could not have been

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accomplished without the joint use of

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orbital atlanta tassets and in

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particular the first slide step will be

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a view from orbit it shows high rise

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which is a exquisite color imager and in

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addition to using high rise we also used

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chrism that's the hyper spectral

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infrared spectrometer that Michael

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mentioned but we used it in a special

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way and we over sampled the acquisition

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of data in the long track direction

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that's a form of super resolution and it

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allowed us to detect outcrops with these

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clay minerals signatures that we

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couldn't do heretofore that's what we're

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seeing in the lower left that little red

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splotch are there very few pixels where

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we see this clay mineral called an iron

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Smith type doesn't mean much to many

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people but to geologists it's pretty

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exciting because it's a clay mineral

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that forms in a particular aqueous

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environment or water environment and

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it's much less acidic and much less

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oxidizing than the Burns formation

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sandstones the sulfate rich sand stones

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that opportunity explored for most of

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its mission until August 2011 when a

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drove on to Cape York which is an

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isolated rim segment of this

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very very old crater called endeavour

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22,000 meters across and the white lines

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that you see drawn on the on the central

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image those are locations that we

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visited with opportunity and made

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measurements to really understand kind

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of getting down in the dirt and in the

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rocks to understand the geologic setting

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and the details of these these

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occurrences the presence of this iron

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clay when will call a smectite so we are

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the next slide step this is really a

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neat area because it's very small

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we couldn't have identified it otherwise

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than using the super resolution

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technique and importantly these are the

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oldest rocks we've seen because it's

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that tan kind of corridor that runs from

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left to right in the image and these

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rocks are actually older than the

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Endeavour impact event because the

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ejecta sits on top of them copper cliff

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which you can see now is impact material

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from Endeavour so we're looking at rocks

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that in fact are older and those things

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called the dark veneers that Maps

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one-to-one with where chrism is seeing

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the iron clay mineral smectite these

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probably formed in fractures bedding for

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plane fractures probably formed as

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ferrous smectite oxidized later to

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ferric smectite and the point is these

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waters couldn't be too acidic and they

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could be too oxidizing or we wouldn't

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have produced these materials that we

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seed but it gets better because we also

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saw fractures cutting through these

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finely layered rocks and esperance is

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one of those fractures it's kind of

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bright relative to the surroundings and

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it really is a place in which the

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composition suggests even more

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alteration what you're looking at now on

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the next step slide step is some of the

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veneers these dark veneers probably

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bedding plain deposits carrying the the

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iron smectite this iron clay mineral a

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little bit of alteration a little bit of

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water a little bit of salt mild

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conditions in terms of the water

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chemistry rather different than the

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younger burns formation very acidic very

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oxidizing conditions the older you look

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the better it gets in terms of

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habitability at this location we go to

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the next slide step now we're looking

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close

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up at this fracture system we couldn't

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see this from prison it's two

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centimeters across

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and even with super super resolution we

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couldn't get down to that resolution so

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we went up to this outcrop this this

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fracture and ground into it with a

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little bit of grinding pads left on a

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rock abrasion tool and if you go to the

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next slide it's a triangular diagram

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it's a geochemist diagram and it's a way

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to get at the types of materials present

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here's the punchline if you look at the

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art average Martian crust which is it's

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kind of like the overall material we

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were looking at and then you look at

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those yellow dots those represents

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compositions for the material as we

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ground deeper and deeper into this

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fracture all the way toward an aluminous

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clay an alumina smectite called a ma

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true and that indicates significant

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leaching and removing of iron and other

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materials and had to be done

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under at best mildly acidic conditions

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and reducing not oxidizing conditions

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you know if I were there back when this

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material was being emplaced and altered

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and I had my summer house this is where

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I would drill to get good drinking water

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so the older you look the better it gets

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you know opportunity is still exploring

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and Steve will tell you a lot in a few

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minutes about what's coming up but in

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the meantime I'll turn it over to John

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Kallis the project manager to give a

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little bit of the engineering history

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and what's coming up for opportunity

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thanks very much ray no one ever

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expected this that after ten years a

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Mars Exploration Rover would continues

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to operate and operate productively on

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the surface of Mars so let's remind

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ourselves where opportunity has driven

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remember that the rover was designed for

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only one kilometre of odometry that's

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like six tenths of a mile so may have

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the the traverse' pan so we landed an

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eagle crater and then drove a few

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hundred meters over to endurance crater

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and after exploring endurance crater we

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headed south and we drove several

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kilometers to the 1/2 mile diameter

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Victoria crater and we spent almost a

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year exploring Victoria crater and then

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we decided well

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where do we go next so we decided to

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more than double the already tremendous

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odometry on this vehicle and head to the

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very distant with giant endeavour crater

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and that's what you see here in the this

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animation and we are now exploring the

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rim of that crater and that's where we

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are today but after 10 years you know

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opportunity has driven 38.7 kilometers

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than the the one kilometer requirement

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that's about 24 miles we've survived

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more than 3,500 Martian days on the

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surface and we've collected over a

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hundred and seventy thousand images but

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you know it's not how long the rover is

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00:19:51,350 --> 00:19:48,420
lasted or even how far it is driven but

278
00:19:53,210 --> 00:19:51,360
the amount of scientific exploration and

279
00:19:56,990 --> 00:19:53,220
discovery that's been accomplished in

280
00:19:59,630 --> 00:19:57,000
that time so after 10 years opportunity

281
00:20:01,070 --> 00:19:59,640
is still in very good health and it's

282
00:20:01,930 --> 00:20:01,080
still of course very scientifically

283
00:20:04,130 --> 00:20:01,940
productive

284
00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:04,140
although the rover has some degraded

285
00:20:09,350 --> 00:20:06,690
components the right front steering

286
00:20:11,510 --> 00:20:09,360
actuator is jammed and no longer steers

287
00:20:14,540 --> 00:20:11,520
the right front wheel the same wheel

288
00:20:17,150 --> 00:20:14,550
also shows elevated wheel currents the

289
00:20:19,070 --> 00:20:17,160
robotic arm has some arthritis to it and

290
00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:19,080
two of the scientific instruments no

291
00:20:24,380 --> 00:20:22,050
longer function but in the past year

292
00:20:26,270 --> 00:20:24,390
almost nothing has changed in terms of

293
00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:26,280
the health and status of the rover it's

294
00:20:30,910 --> 00:20:28,770
been very stable there is one recent

295
00:20:34,490 --> 00:20:30,920
issue that were keeping an eye on

296
00:20:37,250 --> 00:20:34,500
opportunity had a senior moment now we

297
00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:37,260
call this a an amnesia event this has to

298
00:20:40,580 --> 00:20:39,210
do with the flash file system on the

299
00:20:43,220 --> 00:20:40,590
rover this is the non-volatile memory

300
00:20:45,110 --> 00:20:43,230
inside the rover right now it's not a

301
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:45,120
health or safety issue it's just an

302
00:20:49,100 --> 00:20:47,010
operational annoyance but if it gets

303
00:20:51,140 --> 00:20:49,110
precipitously were worse there are some

304
00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:51,150
corrective actions that we can take to

305
00:20:56,630 --> 00:20:54,690
remedy this as we approach the winter

306
00:20:58,280 --> 00:20:56,640
the winter solstice which is just three

307
00:21:01,040 --> 00:20:58,290
weeks away the energy levels have

308
00:21:03,770 --> 00:21:01,050
improved on the rover air fall dust

309
00:21:05,330 --> 00:21:03,780
accumulates on the solar rays and that

310
00:21:08,210 --> 00:21:05,340
was what we originally thought would

311
00:21:12,340 --> 00:21:08,220
limit the life of this mission to 90

312
00:21:15,230 --> 00:21:12,350
days if I could have the the next image

313
00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:15,240
opportunity has recently taken a selfie

314
00:21:19,650 --> 00:21:16,930
if you will

315
00:21:22,170 --> 00:21:19,660
portrait using the cameras up here on

316
00:21:24,330 --> 00:21:22,180
the mast looking down we've collected a

317
00:21:26,670 --> 00:21:24,340
color mosaic of several hundred frames

318
00:21:28,470 --> 00:21:26,680
Senate you see that here and you can see

319
00:21:31,050 --> 00:21:28,480
the dust on the solar arrays and you can

320
00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:31,060
see how the rover is almost perfectly

321
00:21:37,410 --> 00:21:33,810
camouflaged against its environment a

322
00:21:39,510 --> 00:21:37,420
few weeks ago the dust factor the the

323
00:21:42,090 --> 00:21:39,520
performance of the solar arrays was only

324
00:21:43,860 --> 00:21:42,100
about 47% but recently we've had some

325
00:21:45,900 --> 00:21:43,870
wind events that have cleaned some of

326
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:45,910
the dust off the arrays and so the

327
00:21:50,970 --> 00:21:48,850
performance is now at about 60% this is

328
00:21:53,220 --> 00:21:50,980
higher that it has been for the last two

329
00:21:55,530 --> 00:21:53,230
Martian winters this is good news it

330
00:21:57,540 --> 00:21:55,540
means that we have ample power through

331
00:22:00,300 --> 00:21:57,550
the winter and that the rover can remain

332
00:22:02,100 --> 00:22:00,310
active and that we can drive pretty much

333
00:22:03,990 --> 00:22:02,110
almost every day and continue the

334
00:22:06,780 --> 00:22:04,000
exploration throughout the the winter

335
00:22:10,020 --> 00:22:06,790
season so with the arrival at endeavor

336
00:22:14,070 --> 00:22:10,030
crater opportunity has gone back in time

337
00:22:16,860 --> 00:22:14,080
back to the oldest epoch on Mars this

338
00:22:18,540 --> 00:22:16,870
creates some of the most scientific most

339
00:22:20,910 --> 00:22:18,550
scientifically interesting opportunities

340
00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:20,920
of the entire mission considering that

341
00:22:26,370 --> 00:22:23,910
you know we're 3500 days on the surface

342
00:22:28,980 --> 00:22:26,380
but in addition to these tremendous

343
00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:28,990
scientific achievements and discoveries

344
00:22:33,540 --> 00:22:31,690
of the past decade these Rovers both

345
00:22:36,300 --> 00:22:33,550
Spirit and Opportunity have given us a

346
00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:36,310
great intangible something different

347
00:22:42,090 --> 00:22:39,250
something special over the past decade

348
00:22:44,190 --> 00:22:42,100
through these Rovers our species have

349
00:22:45,930 --> 00:22:44,200
gone to work on Mars and now a

350
00:22:48,180 --> 00:22:45,940
generation has grown up with these

351
00:22:50,790 --> 00:22:48,190
Rovers and have been inspired by them

352
00:22:53,090 --> 00:22:50,800
and some of those people are working on

353
00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:53,100
this mission today are working on Mars

354
00:22:57,450 --> 00:22:55,330
so in addition to being earthlings

355
00:23:01,890 --> 00:22:57,460
because of these Rovers we have become

356
00:23:04,020 --> 00:23:01,900
Martians to dual citizens if you will we

357
00:23:06,930 --> 00:23:04,030
now live in a larger world a world that

358
00:23:08,670 --> 00:23:06,940
extends beyond our own home planet the

359
00:23:11,490 --> 00:23:08,680
these Rovers have made Mars our

360
00:23:13,890 --> 00:23:11,500
neighborhood in our backyard and this is

361
00:23:15,690 --> 00:23:13,900
something truly remarkable so let me

362
00:23:16,770 --> 00:23:15,700
hand it over to Steve Squyres who'll

363
00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:16,780
tell us something about the current

364
00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:20,610
science and the future science Steve

365
00:23:27,690 --> 00:23:24,330
thank you John well at a time like this

366
00:23:29,220 --> 00:23:27,700
ten years in you start to think a lot

367
00:23:30,779 --> 00:23:29,230
about the legacy of the mission and john

368
00:23:33,089 --> 00:23:30,789
has already talked a little bit about

369
00:23:34,799 --> 00:23:33,099
the cultural legacy let me say a few

370
00:23:36,419 --> 00:23:34,809
quick words about the scientific legacy

371
00:23:39,299 --> 00:23:36,429
and I'd like to start with our first

372
00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:39,309
picture with the other over our blue

373
00:23:43,139 --> 00:23:40,570
collared Rover if you will the

374
00:23:45,659 --> 00:23:43,149
hard-working spirit rover spirit landed

375
00:23:47,879 --> 00:23:45,669
on what turned out to be a vast plain of

376
00:23:50,459 --> 00:23:47,889
basaltic lava that was not what we went

377
00:23:53,039 --> 00:23:50,469
to Mars defined but over a period of

378
00:23:55,739 --> 00:23:53,049
hundreds of Martian days we climbed with

379
00:23:57,419 --> 00:23:55,749
spirit to the summit of a hill we named

380
00:23:58,979 --> 00:23:57,429
it husband Hill brick husband was the

381
00:23:59,399 --> 00:23:58,989
commander of the Columbia when it went

382
00:24:02,909 --> 00:23:59,409
down

383
00:24:05,039 --> 00:24:02,919
and we named it to honor him and from

384
00:24:07,739 --> 00:24:05,049
the summit of husband Hill in the

385
00:24:10,409 --> 00:24:07,749
picture that that you just saw you can

386
00:24:12,779 --> 00:24:10,419
look to the south and you can look to

387
00:24:14,999 --> 00:24:12,789
the region where spirit made two of its

388
00:24:17,549 --> 00:24:15,009
most important discoveries as we

389
00:24:19,589 --> 00:24:17,559
descended down husband Hill we

390
00:24:20,789 --> 00:24:19,599
encountered a suite of outcrops that

391
00:24:21,599 --> 00:24:20,799
sort of looked different from the other

392
00:24:23,969 --> 00:24:21,609
stuff we'd seen before

393
00:24:25,559 --> 00:24:23,979
and what we discovered after we analyzed

394
00:24:28,169 --> 00:24:25,569
the data from these outcrops which we

395
00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:28,179
named Comanche in detail was that they

396
00:24:32,389 --> 00:24:30,369
were made largely of carbonate rocks

397
00:24:35,430 --> 00:24:32,399
there were about 30 plus percent

398
00:24:36,719 --> 00:24:35,440
magnesium and iron carbonates one of the

399
00:24:38,969 --> 00:24:36,729
big mysteries on Mars has always been

400
00:24:40,649 --> 00:24:38,979
what happened we know it was warmer

401
00:24:43,049 --> 00:24:40,659
wetter in the past but it's cold and dry

402
00:24:44,519 --> 00:24:43,059
today and something changed and one of

403
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:44,529
the ways that you can make the climate

404
00:24:48,899 --> 00:24:46,690
of Mars change is if you had a dense

405
00:24:50,249 --> 00:24:48,909
atmosphere of carbon dioxide in the past

406
00:24:52,049 --> 00:24:50,259
a greenhouse effect and then the

407
00:24:54,779 --> 00:24:52,059
atmosphere goes away some of that

408
00:24:56,489 --> 00:24:54,789
atmosphere was surely lost to space but

409
00:24:57,689 --> 00:24:56,499
we've always sort of suspected that some

410
00:24:59,159 --> 00:24:57,699
of them may have been locked up in

411
00:25:00,659 --> 00:24:59,169
carbonate rocks on the surface because

412
00:25:02,909 --> 00:25:00,669
you can take carbon dioxide from the

413
00:25:05,909 --> 00:25:02,919
atmosphere and you can sequester it you

414
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:05,919
can hide it if you will at the surface

415
00:25:09,989 --> 00:25:07,690
in carbonate rocks and so finding

416
00:25:12,899 --> 00:25:09,999
massive carbonates was a was a really

417
00:25:15,059 --> 00:25:12,909
major part of that story then as we

418
00:25:16,499 --> 00:25:15,069
proceeded south from Comanche we went to

419
00:25:18,509 --> 00:25:16,509
a place where we ended up spending

420
00:25:21,449 --> 00:25:18,519
several years of spirit there we named

421
00:25:22,859 --> 00:25:21,459
home plate and home plate had many

422
00:25:24,449 --> 00:25:22,869
interesting characteristics but one of

423
00:25:26,729 --> 00:25:24,459
the most fascinating was we found very

424
00:25:29,849 --> 00:25:26,739
very high concentrations more than

425
00:25:32,059 --> 00:25:29,859
ninety percent pure silica this is not

426
00:25:35,699 --> 00:25:32,069
quartz this is not beach sand this was

427
00:25:36,869 --> 00:25:35,709
opal like the gemstone kind of and these

428
00:25:39,269 --> 00:25:36,879
are the kind of deposits that you

429
00:25:41,849 --> 00:25:39,279
typically find on earth in hydrothermal

430
00:25:44,290 --> 00:25:41,859
systems hot springs or volcanic steam

431
00:25:46,180 --> 00:25:44,300
vents and so this was evidence of a

432
00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:46,190
of a hydrothermal system which would

433
00:25:50,380 --> 00:25:48,290
have been a habitable environment on

434
00:25:53,049 --> 00:25:50,390
Mars at one point in the past the next

435
00:25:54,669 --> 00:25:53,059
graphic shows some of the wonderful

436
00:25:56,860 --> 00:25:54,679
rocks that we looked at with the

437
00:25:58,660 --> 00:25:56,870
opportunity Rover this is at Victoria

438
00:26:01,510 --> 00:25:58,670
crater which John Kallis mentioned and

439
00:26:03,820 --> 00:26:01,520
it shows this stack of layered set of me

440
00:26:06,070 --> 00:26:03,830
or sedimentary rocks when we land with

441
00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:06,080
opportunity nobody had ever seen layered

442
00:26:10,030 --> 00:26:07,970
sedimentary sedimentary rocks up close

443
00:26:13,500 --> 00:26:10,040
on Mars before we were able to

444
00:26:15,549 --> 00:26:13,510
investigate these in detail we found

445
00:26:17,470 --> 00:26:15,559
compelling evidence that they were made

446
00:26:19,120 --> 00:26:17,480
largely of sulfate salts the kind of

447
00:26:23,230 --> 00:26:19,130
thing that would have that would form if

448
00:26:24,730 --> 00:26:23,240
if sulfate rich fluid water evaporated

449
00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:24,740
away and of course the famous

450
00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:26,570
blueberries Michael Meyer mentioned that

451
00:26:30,790 --> 00:26:28,130
we found hematite deposits and the

452
00:26:33,190 --> 00:26:30,800
formerly little realm nodules in the

453
00:26:35,260 --> 00:26:33,200
rock that formed when when the haematite

454
00:26:37,810 --> 00:26:35,270
precipitated from liquid water so again

455
00:26:39,220 --> 00:26:37,820
telling a compelling story of water and

456
00:26:42,310 --> 00:26:39,230
habitability at this site and then of

457
00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:42,320
course we got to Endeavour crater we

458
00:26:46,930 --> 00:26:44,690
found the marvelous results at esperance

459
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:46,940
the clay minerals that ray arvid's had

460
00:26:50,530 --> 00:26:49,010
talked about now I'd like to go onto the

461
00:26:51,820 --> 00:26:50,540
next graphic and let's linger on this

462
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:51,830
one a moment because this is worth

463
00:26:57,130 --> 00:26:54,650
looking at this is a very strange pair

464
00:26:59,110 --> 00:26:57,140
of images these are two images they were

465
00:27:00,700 --> 00:26:59,120
taken 12 days apart and this just

466
00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:00,710
happened I mean this is going on right

467
00:27:05,140 --> 00:27:02,450
now this is where opportunity has

468
00:27:09,310 --> 00:27:05,150
currently parked and you can see 12 days

469
00:27:11,290 --> 00:27:09,320
apart a rock just simply appeared in

470
00:27:13,299 --> 00:27:11,300
front of us in fact we've we've narrowed

471
00:27:17,530 --> 00:27:13,309
down the date of its appearance to about

472
00:27:18,940 --> 00:27:17,540
a four day period this is strange now we

473
00:27:21,070 --> 00:27:18,950
don't think that anything particularly

474
00:27:25,419 --> 00:27:21,080
exotic happened here the most likely

475
00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:25,429
scenario just uphill from this location

476
00:27:29,290 --> 00:27:27,650
as we were driving on some bedrock the

477
00:27:31,090 --> 00:27:29,300
opportunity to Rover did a kind of a

478
00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:31,100
pirouette we call it a turn in place but

479
00:27:36,430 --> 00:27:34,250
but drove in such a fashion that it

480
00:27:39,490 --> 00:27:36,440
would drag the right front wheel kind of

481
00:27:41,710 --> 00:27:39,500
shattering across the ground and we

482
00:27:43,330 --> 00:27:41,720
think that in the process of that wheel

483
00:27:45,250 --> 00:27:43,340
moving across the ground again this is

484
00:27:47,230 --> 00:27:45,260
speculation at this point that we kind

485
00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:47,240
of flicked it kind of totally winked it

486
00:27:51,820 --> 00:27:49,250
out of the ground and that it moved to

487
00:27:55,450 --> 00:27:51,830
the location that where we see it we

488
00:27:58,080 --> 00:27:55,460
have not found the divot the hole from

489
00:27:59,700 --> 00:27:58,090
which this thing popped out

490
00:28:01,350 --> 00:27:59,710
the reason for that we think is because

491
00:28:03,090 --> 00:28:01,360
the place where we believe it came from

492
00:28:04,980 --> 00:28:03,100
is currently blocked by the solar arrays

493
00:28:06,330 --> 00:28:04,990
we can't actually see that spot so soon

494
00:28:08,129 --> 00:28:06,340
we're gonna maneuver so we can go

495
00:28:09,779 --> 00:28:08,139
searching for that spot but what's

496
00:28:12,419 --> 00:28:09,789
interesting about this rock is a couple

497
00:28:15,269 --> 00:28:12,429
of things it appears that it may have

498
00:28:17,129 --> 00:28:15,279
flipped itself upside down and if that's

499
00:28:20,009 --> 00:28:17,139
the case what we're seeing is we're

500
00:28:21,810 --> 00:28:20,019
seeing a surface the underside of the

501
00:28:23,639 --> 00:28:21,820
rock and its original configuration that

502
00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:23,649
hasn't seen the Martian atmosphere for

503
00:28:27,299 --> 00:28:25,450
perhaps billions of years and so we're

504
00:28:31,590 --> 00:28:27,309
seeing stuff that we don't normally get

505
00:28:33,870 --> 00:28:31,600
to see the rock is small it is sort of

506
00:28:35,940 --> 00:28:33,880
white around the edge outside and it's

507
00:28:39,690 --> 00:28:35,950
got kind of a weird deep red color not a

508
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:39,700
Martian kind of red but but more a deep

509
00:28:43,860 --> 00:28:42,370
deep red color in the interior looks

510
00:28:45,570 --> 00:28:43,870
like a jelly doughnut white around the

511
00:28:47,310 --> 00:28:45,580
outside red in the middle we've looked

512
00:28:49,490 --> 00:28:47,320
at it with our microscope it's clearly a

513
00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:49,500
rock we've looked at it with our

514
00:28:53,490 --> 00:28:51,370
compositional spectrometer and we're

515
00:28:54,659 --> 00:28:53,500
seeing a strange composition different

516
00:28:56,850 --> 00:28:54,669
from anything we've seen before there's

517
00:28:58,320 --> 00:28:56,860
a lot of sulfur in it suggesting a lot

518
00:29:00,090 --> 00:28:58,330
of sulfate salts which might have

519
00:29:02,580 --> 00:29:00,100
precipitated out beneath the surface and

520
00:29:04,620 --> 00:29:02,590
in very high concentrations of manganese

521
00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:04,630
more manganese than we've ever seen in a

522
00:29:07,830 --> 00:29:06,250
Martian Rock high concentration of

523
00:29:09,509 --> 00:29:07,840
magnesium we're still working this out

524
00:29:12,180 --> 00:29:09,519
we're making measurements right now

525
00:29:14,940 --> 00:29:12,190
so this is an ongoing story of discovery

526
00:29:16,710 --> 00:29:14,950
as I said Mars keeps throwing new stuff

527
00:29:18,629 --> 00:29:16,720
at us and it's it's these kind of

528
00:29:20,879 --> 00:29:18,639
unexpected discoveries that make this

529
00:29:23,279 --> 00:29:20,889
mission continue to be the exciting fun

530
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:23,289
thing that it is the final picture that

531
00:29:27,029 --> 00:29:25,210
I'd like to show is one that we took a

532
00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:27,039
little while ago but it shows where

533
00:29:31,980 --> 00:29:29,850
we're going next we are currently as

534
00:29:34,830 --> 00:29:31,990
some of the other presenters described

535
00:29:36,810 --> 00:29:34,840
on the rim of Endeavour crater and what

536
00:29:38,549 --> 00:29:36,820
we're doing is we're climbing the ridge

537
00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:38,559
that you see in front of us this is

538
00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:40,570
called Murray Ridge that's named after

539
00:29:45,090 --> 00:29:42,370
the late Bruce Murray former director of

540
00:29:47,519 --> 00:29:45,100
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and we are

541
00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:47,529
going to ascend this Ridge we hope all

542
00:29:50,430 --> 00:29:48,970
the way to its summit all the way the

543
00:29:53,460 --> 00:29:50,440
highest point a place called Cape

544
00:29:57,299 --> 00:29:53,470
Tribulation ray Arvidsson mentioned how

545
00:29:59,990 --> 00:29:57,309
data from orbit showed us at Mattia

546
00:30:02,370 --> 00:30:00,000
Vachel where we found esperance a

547
00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:02,380
signature of clay minerals that you

548
00:30:07,230 --> 00:30:03,850
could kind of see from orbit but it was

549
00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:07,240
weak you could barely see it Cape

550
00:30:11,130 --> 00:30:09,010
Tribulation to the south of where we are

551
00:30:12,540 --> 00:30:11,140
that's where the the mother lode appears

552
00:30:14,700 --> 00:30:12,550
to be as we call it there are much

553
00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:14,710
higher concentrations much larger

554
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:16,690
expanse of these clay minerals and what

555
00:30:21,870 --> 00:30:19,330
we're gonna see we don't know we'll find

556
00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:21,880
out when we get there so we have an

557
00:30:25,620 --> 00:30:24,010
excited peering exciting period of

558
00:30:27,630 --> 00:30:25,630
discoveries ahead of us maybe some of

559
00:30:29,550 --> 00:30:27,640
the best science you have to come and as

560
00:30:31,770 --> 00:30:29,560
long as the Rover keeps going we'll keep

561
00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:31,780
going and with that I will turn it back

562
00:30:38,670 --> 00:30:36,730
to guy Webster thanks Steve for so we'll

563
00:30:41,730 --> 00:30:38,680
have time for some questions and answers

564
00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:41,740
and for reporters in the room we'll have

565
00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:43,570
a question please wait till you get the

566
00:30:48,450 --> 00:30:45,850
microphone to you and identify yourself

567
00:30:49,710 --> 00:30:48,460
and your news organization and on the

568
00:30:51,900 --> 00:30:49,720
phone reporters listening on the phone

569
00:30:55,500 --> 00:30:51,910
if you would like to ask a question hit

570
00:30:57,420 --> 00:30:55,510
star 1 on your phone and the operator

571
00:30:59,160 --> 00:30:57,430
will put you in the queue we have

572
00:31:03,150 --> 00:30:59,170
several reporters listening around the

573
00:31:05,190 --> 00:31:03,160
country and further so first I'll check

574
00:31:06,390 --> 00:31:05,200
if there's any questions in the room

575
00:31:12,540 --> 00:31:06,400
from reporters

576
00:31:14,610 --> 00:31:12,550
we're also and well instead we'll go to

577
00:31:19,290 --> 00:31:14,620
a question on the phone from the New

578
00:31:22,530 --> 00:31:19,300
York Times oh hi thank you taking my

579
00:31:24,510 --> 00:31:22,540
question I guess like one question is

580
00:31:27,870 --> 00:31:24,520
how long is it going to take to get to

581
00:31:29,070 --> 00:31:27,880
the top of Murray Bridge and secondly at

582
00:31:32,100 --> 00:31:29,080
this point what's this going to happen

583
00:31:37,970 --> 00:31:32,110
first that opportunity will break down

584
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:40,230
can I'll try that to answer the first

585
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:42,130
part then I'll let my my colleague from

586
00:31:45,990 --> 00:31:43,690
NASA headquarters answer in the second

587
00:31:47,460 --> 00:31:46,000
part I learned a long time ago not to

588
00:31:49,830 --> 00:31:47,470
try to predict how long it's gonna take

589
00:31:51,450 --> 00:31:49,840
to do almost anything with these Rovers

590
00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:51,460
because you have unexpected stuff along

591
00:31:55,620 --> 00:31:53,890
the way the jelly donut Rock we call it

592
00:31:57,270 --> 00:31:55,630
pinnacle Island that popped up in front

593
00:31:58,860 --> 00:31:57,280
of us unexpectedly it's a real

594
00:32:01,020 --> 00:31:58,870
opportunity and so we're taking our time

595
00:32:02,550 --> 00:32:01,030
to look at it so I don't know but the

596
00:32:05,940 --> 00:32:02,560
kind of distance that we need to

597
00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:05,950
traverse to get to the summit of Cape

598
00:32:09,810 --> 00:32:08,170
Tribulation is comparable to the

599
00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:09,820
distance that we needed to traverse to

600
00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:12,610
climb husband Hill with spirit that took

601
00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:15,370
us four or 500 Martian days so you know

602
00:32:22,049 --> 00:32:16,930
it's going to keep us busy I would say

603
00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:25,060
in concerning whether or not the rubber

604
00:32:31,389 --> 00:32:28,250
would be turned off as you know we have

605
00:32:33,580 --> 00:32:31,399
a process in planetary sciences where as

606
00:32:35,169 --> 00:32:33,590
you go into extended missions they cost

607
00:32:38,230 --> 00:32:35,179
a certain amount of money and you have

608
00:32:39,789 --> 00:32:38,240
to decide whether or not it's worth the

609
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:39,799
money for the extended mission or

610
00:32:44,049 --> 00:32:41,450
whether or not it should be applied to a

611
00:32:45,580 --> 00:32:44,059
new mission in the case of Mars we have

612
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:45,590
several missions that are still ongoing

613
00:32:50,620 --> 00:32:48,890
that are in the extended mission and we

614
00:32:52,630 --> 00:32:50,630
have to weigh how much money we have

615
00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:52,640
versus what missions are being most

616
00:32:57,190 --> 00:32:55,130
productive so what will happen is this

617
00:32:58,930 --> 00:32:57,200
spring there'll be what's called a

618
00:33:01,480 --> 00:32:58,940
senior review in which all the missions

619
00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:01,490
and planetary science are reviewed to

620
00:33:06,279 --> 00:33:04,490
see which missions are worth the dollars

621
00:33:09,519 --> 00:33:06,289
that you have to spend on them to extend

622
00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:09,529
them and so it's the process of the

623
00:33:13,180 --> 00:33:11,330
senior review that makes any

624
00:33:15,310 --> 00:33:13,190
recommendation in terms of which mission

625
00:33:17,710 --> 00:33:15,320
should go forward and which mission may

626
00:33:19,210 --> 00:33:17,720
get turned off and frankly from all the

627
00:33:21,820 --> 00:33:19,220
missions that we have are they're very

628
00:33:23,710 --> 00:33:21,830
productive and be a shame not to have

629
00:33:25,930 --> 00:33:23,720
enough to afford the continuation of

630
00:33:27,580 --> 00:33:25,940
those missions but we'll see how that

631
00:33:30,669 --> 00:33:27,590
turns out when we get to the senior

632
00:33:35,919 --> 00:33:30,679
review thanks Michael we have a question

633
00:33:38,799 --> 00:33:35,929
from Alan Boyle with MSNBC hi thank you

634
00:33:40,629 --> 00:33:38,809
for taking the question I follow up on

635
00:33:42,759 --> 00:33:40,639
that is could you provide the latest

636
00:33:45,009 --> 00:33:42,769
estimate on how much it is costing to

637
00:33:48,100 --> 00:33:45,019
keep the opportunity mission going a

638
00:33:50,139 --> 00:33:48,110
year and I wondered if the panel had any

639
00:33:51,879 --> 00:33:50,149
thoughts I know you could probably take

640
00:33:53,620 --> 00:33:51,889
all day to talk about the highlights of

641
00:33:56,799 --> 00:33:53,630
the last 10 years but if there's one

642
00:33:59,230 --> 00:33:56,809
thing that you feel either is on the top

643
00:34:03,009 --> 00:33:59,240
of your list or really needed needs to

644
00:34:04,690 --> 00:34:03,019
have more attention paid to it I thought

645
00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:04,700
I'd give you the opportunity to do that

646
00:34:10,419 --> 00:34:08,210
thank you I'll take the first part of

647
00:34:12,399 --> 00:34:10,429
your question and that it cost

648
00:34:16,300 --> 00:34:12,409
approximately fourteen million dollars

649
00:34:18,550 --> 00:34:16,310
per year to maintain the team in the and

650
00:34:25,230 --> 00:34:18,560
the pace of activity that we have on

651
00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:29,750
you know greatest hits

652
00:34:33,620 --> 00:34:31,430
you know raised probably a little too

653
00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:33,630
modest to to mention it but I think the

654
00:34:37,970 --> 00:34:36,570
the paper on which he's lead author the

655
00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:37,980
discoverer of those clay deposits

656
00:34:42,020 --> 00:34:40,170
Esperanza's got a rank right near at the

657
00:34:43,940 --> 00:34:42,030
top and that's what motivates us so

658
00:34:46,910 --> 00:34:43,950
strongly to continue this search for

659
00:34:49,550 --> 00:34:46,920
clay minerals esperance was invisible

660
00:34:52,220 --> 00:34:49,560
from orbit and yet following the clay

661
00:34:53,930 --> 00:34:52,230
signature took us to that if we follow

662
00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:53,940
the much stronger clay signature the

663
00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:55,410
lies to the south we think that there

664
00:34:59,240 --> 00:34:57,330
are fantastic discoveries that that may

665
00:35:02,060 --> 00:34:59,250
lie there and so if you ask what merits

666
00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:02,070
more attention I think it's that to tell

667
00:35:05,990 --> 00:35:03,930
you about some other small locations

668
00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:06,000
along the way that we just recently

669
00:35:16,070 --> 00:35:10,770
found yep well what do those two rayar

670
00:35:17,720 --> 00:35:16,080
promise I should mention to report if

671
00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:17,730
you can direct your question to a

672
00:35:21,710 --> 00:35:20,610
specific panelist settled that'll help

673
00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:21,720
us since we're dealing with two

674
00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:24,090
locations here and we have a question

675
00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:25,770
from Ken Kramer I believe with you

676
00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:26,930
Universe Today

677
00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:29,250
alright thanks for taking my question

678
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:32,490
and congratulations on ten years I have

679
00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:34,410
a question for Ray and Steve I wonder if

680
00:35:38,630 --> 00:35:36,090
you could talk a little bit more about

681
00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:38,640
the area where you are right now you got

682
00:35:43,370 --> 00:35:40,410
the Chrysler measurements to direct you

683
00:35:45,410 --> 00:35:43,380
to the spot where you are because of the

684
00:35:48,110 --> 00:35:45,420
phyllosilicates I believe so could you

685
00:35:50,180 --> 00:35:48,120
talk about what you have found there

686
00:35:53,870 --> 00:35:50,190
with regard to the phyllosilicates and

687
00:35:56,150 --> 00:35:53,880
what you're planning to do and also with

688
00:35:58,370 --> 00:35:56,160
regard to tribulation d do you have to

689
00:36:00,380 --> 00:35:58,380
climb back down in order to get there or

690
00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:00,390
you just follow the richer or how do you

691
00:36:02,990 --> 00:36:00,930
get there

692
00:36:06,500 --> 00:36:03,000
thanks Steve you want me to start on

693
00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:06,510
this go ahead right so we have super

694
00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:08,850
resolution prism data thanks to the

695
00:36:14,630 --> 00:36:10,770
chrism team and the Mars Reconnaissance

696
00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:14,640
Orbiter all the way from Cape York to

697
00:36:19,070 --> 00:36:17,490
Murray Ridge to the beginning of Cape

698
00:36:21,110 --> 00:36:19,080
Tribulation and we expect to get

699
00:36:23,860 --> 00:36:21,120
additional data to cover Cape

700
00:36:28,340 --> 00:36:23,870
Tribulation and we're seeing these small

701
00:36:30,980 --> 00:36:28,350
outcrops of aluminous and iron clays

702
00:36:32,870 --> 00:36:30,990
these smectite s-- all along where

703
00:36:34,940 --> 00:36:32,880
they're in the sun facing side and

704
00:36:37,850 --> 00:36:34,950
they're large enough and large only

705
00:36:39,950 --> 00:36:37,860
means a few tens of meters across so we

706
00:36:40,700 --> 00:36:39,960
stopped at one location called morton

707
00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:40,710
island

708
00:36:45,740 --> 00:36:42,930
which I like very much a very pretty

709
00:36:48,620 --> 00:36:45,750
area on Murray Ridge and it's an impact

710
00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:48,630
Retta but with a lot of matrix a lot of

711
00:36:52,940 --> 00:36:50,490
very bright matrix and we think that's

712
00:36:54,410 --> 00:36:52,950
probably the carrier of the aluminous

713
00:36:56,630 --> 00:36:54,420
clay mineral that's still

714
00:36:59,120 --> 00:36:56,640
work-in-progress but we had to get to

715
00:37:02,059 --> 00:36:59,130
North facing slopes so we're in an area

716
00:37:03,530 --> 00:37:02,069
called Cooke Haven and after James Cook

717
00:37:06,589 --> 00:37:03,540
who was the captain of the endeavour

718
00:37:08,210 --> 00:37:06,599
ship and we're in the process of

719
00:37:09,530 --> 00:37:08,220
beginning the winter campaign but as

720
00:37:13,190 --> 00:37:09,540
John mentioned there's enough solar

721
00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:13,200
energy to examine the strata in Cooke

722
00:37:17,750 --> 00:37:15,930
Haven and I suspect that's mainly impact

723
00:37:19,730 --> 00:37:17,760
breccia although we might go down

724
00:37:21,380 --> 00:37:19,740
stratigraphically low enough to see

725
00:37:23,450 --> 00:37:21,390
these preexisting rocks but we haven't

726
00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:23,460
gotten there yet so Ken it's very much

727
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:25,770
work in progress and as we kind of

728
00:37:29,809 --> 00:37:27,450
Traverse south when the spring season

729
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:29,819
comes about there are lots as I just

730
00:37:33,799 --> 00:37:32,130
told Steve there are lots of small areas

731
00:37:36,049 --> 00:37:33,809
where I'm going to suggest we stop and

732
00:37:38,630 --> 00:37:36,059
look around but it's very much detective

733
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:38,640
work and we're using chrism as the way

734
00:37:42,650 --> 00:37:41,010
to get at the mineralogy and then kind

735
00:37:45,650 --> 00:37:42,660
of boots on the ground or wheels on the

736
00:37:47,750 --> 00:37:45,660
ground in terms of getting into the dirt

737
00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:47,760
grinding in the rocks and putting

738
00:37:53,660 --> 00:37:50,970
together that the whole kind of story

739
00:37:58,069 --> 00:37:53,670
that that makes them the best sense so

740
00:38:00,260 --> 00:37:58,079
Ken it's it's work in progress and Ken

741
00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:00,270
with respect to your second question and

742
00:38:04,069 --> 00:38:02,010
the route going forward you know I think

743
00:38:05,510 --> 00:38:04,079
Cape Tribulation is well-named we expect

744
00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:05,520
some pretty significant trials and

745
00:38:09,799 --> 00:38:07,410
tribulations as we work our way up it

746
00:38:11,720 --> 00:38:09,809
it's steep it's extremely rugged we

747
00:38:13,700 --> 00:38:11,730
haven't chosen the route yet and we

748
00:38:15,380 --> 00:38:13,710
could descend and then come at it from a

749
00:38:18,589 --> 00:38:15,390
different direction or we could just

750
00:38:20,030 --> 00:38:18,599
work our way up that Ridge and that's

751
00:38:21,950 --> 00:38:20,040
the decision that we're gonna make going

752
00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:21,960
forward because it's driven not just by

753
00:38:27,589 --> 00:38:25,650
finding the best route to get up Murray

754
00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:27,599
Ridge and cape tribulation it's also as

755
00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:30,930
Ray's reminded us driven by the science

756
00:38:36,289 --> 00:38:32,490
that we can do along the way so we're

757
00:38:38,539 --> 00:38:36,299
still working that thanks Steve

758
00:38:39,650 --> 00:38:38,549
we have a question from a reporter if I

759
00:38:42,430 --> 00:38:39,660
remember right might have been here on

760
00:38:46,010 --> 00:38:42,440
landing night leo in right from Irish TV

761
00:38:48,620 --> 00:38:46,020
yes the big guy 10 years ago it seems

762
00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:48,630
like a long time but if I may put a

763
00:38:54,430 --> 00:38:50,690
question to Ray and also

764
00:38:56,170 --> 00:38:54,440
perhaps to Steve about the it used to be

765
00:38:59,650 --> 00:38:56,180
follow the water it now seems to be

766
00:39:02,020 --> 00:38:59,660
follow the phyllosilicates so I'm

767
00:39:04,090 --> 00:39:02,030
wondering from Ray whether he really

768
00:39:07,030 --> 00:39:04,100
thinks now that this is almost a new

769
00:39:09,580 --> 00:39:07,040
mission and whether all the focus now is

770
00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:09,590
on these Philo silicates and if I could

771
00:39:14,770 --> 00:39:12,890
also ask Steve for a broader picture I

772
00:39:18,220 --> 00:39:14,780
mean what you had tremendous success

773
00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:18,230
with remote sensing as Mike Meyers said

774
00:39:22,540 --> 00:39:20,690
so I'm just wondering what what lessons

775
00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:22,550
are we learn now by the Europeans and

776
00:39:28,090 --> 00:39:25,490
the Americans who are both planning new

777
00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:28,100
missions are there places now that you

778
00:39:32,230 --> 00:39:29,510
say they should go

779
00:39:34,510 --> 00:39:32,240
that's very political well Larry let me

780
00:39:36,460 --> 00:39:34,520
take the first part so the Byrnes

781
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:36,470
formation which which you know about

782
00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:37,810
because you were here at the get-go

783
00:39:43,270 --> 00:39:40,610
sulfates and stones so they they

784
00:39:46,030 --> 00:39:43,280
probably formed when more or less

785
00:39:48,580 --> 00:39:46,040
neutral waters came up with ferrous iron

786
00:39:51,340 --> 00:39:48,590
and saw an oxidizing environment it

787
00:39:54,310 --> 00:39:51,350
makes Fe plus 2 ferric iron and then

788
00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:54,320
actually produces acid as soon as you

789
00:39:59,280 --> 00:39:56,410
begin to make sulfates so it was a very

790
00:40:01,360 --> 00:39:59,290
oxidizing very acidic environment

791
00:40:03,910 --> 00:40:01,370
phyllosilicates on the other hand and

792
00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:03,920
minerals are kind of keys to past

793
00:40:10,030 --> 00:40:06,530
geochemical conditions in terms of the

794
00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:10,040
waters the phyllosilicates have to form

795
00:40:15,730 --> 00:40:13,850
in less extreme environments so that

796
00:40:17,410 --> 00:40:15,740
these minerals called smectite s-- the

797
00:40:19,720 --> 00:40:17,420
particular type of phyllosilicates

798
00:40:21,370 --> 00:40:19,730
they're the types of phyllosilicates

799
00:40:24,370 --> 00:40:21,380
that you get when you weather basalt but

800
00:40:26,620 --> 00:40:24,380
it can't be done in highly acidic highly

801
00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:26,630
oxidizing conditions or you get other

802
00:40:31,030 --> 00:40:28,970
kinds of minerals that we don't see so

803
00:40:34,150 --> 00:40:31,040
these are indicators of where you want

804
00:40:36,910 --> 00:40:34,160
to go for a mild aqueous condition still

805
00:40:39,510 --> 00:40:36,920
corrosive but nothing like the you know

806
00:40:42,670 --> 00:40:39,520
the very low pH high highly oxidizing

807
00:40:45,100 --> 00:40:42,680
stuff that we found in terms of

808
00:40:47,350 --> 00:40:45,110
formation on the byrds formation so yeah

809
00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:47,360
we are hunting for phyllosilicates form

810
00:40:52,540 --> 00:40:49,370
orbit using the super resolution

811
00:40:54,580 --> 00:40:52,550
technique and then what really is the

812
00:40:58,510 --> 00:40:54,590
payoff is getting opportunity to those

813
00:41:00,400 --> 00:40:58,520
sites to do the details for example on

814
00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:00,410
Mattia veg hill and the mattias

815
00:41:03,660 --> 00:41:02,690
formation that's the topic of tomorrow's

816
00:41:06,329 --> 00:41:03,670
science paper

817
00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:06,339
it was such a small outcrop and so

818
00:41:10,740 --> 00:41:08,890
poorly exposed vertically that we don't

819
00:41:12,660 --> 00:41:10,750
know the environment of deposition so

820
00:41:15,180 --> 00:41:12,670
we're carrying maybe they were lake beds

821
00:41:18,030 --> 00:41:15,190
maybe they were volcanic ash deposits

822
00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:18,040
maybe they represent ancient ejecta

823
00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:20,170
prior to endeavor but we didn't have

824
00:41:24,809 --> 00:41:22,690
enough exposure to really kind of get in

825
00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:24,819
and do what a a geologist would do in

826
00:41:30,359 --> 00:41:28,210
the field look for cross bedding for mud

827
00:41:32,579 --> 00:41:30,369
cracks and other features that together

828
00:41:34,319 --> 00:41:32,589
with the chemistry and mineralogy would

829
00:41:34,740 --> 00:41:34,329
allow you to kind of back out the full

830
00:41:37,410 --> 00:41:34,750
story

831
00:41:39,630 --> 00:41:37,420
there are outcrops when we go south that

832
00:41:42,059 --> 00:41:39,640
are large enough and also file a

833
00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:42,069
silicate or smectite bearing where we

834
00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:44,530
hope to kind of catch up to what what

835
00:41:48,510 --> 00:41:46,210
curiosity has been able to do in

836
00:41:50,549 --> 00:41:48,520
Yellowknife Bay where you could have the

837
00:41:52,650 --> 00:41:50,559
strata exposed and where you can really

838
00:41:55,039 --> 00:41:52,660
back out the environment a deposition in

839
00:41:58,020 --> 00:41:55,049
addition to the geochemical conditions

840
00:42:02,280 --> 00:41:58,030
that led to formation of the minerals

841
00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:02,290
that were detecting and and just to

842
00:42:05,220 --> 00:42:03,730
answer your second question briefly you

843
00:42:07,289 --> 00:42:05,230
know I think the key takeaway message

844
00:42:10,319 --> 00:42:07,299
here is the incredible power of having

845
00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:10,329
orbital assets and mobile surface assets

846
00:42:14,670 --> 00:42:12,490
working at the same time the science

847
00:42:17,460 --> 00:42:14,680
that we're getting from the orbiters is

848
00:42:18,870 --> 00:42:17,470
dramatically enhanced by the rover's the

849
00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:18,880
science and the Rovers is dramatically

850
00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:20,530
enhanced by the orbiters and so working

851
00:42:25,710 --> 00:42:23,730
those two together is very very valuable

852
00:42:27,390 --> 00:42:25,720
thanks Dave we are getting some

853
00:42:29,220 --> 00:42:27,400
questions in from social media and I

854
00:42:31,829 --> 00:42:29,230
think this one is probably directed to

855
00:42:34,289 --> 00:42:31,839
John has the surface radiation

856
00:42:37,620 --> 00:42:34,299
environment on Mars affected the rover

857
00:42:39,750 --> 00:42:37,630
in any way no not really the rover's

858
00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:39,760
were designed for the environment for

859
00:42:44,039 --> 00:42:40,930
the radiation environment that they're

860
00:42:46,620 --> 00:42:44,049
finding and so what we haven't had any

861
00:42:50,130 --> 00:42:46,630
issues of radiation damage or radiation

862
00:42:52,950 --> 00:42:50,140
related effects we do have we can see in

863
00:42:54,990 --> 00:42:52,960
the electronics and in the cameras some

864
00:42:57,210 --> 00:42:55,000
effects of cosmic rays or solar wind

865
00:43:01,220 --> 00:42:57,220
particles but they're not a health issue

866
00:43:05,099 --> 00:43:01,230
for the vehicle and another from

867
00:43:07,650 --> 00:43:05,109
followers on Ustream on the chat how is

868
00:43:09,359 --> 00:43:07,660
opportunities filesystem holding up are

869
00:43:11,010 --> 00:43:09,369
the energy and are the energy levels

870
00:43:13,710 --> 00:43:11,020
okay I guess that's two different

871
00:43:15,930 --> 00:43:13,720
questions the filesystem they referring

872
00:43:16,690 --> 00:43:15,940
to our flash memory you just take a

873
00:43:21,310 --> 00:43:16,700
moment

874
00:43:24,069 --> 00:43:21,320
a little explanation here we use the

875
00:43:26,829 --> 00:43:24,079
same kind of non-volatile storage that

876
00:43:28,359 --> 00:43:26,839
your camera or your smartphone uses that

877
00:43:31,030 --> 00:43:28,369
it retains the information after the

878
00:43:34,630 --> 00:43:31,040
power has been turned off those flash

879
00:43:36,730 --> 00:43:34,640
file or flash memory chips have a finite

880
00:43:39,220 --> 00:43:36,740
number of read/write cycles to them you

881
00:43:41,410 --> 00:43:39,230
can actually wear them out but they're

882
00:43:42,910 --> 00:43:41,420
designed such that you don't continually

883
00:43:44,260 --> 00:43:42,920
read/write in the same location to kind

884
00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:44,270
of spread things out or what they call

885
00:43:51,490 --> 00:43:48,650
duty cycle our load leveling the use but

886
00:43:53,980 --> 00:43:51,500
it is possible that in time that you do

887
00:43:56,140 --> 00:43:53,990
wear out a particular location and we

888
00:43:58,480 --> 00:43:56,150
may be seeing that we think we saw this

889
00:44:01,630 --> 00:43:58,490
with spirit we were able to correct it

890
00:44:02,589 --> 00:44:01,640
on spirit by reformatting and some of

891
00:44:04,810 --> 00:44:02,599
you have may have had to do this

892
00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:04,820
yourselves with your the flash card in

893
00:44:08,980 --> 00:44:06,770
your camera is no it's not working

894
00:44:10,720 --> 00:44:08,990
properly and you reformat the flash

895
00:44:12,609 --> 00:44:10,730
memory card and things are fine from

896
00:44:13,540 --> 00:44:12,619
there so we might have to do something

897
00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:13,550
like that

898
00:44:18,310 --> 00:44:15,890
for opportunity but we'll wait and see

899
00:44:20,020 --> 00:44:18,320
it's it's as I mentioned earlier it's

900
00:44:23,230 --> 00:44:20,030
only an occasional annoyance right now

901
00:44:24,609 --> 00:44:23,240
it's not a major issue yet and then the

902
00:44:28,390 --> 00:44:24,619
other question was about the energy

903
00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:28,400
levels well the good news is that we've

904
00:44:31,839 --> 00:44:30,410
had some dust cleaning events and that

905
00:44:33,700 --> 00:44:31,849
the amount of dust on the solar arrays

906
00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:33,710
is less than it has been for the past

907
00:44:38,650 --> 00:44:36,770
couple of winters and three weeks we'll

908
00:44:40,780 --> 00:44:38,660
get through the winter solstice and so

909
00:44:42,940 --> 00:44:40,790
the Sun will be higher in the sky so the

910
00:44:45,339 --> 00:44:42,950
energy level should be increasing as you

911
00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:45,349
would expect as you move into a spring

912
00:44:49,690 --> 00:44:47,210
and summer so our expectation is that

913
00:44:51,490 --> 00:44:49,700
we'll have robust power levels you know

914
00:44:53,950 --> 00:44:51,500
through the next seasonal cycles for

915
00:44:56,349 --> 00:44:53,960
exploration thanks John

916
00:44:58,030 --> 00:44:56,359
we have maybe one or two more on the

917
00:44:59,670 --> 00:44:58,040
social media reminder if any any

918
00:45:01,720 --> 00:44:59,680
reporters in the room have a question

919
00:45:02,950 --> 00:45:01,730
we'll bring the mic to you please

920
00:45:07,270 --> 00:45:02,960
identify yourself and your news

921
00:45:12,420 --> 00:45:07,280
organization guy if skales Dale

922
00:45:14,770 --> 00:45:12,430
expressway Charlie were so Poland also

923
00:45:17,079 --> 00:45:14,780
enterpreneur an investor who started

924
00:45:20,710 --> 00:45:17,089
collaboration with the city of Lombok

925
00:45:25,329 --> 00:45:20,720
own creation of a California space

926
00:45:27,550 --> 00:45:25,339
center and my question is of interest to

927
00:45:30,279 --> 00:45:27,560
our readers who like to look toward the

928
00:45:33,370 --> 00:45:30,289
future and very much value you

929
00:45:37,719 --> 00:45:33,380
gentleman's accomplishments mister Elon

930
00:45:40,929 --> 00:45:37,729
Musk and his SpaceX ultimate goal as he

931
00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:40,939
shared with us recently is to deploy us

932
00:45:47,439 --> 00:45:45,410
human beings to be present on Mars what

933
00:45:50,349 --> 00:45:47,449
you are doing here it creates a

934
00:45:53,859 --> 00:45:50,359
incredible vehicle which potentially can

935
00:45:58,239 --> 00:45:53,869
be used for making transportation

936
00:46:02,979 --> 00:45:58,249
possible should the mission to Mars be

937
00:46:06,339 --> 00:46:02,989
achievable so if I may ask for your

938
00:46:09,519 --> 00:46:06,349
response to convey to our non-technical

939
00:46:12,519 --> 00:46:09,529
readers about how would you like your

940
00:46:15,519 --> 00:46:12,529
accomplishments your vehicle technology

941
00:46:17,319 --> 00:46:15,529
to potentially be harnessed in let's say

942
00:46:20,979 --> 00:46:17,329
five years from now for this type of a

943
00:46:22,569 --> 00:46:20,989
purpose thanks for your question and I I

944
00:46:27,269 --> 00:46:22,579
think I'll toss that one to Michael if

945
00:46:32,169 --> 00:46:27,279
he wants to or anybody else who wants to

946
00:46:35,559 --> 00:46:32,179
well certainly NASA has the ultimate

947
00:46:39,099 --> 00:46:35,569
goal of having humans to Mars and in

948
00:46:42,609 --> 00:46:39,109
fact our missions now when going to Mars

949
00:46:44,799 --> 00:46:42,619
10 will have on board something that

950
00:46:46,839 --> 00:46:44,809
will help further our knowledge that

951
00:46:50,259 --> 00:46:46,849
will help future human exploration and

952
00:46:52,059 --> 00:46:50,269
good examples of that are on the rover

953
00:46:53,919 --> 00:46:52,069
Curiosity we have an instrument called

954
00:46:56,289 --> 00:46:53,929
rad which is measuring the radiation

955
00:46:59,949 --> 00:46:56,299
environment on the surface of Mars so we

956
00:47:02,289 --> 00:46:59,959
know what the astronauts will have to

957
00:47:05,339 --> 00:47:02,299
guard against when they go exploring the

958
00:47:08,469 --> 00:47:05,349
surface and we just finished a call of

959
00:47:11,859 --> 00:47:08,479
instruments for the 2020 Rover in fact

960
00:47:13,959 --> 00:47:11,869
asking for ideas technologies that will

961
00:47:17,769 --> 00:47:13,969
help future human exploration so

962
00:47:19,539 --> 00:47:17,779
certainly any mission going to Mars we

963
00:47:21,969 --> 00:47:19,549
would love to be able to have NASA

964
00:47:25,209 --> 00:47:21,979
assets involved in furthering human

965
00:47:27,130 --> 00:47:25,219
exploration and it's in many ways it's

966
00:47:29,289 --> 00:47:27,140
not very important whether or not is

967
00:47:33,249 --> 00:47:29,299
from commercial space or it's from a

968
00:47:36,849 --> 00:47:33,259
NASA headed mission itself so I think

969
00:47:41,720 --> 00:47:41,029
anymore in the room here we have Adam

970
00:47:46,309 --> 00:47:41,730
here in the front

971
00:47:48,470 --> 00:47:46,319
Oh coming across hi Adam Palissy Los

972
00:47:50,390 --> 00:47:48,480
Angeles news group ray can you tell me

973
00:47:52,579 --> 00:47:50,400
again win these discoveries such as

974
00:47:54,650 --> 00:47:52,589
smectite swear made and how does

975
00:47:56,329 --> 00:47:54,660
something that is only meant to last a

976
00:47:58,400 --> 00:47:56,339
couple of months how exactly does it

977
00:48:00,950 --> 00:47:58,410
last 10 years and continue to make

978
00:48:05,740 --> 00:48:00,960
discoveries let me answer the second one

979
00:48:12,069 --> 00:48:09,019
do you mean when in calendar date we we

980
00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:12,079
did the discoveries so this began in

981
00:48:17,690 --> 00:48:15,450
2012 and was pretty well wrapped up by

982
00:48:20,089 --> 00:48:17,700
last spring and summer in terms of the

983
00:48:22,430 --> 00:48:20,099
observations and then we buttoned up and

984
00:48:24,680 --> 00:48:22,440
started driving across botany bay to get

985
00:48:27,109 --> 00:48:24,690
to Murray Ridge and we've been doing

986
00:48:28,819 --> 00:48:27,119
Murray Ridge for for quite a while but

987
00:48:31,220 --> 00:48:28,829
you know science is a difficult process

988
00:48:33,410 --> 00:48:31,230
and the data analysis the the

989
00:48:36,620 --> 00:48:33,420
super-resolution processing is very very

990
00:48:38,180 --> 00:48:36,630
tough because the way we operate chrism

991
00:48:40,009 --> 00:48:38,190
you're putting pixels all over the

992
00:48:42,740 --> 00:48:40,019
surface and you have to reorganize them

993
00:48:45,499 --> 00:48:42,750
to regularize them so it took a while to

994
00:48:47,660 --> 00:48:45,509
put that together to be comfortable with

995
00:48:49,339 --> 00:48:47,670
what we were seeing to direct the rover

996
00:48:51,140 --> 00:48:49,349
to get there and then all the

997
00:48:53,269 --> 00:48:51,150
observations that we made during the

998
00:48:56,029 --> 00:48:53,279
walk about in and all the in situ

999
00:48:58,069 --> 00:48:56,039
observations took a long time to come to

1000
00:49:01,490 --> 00:48:58,079
grips with what it was telling us about

1001
00:49:04,039 --> 00:49:01,500
the history of Mars let me just add to

1002
00:49:05,870 --> 00:49:04,049
you the second part of your question is

1003
00:49:07,940 --> 00:49:05,880
do you know how was it that these Rovers

1004
00:49:09,440 --> 00:49:07,950
have lasted so long well they're

1005
00:49:11,240 --> 00:49:09,450
solar-powered mission and the only

1006
00:49:13,460 --> 00:49:11,250
previous solar-powered landed mission

1007
00:49:15,529 --> 00:49:13,470
experience we had was with Pathfinder

1008
00:49:17,450 --> 00:49:15,539
and so we knew about the air fall dust

1009
00:49:19,190 --> 00:49:17,460
and the expectation was the dust would

1010
00:49:21,319 --> 00:49:19,200
accumulate at a rate similar to

1011
00:49:23,539 --> 00:49:21,329
Pathfinder and so we sized the arrays to

1012
00:49:27,559 --> 00:49:23,549
give us enough power to last at least 90

1013
00:49:28,849 --> 00:49:27,569
days what we didn't expect was that the

1014
00:49:31,490 --> 00:49:28,859
wind would blow the dust off the arrays

1015
00:49:33,799 --> 00:49:31,500
in fact we thought that the dust

1016
00:49:35,299 --> 00:49:33,809
wouldn't blow the wind would not blow

1017
00:49:37,579 --> 00:49:35,309
the dust off the erase because a my

1018
00:49:39,859 --> 00:49:37,589
cling electrostatically to the surfaces

1019
00:49:41,779 --> 00:49:39,869
so this has been a tremendous benefit

1020
00:49:43,549 --> 00:49:41,789
that there's periodic cleaning we can't

1021
00:49:46,339 --> 00:49:43,559
predict it it seems to have some

1022
00:49:48,170 --> 00:49:46,349
seasonal relationship but it certainly

1023
00:49:48,490 --> 00:49:48,180
has enabled the Rovers to continue to

1024
00:49:50,680 --> 00:49:48,500
general

1025
00:49:53,410 --> 00:49:50,690
power and then the other aspect of this

1026
00:49:55,810 --> 00:49:53,420
is that we have an Operations team that

1027
00:49:58,930 --> 00:49:55,820
has been very innovative in figuring out

1028
00:50:01,240 --> 00:49:58,940
how to get these Rovers to survive the

1029
00:50:03,850 --> 00:50:01,250
the cold dark Martian winters how we can

1030
00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:03,860
preserve energy continue to be

1031
00:50:08,380 --> 00:50:05,930
productive but operate these vehicles at

1032
00:50:11,590 --> 00:50:08,390
much lower power levels than they were

1033
00:50:13,480 --> 00:50:11,600
originally designed and and Ray is right

1034
00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:13,490
these are magnificently built machines

1035
00:50:17,350 --> 00:50:15,770
the really wonderful project manager is

1036
00:50:19,900 --> 00:50:17,360
being humble these are excellent

1037
00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:19,910
machines they're they're well designed

1038
00:50:25,240 --> 00:50:22,370
they're well built they're tested and

1039
00:50:27,820 --> 00:50:25,250
that that's why they're still working so

1040
00:50:29,980 --> 00:50:27,830
is this unique that something last this

1041
00:50:31,450 --> 00:50:29,990
long pass was expected or is this

1042
00:50:35,230 --> 00:50:31,460
something that NASA missions and I'd

1043
00:50:37,990 --> 00:50:35,240
ever see a lot you know that's it's very

1044
00:50:40,120 --> 00:50:38,000
difficult to to say you know it's you

1045
00:50:42,430 --> 00:50:40,130
know in the choice of being whether

1046
00:50:45,610 --> 00:50:42,440
you'd rather be good or be lucky choose

1047
00:50:50,530 --> 00:50:45,620
being lucky you know it's yes these are

1048
00:50:51,640 --> 00:50:50,540
well designed well built but you know we

1049
00:50:53,830 --> 00:50:51,650
don't know what the environment is like

1050
00:50:55,210 --> 00:50:53,840
I mean the amazing thing is if these

1051
00:50:57,460 --> 00:50:55,220
vehicles go through this deep

1052
00:50:58,720 --> 00:50:57,470
temperature cycle every single day you

1053
00:51:00,160 --> 00:50:58,730
know the temperature change from night

1054
00:51:02,260 --> 00:51:00,170
to day is greater than the temperature

1055
00:51:04,150 --> 00:51:02,270
change from summer to winter and so

1056
00:51:06,460 --> 00:51:04,160
they're they're constantly fatigued by

1057
00:51:08,230 --> 00:51:06,470
this this you know it's it's it's kind

1058
00:51:10,000 --> 00:51:08,240
of like going from the Sahara Desert to

1059
00:51:12,580 --> 00:51:10,010
Antarctica every single day without a

1060
00:51:14,110 --> 00:51:12,590
change of clothing in the fact that

1061
00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:14,120
they've lasted so long really speaks to

1062
00:51:18,460 --> 00:51:15,890
the the quality of the workmanship the

1063
00:51:22,480 --> 00:51:18,470
extensive testing that went into these

1064
00:51:23,950 --> 00:51:22,490
vehicles but is this a general trend are

1065
00:51:24,970 --> 00:51:23,960
all vehicles gonna last this long I

1066
00:51:30,460 --> 00:51:24,980
don't think you could make that

1067
00:51:32,440 --> 00:51:30,470
extrapolation a reminder to reporters on

1068
00:51:34,090 --> 00:51:32,450
the phone for a question hit star one

1069
00:51:35,650 --> 00:51:34,100
and you'll be in the queue and at the

1070
00:51:37,240 --> 00:51:35,660
top of the queue right now is Pete spots

1071
00:51:40,750 --> 00:51:37,250
with the Christian Science Monitor can

1072
00:51:43,150 --> 00:51:40,760
you hear us beep yes oh great great

1073
00:51:45,310 --> 00:51:43,160
thanks for doing this um this may be for

1074
00:51:50,020 --> 00:51:45,320
Ray or Steve kind of a big picture of

1075
00:51:53,170 --> 00:51:50,030
Mars question you know last let we have

1076
00:51:56,080 --> 00:51:53,180
the you know we had the latest from

1077
00:51:59,080 --> 00:51:56,090
curiosity and Gale Crater with you know

1078
00:52:00,790 --> 00:51:59,090
flowing water and streams and maybe a

1079
00:52:02,140 --> 00:52:00,800
lake and you know again but not

1080
00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:02,150
relatively benign

1081
00:52:08,260 --> 00:52:05,450
conditions of acidity and so forth and

1082
00:52:10,960 --> 00:52:08,270
now we have kind of a second similar

1083
00:52:14,140 --> 00:52:10,970
data point on what may be a half a

1084
00:52:15,970 --> 00:52:14,150
hemisphere or a hemisphere away but from

1085
00:52:21,579 --> 00:52:15,980
a different time period what what is

1086
00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:21,589
this this latest piece of research done

1087
00:52:26,890 --> 00:52:25,010
in terms of you know kind of either

1088
00:52:29,380 --> 00:52:26,900
confirming or building on or whatever

1089
00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:29,390
you know the dominant models you folks

1090
00:52:35,859 --> 00:52:31,490
have for the evolution of the climate in

1091
00:52:38,279 --> 00:52:35,869
the environment on the planet want me to

1092
00:52:43,269 --> 00:52:38,289
take a swing at that one you do it boss

1093
00:52:47,069 --> 00:52:43,279
yeah sure um there's an emerging picture

1094
00:52:50,589 --> 00:52:47,079
I think here that conditions on Mars

1095
00:52:53,740 --> 00:52:50,599
changed from the earliest epoch of

1096
00:52:57,190 --> 00:52:53,750
Martian history when you had warmer

1097
00:53:00,010 --> 00:52:57,200
conditions wetter conditions and a

1098
00:53:02,589 --> 00:53:00,020
chemistry that was mostly dominated the

1099
00:53:05,589 --> 00:53:02,599
water chemistry dominated by a neutral

1100
00:53:08,880 --> 00:53:05,599
pH and then you progress through a

1101
00:53:12,279 --> 00:53:08,890
period of diminishing water activity

1102
00:53:13,630 --> 00:53:12,289
increasing acidity so less water less

1103
00:53:16,390 --> 00:53:13,640
coming to the surface less flowing

1104
00:53:20,140 --> 00:53:16,400
across the ground what waters there was

1105
00:53:23,170 --> 00:53:20,150
there was was more acid and then for the

1106
00:53:26,190 --> 00:53:23,180
last three billion years plus very

1107
00:53:28,900 --> 00:53:26,200
little water activity at all most of the

1108
00:53:31,180 --> 00:53:28,910
activity on Mars in terms of

1109
00:53:33,220 --> 00:53:31,190
habitability and and water activity was

1110
00:53:35,230 --> 00:53:33,230
concentrated in the first billion or so

1111
00:53:38,829 --> 00:53:35,240
years and then after that it's been

1112
00:53:40,329 --> 00:53:38,839
pretty quiet since so it's this is one

1113
00:53:43,269 --> 00:53:40,339
of these things where you piece together

1114
00:53:44,620 --> 00:53:43,279
the story bit by bit clue by clue over a

1115
00:53:48,339 --> 00:53:44,630
period of what's turning out to be

1116
00:53:50,289 --> 00:53:48,349
decades but I think the the rover data

1117
00:53:53,170 --> 00:53:50,299
that we've accumulated the rover data

1118
00:53:54,849 --> 00:53:53,180
from curiosity which is again looking

1119
00:53:58,410 --> 00:53:54,859
very distant very far into the Martian

1120
00:54:01,510 --> 00:53:58,420
past and then global datasets chrism on

1121
00:54:03,130 --> 00:54:01,520
the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is one

1122
00:54:07,120 --> 00:54:03,140
example there was a marvelous system it

1123
00:54:10,089 --> 00:54:07,130
called Omega on the European Mars

1124
00:54:12,180 --> 00:54:10,099
Express that was one of the first to

1125
00:54:14,529 --> 00:54:12,190
really show this pattern of

1126
00:54:15,640 --> 00:54:14,539
phyllosilicates and clays in neutral pH

1127
00:54:18,010 --> 00:54:15,650
early and then

1128
00:54:20,320 --> 00:54:18,020
then more acidic conditions later on and

1129
00:54:24,010 --> 00:54:20,330
so it's it's a picture that continues to

1130
00:54:25,860 --> 00:54:24,020
evolve but I would say that general

1131
00:54:28,300 --> 00:54:25,870
trend is hanging together pretty well I

1132
00:54:29,950 --> 00:54:28,310
think that's true Steven and what we're

1133
00:54:32,530 --> 00:54:29,960
doing now is trying to take the

1134
00:54:34,840 --> 00:54:32,540
geochemical and the geological evidence

1135
00:54:36,490 --> 00:54:34,850
which continues to accumulate and then

1136
00:54:39,100 --> 00:54:36,500
bounce that against the folks who

1137
00:54:40,780 --> 00:54:39,110
actually model whole planets in terms of

1138
00:54:43,420 --> 00:54:40,790
the thermal evolution in the interior

1139
00:54:45,460 --> 00:54:43,430
volcanism and tectonics and also the

1140
00:54:47,470 --> 00:54:45,470
atmosphere greenhouse gases and those

1141
00:54:50,230 --> 00:54:47,480
kinds of things so we put together a

1142
00:54:52,780 --> 00:54:50,240
kind of a global view of the evolution

1143
00:54:54,490 --> 00:54:52,790
of this planet importantly a lot of the

1144
00:54:57,250 --> 00:54:54,500
rocks that we've been investigating are

1145
00:54:59,620 --> 00:54:57,260
very early in geologic time as we've

1146
00:55:02,230 --> 00:54:59,630
said and that records long for the most

1147
00:55:04,750 --> 00:55:02,240
part gone on earth so we're able to look

1148
00:55:06,670 --> 00:55:04,760
back through to very early in time for

1149
00:55:08,620 --> 00:55:06,680
with a very pretty extensive record

1150
00:55:12,390 --> 00:55:08,630
because the rate of erosion and turnover

1151
00:55:15,580 --> 00:55:12,400
of Mars's than a lot less than on earth

1152
00:55:17,020 --> 00:55:15,590
we have an interesting social media

1153
00:55:20,230 --> 00:55:17,030
question I think this one's for Steve

1154
00:55:22,300 --> 00:55:20,240
it's from William Shatner and he'd like

1155
00:55:24,010 --> 00:55:22,310
to know if you've ruled out Martian rock

1156
00:55:28,270 --> 00:55:24,020
throwers in the case of the jelly donut

1157
00:55:30,190 --> 00:55:28,280
I think Martian rock throwers are

1158
00:55:33,100 --> 00:55:30,200
unlikely though we'll keep our eyes open

1159
00:55:34,660 --> 00:55:33,110
for those we did actually have another

1160
00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:34,670
scenario which we're still thinking

1161
00:55:39,250 --> 00:55:37,010
about it's the the smoking hole in the

1162
00:55:41,680 --> 00:55:39,260
ground hypothesis as I've called it we

1163
00:55:43,660 --> 00:55:41,690
cannot yet rule out the possibility with

1164
00:55:45,580 --> 00:55:43,670
certainty that there wasn't a freshly

1165
00:55:49,140 --> 00:55:45,590
formed impact crater nearby and this is

1166
00:55:52,390 --> 00:55:49,150
a piece of stuff that was thrown out by

1167
00:55:54,820 --> 00:55:52,400
by a small impact but we think the most

1168
00:55:56,470 --> 00:55:54,830
likely scenario is that that rock wasn't

1169
00:55:58,270 --> 00:55:56,480
thrown it wasn't kicked out of a crater

1170
00:56:00,130 --> 00:55:58,280
it was flicked out with one of our

1171
00:56:02,230 --> 00:56:00,140
wheels and we're gonna take a close look

1172
00:56:06,310 --> 00:56:02,240
at that hypothesis just in the coming

1173
00:56:08,230 --> 00:56:06,320
days one more from social media this is

1174
00:56:11,260 --> 00:56:08,240
about a comet called sighting spring

1175
00:56:13,420 --> 00:56:11,270
that will come near Mars later in 2014

1176
00:56:16,570 --> 00:56:13,430
and the question from social media from

1177
00:56:18,850 --> 00:56:16,580
epic cosmos on Twitter asked are there

1178
00:56:22,570 --> 00:56:18,860
plans to study comet siding spring when

1179
00:56:24,100 --> 00:56:22,580
it comes near Mars and maybe write a

1180
00:56:25,780 --> 00:56:24,110
question yeah I can take a quick swing

1181
00:56:27,430 --> 00:56:25,790
of that from the opportunity perspective

1182
00:56:29,650 --> 00:56:27,440
and then we can look at all let Michael

1183
00:56:30,730 --> 00:56:29,660
address the other missions as well

1184
00:56:32,829 --> 00:56:30,740
one of the things that we've learned

1185
00:56:36,160 --> 00:56:32,839
with opportunity and spirit over the

1186
00:56:38,740 --> 00:56:36,170
years is that we can see meteors

1187
00:56:40,180 --> 00:56:38,750
streaking across the Martian sky from

1188
00:56:42,160 --> 00:56:40,190
time to time and so when sighting

1189
00:56:44,440 --> 00:56:42,170
Springs those come by if opportunity is

1190
00:56:47,049 --> 00:56:44,450
still alive and well if we have enough

1191
00:56:49,029 --> 00:56:47,059
power to take images during the daytime

1192
00:56:52,000 --> 00:56:49,039
one of the things that we'll look for is

1193
00:56:54,730 --> 00:56:52,010
meteors in the sky that might be the

1194
00:56:57,700 --> 00:56:54,740
track of debris that's been shed by the

1195
00:57:01,240 --> 00:56:57,710
comet as it is flown by Mars yeah

1196
00:57:04,599 --> 00:57:01,250
sighing spring poses a real interesting

1197
00:57:08,500 --> 00:57:04,609
situation it's closest approach to Mars

1198
00:57:11,260 --> 00:57:08,510
I think is October 19th and so there's

1199
00:57:13,240 --> 00:57:11,270
two aspects to it one is this comic is

1200
00:57:15,220 --> 00:57:13,250
going to produce material that will come

1201
00:57:16,930 --> 00:57:15,230
to the Martian atmosphere and we are

1202
00:57:18,819 --> 00:57:16,940
gonna have our Martian Allen assets

1203
00:57:21,400 --> 00:57:18,829
looking to see what's happening they

1204
00:57:23,650 --> 00:57:21,410
march in atmosphere and certainly we

1205
00:57:25,599 --> 00:57:23,660
even had a trial run of doing that with

1206
00:57:29,319 --> 00:57:25,609
the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter highrise

1207
00:57:31,210 --> 00:57:29,329
looking at the comet ison so that's

1208
00:57:35,019 --> 00:57:31,220
going to be very exciting having a

1209
00:57:37,000 --> 00:57:35,029
meteor shower on Mars we're also looking

1210
00:57:38,920 --> 00:57:37,010
at very hard because there's a little

1211
00:57:40,809 --> 00:57:38,930
bit of a concern that if there are

1212
00:57:42,579 --> 00:57:40,819
sufficient number of particles and large

1213
00:57:46,539 --> 00:57:42,589
enough they actually may pose a hazard

1214
00:57:48,010 --> 00:57:46,549
to our orbiting spacecraft and so over

1215
00:57:51,220 --> 00:57:48,020
the next half a year we're going to be

1216
00:57:56,260 --> 00:57:51,230
doing some observations beforehand to

1217
00:57:58,539 --> 00:57:56,270
see how active this comet is going to be

1218
00:58:01,510 --> 00:57:58,549
and what the particle size distribution

1219
00:58:04,269 --> 00:58:01,520
is and what sort of spectacular show can

1220
00:58:07,539 --> 00:58:04,279
we expect at Mars from this comet and

1221
00:58:10,450 --> 00:58:07,549
also look to see what hazard there might

1222
00:58:11,920 --> 00:58:10,460
be presented by this comment thanks

1223
00:58:15,279 --> 00:58:11,930
Michael and one more quick question from

1224
00:58:17,319 --> 00:58:15,289
Tracy Watson of USA Today hi could you

1225
00:58:20,380 --> 00:58:17,329
talk a little bit about the hypotheses

1226
00:58:22,059 --> 00:58:20,390
to explain why Mars climate change so

1227
00:58:24,730 --> 00:58:22,069
much that the grades you just review

1228
00:58:30,010 --> 00:58:24,740
that a little bit things Oh Steve let me

1229
00:58:31,690 --> 00:58:30,020
take this okay this is the big question

1230
00:58:34,000 --> 00:58:31,700
and they don't have the answer kind of

1231
00:58:36,400 --> 00:58:34,010
fully quantified or even qualitatively

1232
00:58:40,150 --> 00:58:36,410
together but let me give you my working

1233
00:58:43,000 --> 00:58:40,160
hypothesis we for Mars and planets tend

1234
00:58:45,910 --> 00:58:43,010
to form hot because they accrete in that

1235
00:58:48,640 --> 00:58:45,920
energy gets changed to heat the core

1236
00:58:51,580 --> 00:58:48,650
forms and that gender generates even

1237
00:58:54,099 --> 00:58:51,590
more heat the the core is liquid it's

1238
00:58:56,200 --> 00:58:54,109
rotating we have a magnetic field the

1239
00:58:58,120 --> 00:58:56,210
magnetic field shields the solar wind

1240
00:59:00,940 --> 00:58:58,130
from stripping the atmosphere as does

1241
00:59:03,280 --> 00:59:00,950
our magnetic field because it's hot it's

1242
00:59:05,380 --> 00:59:03,290
extensively degassing in terms of

1243
00:59:08,020 --> 00:59:05,390
volcanism those are the the right

1244
00:59:09,910 --> 00:59:08,030
conditions to have an atmosphere where

1245
00:59:12,460 --> 00:59:09,920
water can be sustained on the surface

1246
00:59:14,950 --> 00:59:12,470
and the shallow subsurface Mars is a

1247
00:59:17,200 --> 00:59:14,960
smaller planet than Earth so it's going

1248
00:59:19,750 --> 00:59:17,210
to cool down faster and one could

1249
00:59:21,870 --> 00:59:19,760
imagine that if the magnetic field was

1250
00:59:25,450 --> 00:59:21,880
kind of withering as the core froze as

1251
00:59:27,700 --> 00:59:25,460
volcanism was kind of on the wane we

1252
00:59:30,430 --> 00:59:27,710
moved from a pretty active planet in

1253
00:59:32,740 --> 00:59:30,440
terms of volcanic activity and water

1254
00:59:34,540 --> 00:59:32,750
being on the surface for some period of

1255
00:59:37,180 --> 00:59:34,550
time and certainly in the subsurface

1256
00:59:40,030 --> 00:59:37,190
shallow subsurface to the cold dry

1257
00:59:41,920 --> 00:59:40,040
conditions that Steve talked about a few

1258
00:59:43,750 --> 00:59:41,930
minutes ago and the transition is

1259
00:59:45,870 --> 00:59:43,760
interesting that might be the Bern's

1260
00:59:48,670 --> 00:59:45,880
formation these hydrated sulfates

1261
00:59:51,220 --> 00:59:48,680
because you can explain the the burns

1262
00:59:53,500 --> 00:59:51,230
formation by having more or less neutral

1263
00:59:55,900 --> 00:59:53,510
water coming up to the top of the

1264
00:59:58,150 --> 00:59:55,910
atmosphere and interacting with an

1265
01:00:01,840 --> 00:59:58,160
oxidizing atmosphere or ultraviolet

1266
01:00:04,690 --> 01:00:01,850
radiation that turns ferrous ions into

1267
01:00:06,820 --> 01:00:04,700
ferric ions that creates hydrogen which

1268
01:00:08,349 --> 01:00:06,830
can it escape but it also makes sulfates

1269
01:00:11,230 --> 01:00:08,359
and when you make sulfates you release

1270
01:00:13,720 --> 01:00:11,240
protons acids and that's going to

1271
01:00:15,640 --> 01:00:13,730
produce this very acidic very oxidizing

1272
01:00:18,040 --> 01:00:15,650
set of conditions and if you don't have

1273
01:00:19,930 --> 01:00:18,050
a lot of liquid water and it really

1274
01:00:23,109 --> 01:00:19,940
makes acidic condition so that might be

1275
01:00:25,090 --> 01:00:23,119
the kind of last major gasp of kind of a

1276
01:00:25,570 --> 01:00:25,100
flu viola cussed Rand system for the

1277
01:00:27,790 --> 01:00:25,580
planet

1278
01:00:29,470 --> 01:00:27,800
now I made all this up alright because

1279
01:00:32,109 --> 01:00:29,480
it's a good story and it's a good

1280
01:00:33,700 --> 01:00:32,119
working hypothesis but in addition to

1281
01:00:36,040 --> 01:00:33,710
habitability in life we're trying to

1282
01:00:38,080 --> 01:00:36,050
understand the global system and how its

1283
01:00:40,359 --> 01:00:38,090
evolved over time and it's a good

1284
01:00:41,830 --> 01:00:40,369
working hypothesis that you know if you

1285
01:00:44,140 --> 01:00:41,840
invite us back a few years from now

1286
01:00:46,300 --> 01:00:44,150
we'll probably change it okay well

1287
01:00:48,670 --> 01:00:46,310
thanks very much for the reporters and

1288
01:00:50,470 --> 01:00:48,680
the others watching the briefing today