1 00:00:15,049 --> 00:00:13,399 good morning and welcome to NASA 2 00:00:16,340 --> 00:00:15,059 headquarters in Washington my name is 3 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:16,350 Duane Brown with the Office of 4 00:00:21,529 --> 00:00:19,050 Communications ladies and gentlemen the 5 00:00:24,739 --> 00:00:21,539 journey to Mars just got a whole lot 6 00:00:27,259 --> 00:00:24,749 more fascinating this morning scientists 7 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:27,269 will provide further details on the 8 00:00:33,470 --> 00:00:30,210 answer to a long-held mystery of the Red 9 00:00:35,630 --> 00:00:33,480 Planet and provide their thoughts and 10 00:00:39,639 --> 00:00:35,640 theories on the possibilities of what 11 00:00:42,740 --> 00:00:39,649 this could mean for life beyond Earth 12 00:00:45,590 --> 00:00:42,750 we'll have short briefings and 13 00:00:46,910 --> 00:00:45,600 presentations by participants then we'll 14 00:00:49,759 --> 00:00:46,920 open it up for questions starting here 15 00:00:52,819 --> 00:00:49,769 in Washington our phone lines and social 16 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:52,829 media information you'll hear today and 17 00:01:07,850 --> 00:01:07,490 WWE slash Mars also nasa.gov journey to 18 00:01:10,310 --> 00:01:07,860 Mars 19 00:01:13,220 --> 00:01:10,320 and of course follow the conversation 20 00:01:15,980 --> 00:01:13,230 and the conversation is phenomenal all 21 00:01:18,110 --> 00:01:15,990 over the world of what is happening and 22 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:18,120 what will be talked about today social 23 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:22,530 media YouTube Twitter Facebook and send 24 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:26,090 in your questions to hashtag ask NASA 25 00:01:30,550 --> 00:01:28,410 we've got a lot to cover so let me 26 00:01:36,380 --> 00:01:30,560 introduce you to today's participants 27 00:01:38,870 --> 00:01:36,390 first up John Grunsfeld five times space 28 00:01:42,350 --> 00:01:38,880 Fallone astronaut and associate 29 00:01:44,090 --> 00:01:42,360 administrator or head of this national 30 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:44,100 science Mission Directorate here at NASA 31 00:01:56,170 --> 00:01:50,490 headquarters Jim Green director of 32 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:00,380 Michael Meyer lead scientist for the 33 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:03,090 Mars exploration program NASA 34 00:02:10,509 --> 00:02:07,290 headquarters and ladies and gentlemen 35 00:02:12,530 --> 00:02:10,519 joining us via phone from France 36 00:02:14,770 --> 00:02:12,540 individuals attending the European 37 00:02:17,750 --> 00:02:14,780 planetary science conference 38 00:02:20,210 --> 00:02:17,760 alfred mcewen principal investigator for 39 00:02:22,250 --> 00:02:20,220 the high-resolution imaging science 40 00:02:26,330 --> 00:02:22,260 experiment or high-rise from the 41 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:26,340 University of Arizona in Tucson and Lou 42 00:02:32,900 --> 00:02:29,010 geojo of the Georgia Institute of 43 00:02:34,460 --> 00:02:32,910 Technology in Atlanta and joining us 44 00:02:37,510 --> 00:02:34,470 from the West Coast from NASA's Ames 45 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:37,520 Research Center is Mary Beth Wilhelm 46 00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:40,290 hold onto your seats in your hats and 47 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:43,650 I'll turn it over to John good morning 48 00:02:46,390 --> 00:02:45,090 everyone and thank you very much for 49 00:02:48,020 --> 00:02:46,400 coming this is a very exciting 50 00:02:52,009 --> 00:02:48,030 discussion that we're going to have 51 00:02:55,790 --> 00:02:52,019 today science at NASA is all about 52 00:02:58,070 --> 00:02:55,800 innovating exploring discovering and 53 00:03:00,650 --> 00:02:58,080 inspiring and we have some very 54 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:00,660 innovative instruments orbiting Mars on 55 00:03:04,759 --> 00:03:02,130 the surface of Mars 56 00:03:06,830 --> 00:03:04,769 you know state-of-the-art technology and 57 00:03:09,710 --> 00:03:06,840 we're starting to put together a much 58 00:03:12,259 --> 00:03:09,720 more interesting picture of what Mars is 59 00:03:15,110 --> 00:03:12,269 like I grew up during the era when 60 00:03:18,740 --> 00:03:15,120 Viking had landed on Mars and revealed a 61 00:03:20,930 --> 00:03:18,750 desert-like planet apparently dead and 62 00:03:24,050 --> 00:03:20,940 not as interesting as we see it really 63 00:03:26,330 --> 00:03:24,060 is our instruments today are showing us 64 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:26,340 a much more dynamic and complex planet 65 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:28,650 and one that is exciting for a number of 66 00:03:33,170 --> 00:03:30,930 reasons which I'll describe and when we 67 00:03:35,690 --> 00:03:33,180 explore we make discoveries and that's 68 00:03:38,390 --> 00:03:35,700 really the human element discovery is 69 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:38,400 why we do science we're trying to answer 70 00:03:42,740 --> 00:03:40,410 fundamental questions about our universe 71 00:03:45,110 --> 00:03:42,750 about our home planet about our solar 72 00:03:49,599 --> 00:03:45,120 system questions like where did we come 73 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:49,609 from where are we going and are we alone 74 00:03:53,630 --> 00:03:51,930 and usually when I say where are we 75 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:53,640 going I'm thinking in the cosmic sense 76 00:03:57,620 --> 00:03:55,170 what's the future evolution of the 77 00:04:00,289 --> 00:03:57,630 universe or what's the future evolution 78 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:00,299 of life here on planet earth but in this 79 00:04:04,039 --> 00:04:01,650 case and one of the reasons I'm wearing 80 00:04:06,380 --> 00:04:04,049 my astronaut jacket is because we are 81 00:04:09,860 --> 00:04:06,390 going to Mars our journey to Mars is a 82 00:04:12,349 --> 00:04:09,870 science led expedition right now but 83 00:04:14,810 --> 00:04:12,359 soon I hope we'll be sending humans to 84 00:04:17,029 --> 00:04:14,820 the red planet to explore and science 85 00:04:19,069 --> 00:04:17,039 will lead the way and today's 86 00:04:22,370 --> 00:04:19,079 announcement of a really fascinating 87 00:04:24,980 --> 00:04:22,380 result about current water on Mars is 88 00:04:26,270 --> 00:04:24,990 one of the reasons why I feel it's even 89 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:26,280 more imperative 90 00:04:30,530 --> 00:04:28,050 that we send astrobiologists and 91 00:04:33,170 --> 00:04:30,540 planetary scientists to Mars to explore 92 00:04:36,409 --> 00:04:33,180 the question of is their current life on 93 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:36,419 Mars it's one of the things that I find 94 00:04:41,420 --> 00:04:38,610 most fascinating and and excites me 95 00:04:43,700 --> 00:04:41,430 about coming to work every day the way 96 00:04:45,409 --> 00:04:43,710 that we do that is to use our analytical 97 00:04:48,050 --> 00:04:45,419 instruments and so these are somewhat 98 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:48,060 complex measurements and it is because 99 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:50,490 we're trying to observe from orbit or 100 00:04:53,510 --> 00:04:52,650 observe from one spot on Mars that this 101 00:04:56,690 --> 00:04:53,520 is so difficult 102 00:04:58,430 --> 00:04:56,700 but the more we observe Mars the more 103 00:05:00,890 --> 00:04:58,440 information we're getting that it really 104 00:05:03,500 --> 00:05:00,900 is a fascinating planet from the 105 00:05:05,570 --> 00:05:03,510 Curiosity rover we now know that Mars 106 00:05:08,210 --> 00:05:05,580 what once was a planet very much like 107 00:05:10,790 --> 00:05:08,220 Earth with warm salty seas with 108 00:05:13,670 --> 00:05:10,800 freshwater lakes probably snow-capped 109 00:05:15,380 --> 00:05:13,680 peaks and clouds and a water cycle just 110 00:05:17,210 --> 00:05:15,390 like we're studying here on earth with 111 00:05:19,490 --> 00:05:17,220 our earth science satellites the water 112 00:05:22,460 --> 00:05:19,500 cycle here on earth but something has 113 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:22,470 happened to Mars it lost its water but 114 00:05:27,409 --> 00:05:25,050 we still have in in the atmosphere and 115 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:27,419 on the surface for the most part but we 116 00:05:32,330 --> 00:05:29,610 still have this question if did life 117 00:05:34,580 --> 00:05:32,340 arise on Mars once and can we find out 118 00:05:38,810 --> 00:05:34,590 and we have lots of intriguing clues 119 00:05:40,850 --> 00:05:38,820 about that story still that begs the 120 00:05:42,469 --> 00:05:40,860 question about if life started on Mars 121 00:05:44,270 --> 00:05:42,479 some three and a half billion years ago 122 00:05:46,700 --> 00:05:44,280 did any survive is there any life on 123 00:05:48,380 --> 00:05:46,710 Mars today and that's a fascinating 124 00:05:51,500 --> 00:05:48,390 question one that's going to take some 125 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:51,510 time to answer but technologically we 126 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:53,250 can answer and we can answer it by 127 00:05:56,750 --> 00:05:54,810 sending Rovers and we can answer it by 128 00:05:58,670 --> 00:05:56,760 sending people and I look forward to 129 00:06:00,350 --> 00:05:58,680 that day on our journey to Mars 130 00:06:04,700 --> 00:06:00,360 the discovery we're going to talk about 131 00:06:07,340 --> 00:06:04,710 today really is most exciting because it 132 00:06:10,159 --> 00:06:07,350 suggests that it would be possible for 133 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:10,169 there to be life today on Mars and with 134 00:06:13,730 --> 00:06:11,610 that I'm going to turn it over to Jim 135 00:06:15,830 --> 00:06:13,740 Green to describe a little more detail 136 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:15,840 and background thank you very much John 137 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:18,450 you know we're making enormous progress 138 00:06:24,590 --> 00:06:21,210 with our current orbiters and Rovers as 139 00:06:27,650 --> 00:06:24,600 John mentioned and this is really to 140 00:06:30,110 --> 00:06:27,660 look at Mars because it is the planet 141 00:06:31,969 --> 00:06:30,120 that's most like the earth it is of 142 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:31,979 course as we've talked about the 143 00:06:35,659 --> 00:06:34,770 destination or human exploration going 144 00:06:38,300 --> 00:06:35,669 beyond Earth 145 00:06:39,470 --> 00:06:38,310 if we go back perhaps three billion 146 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:39,480 years and take a look 147 00:06:45,710 --> 00:06:42,570 Mars Mars was a very different planet it 148 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:45,720 had an extensive atmosphere and in fact 149 00:06:52,310 --> 00:06:48,690 it had what we believe was a huge ocean 150 00:06:55,070 --> 00:06:52,320 perhaps as large as two-thirds of the 151 00:06:58,670 --> 00:06:55,080 northern hemisphere and that ocean may 152 00:07:01,100 --> 00:06:58,680 have been as much as a mile deep so Mars 153 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:01,110 indeed 3 billion years ago had extensive 154 00:07:08,050 --> 00:07:04,770 water resources but something happened 155 00:07:14,090 --> 00:07:08,060 Mars suffered a major climate change and 156 00:07:16,670 --> 00:07:14,100 lost its surface water today we're 157 00:07:20,210 --> 00:07:16,680 revolutionizing our understanding of 158 00:07:22,340 --> 00:07:20,220 this planet our Rovers are finding that 159 00:07:25,340 --> 00:07:22,350 there's a lot more humidity in the air 160 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:25,350 than we ever imagined is we ingest the 161 00:07:31,940 --> 00:07:27,930 soils they're moist they're hydrated 162 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:31,950 full of water these discoveries are very 163 00:07:37,220 --> 00:07:34,770 important but they were only part of the 164 00:07:40,700 --> 00:07:37,230 hydrological cycle on Mars that we're 165 00:07:43,550 --> 00:07:40,710 just now beginning to understand what 166 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:43,560 we're going to announce today is that 167 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:46,650 Mars is not the dry arid planet that we 168 00:07:51,940 --> 00:07:49,890 thought of in the past today we're going 169 00:07:54,740 --> 00:07:51,950 to announce that under certain 170 00:07:58,430 --> 00:07:54,750 circumstances liquid water has been 171 00:08:00,920 --> 00:07:58,440 found on Mars now to give more of a 172 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:00,930 background on those results let me turn 173 00:08:06,950 --> 00:08:03,810 it over to Mike Meyer Michael thank you 174 00:08:10,790 --> 00:08:06,960 Jim for the first time we have orbital 175 00:08:13,730 --> 00:08:10,800 evidence of the agent that has enabled 176 00:08:16,460 --> 00:08:13,740 water to flow on the surface of today's 177 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:16,470 Mars for years we've had orbital 178 00:08:24,770 --> 00:08:20,450 spacecraft imaging valleys streaks 179 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:24,780 gullies all of them look like water was 180 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:26,370 an agent had something to do with 181 00:08:31,610 --> 00:08:29,010 forming them but we didn't have any 182 00:08:35,630 --> 00:08:31,620 proof it was not until about four years 183 00:08:39,890 --> 00:08:35,640 ago that looking at some we found the 184 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:39,900 active process on Mars today that showed 185 00:08:46,270 --> 00:08:43,290 that water was a likely culprit these 186 00:08:48,620 --> 00:08:46,280 are called recurring slope lineae RSL 187 00:08:50,030 --> 00:08:48,630 for the rest of the press conference to 188 00:08:51,990 --> 00:08:50,040 save everybody the trouble of saying 189 00:08:54,810 --> 00:08:52,000 recurring slope lineae 190 00:08:57,860 --> 00:08:54,820 these are dark streaks that form and 191 00:09:01,340 --> 00:08:57,870 late-spring grow through the summer and 192 00:09:04,230 --> 00:09:01,350 then disappear by fall 193 00:09:08,100 --> 00:09:04,240 however for four years of scientific 194 00:09:10,230 --> 00:09:08,110 community has been unable to explain the 195 00:09:12,570 --> 00:09:10,240 waxing and waning of these dark streaks 196 00:09:14,790 --> 00:09:12,580 on the surface during this time 197 00:09:17,340 --> 00:09:14,800 additional observations have helped us 198 00:09:19,980 --> 00:09:17,350 determine that a broader distribution of 199 00:09:23,930 --> 00:09:19,990 RSL than we expected we're also finding 200 00:09:26,190 --> 00:09:23,940 that they are in expanded latitudes 201 00:09:30,770 --> 00:09:26,200 these observations have narrowed the 202 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:30,780 constraints for how RSL might form but 203 00:09:38,700 --> 00:09:34,890 there have been no evidence for water 204 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:38,710 until now it is through the multiple 205 00:09:42,210 --> 00:09:40,450 spacecraft and the multiple years of 206 00:09:45,390 --> 00:09:42,220 observations that would be able to make 207 00:09:48,330 --> 00:09:45,400 this discovery of water on today's Mars 208 00:09:50,570 --> 00:09:48,340 and for further details or turn it over 209 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:50,580 to Duane who will pass it on to our 210 00:09:54,060 --> 00:09:51,850 science 211 00:09:57,470 --> 00:09:54,070 yes let's pass it on to our scientists 212 00:10:00,660 --> 00:09:57,480 in France and it aims and now let's see 213 00:10:02,820 --> 00:10:00,670 what this excitement is all about you're 214 00:10:04,980 --> 00:10:02,830 here first from alfred mcewen 215 00:10:06,930 --> 00:10:04,990 from france attending a european 216 00:10:10,550 --> 00:10:06,940 planetary science conference and in lieu 217 00:10:13,950 --> 00:10:10,560 G Oh JA Alfred 218 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:13,960 greetings Vermont so I'm going to 219 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:19,210 provide some background on the RSL and I 220 00:10:24,540 --> 00:10:21,370 have to explain why we have such a 221 00:10:26,700 --> 00:10:24,550 horrible acronym to deal with here for 222 00:10:28,740 --> 00:10:26,710 us scientists better to have a purely 223 00:10:31,170 --> 00:10:28,750 descriptive name that way we can argue 224 00:10:32,790 --> 00:10:31,180 about how these formed and still use the 225 00:10:34,770 --> 00:10:32,800 same name we don't want to name that 226 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:34,780 assumes we understand what these are so 227 00:10:39,540 --> 00:10:38,290 we're stuck with RSL and so I'm going to 228 00:10:41,370 --> 00:10:39,550 give a little background and then I'll 229 00:10:45,210 --> 00:10:41,380 turn it over to lose you to describe his 230 00:10:50,850 --> 00:10:45,220 his new results could I have the first 231 00:10:53,190 --> 00:10:50,860 slide please so this first view is the 232 00:10:55,470 --> 00:10:53,200 title slide gives the title of the paper 233 00:10:58,980 --> 00:10:55,480 that's being released today in Nature 234 00:11:00,870 --> 00:10:58,990 Geoscience and this is a perspective 235 00:11:02,250 --> 00:11:00,880 view as if we are on the ground there's 236 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:02,260 actually more verbal images but we 237 00:11:05,610 --> 00:11:03,970 projected as if we're on the ground and 238 00:11:09,329 --> 00:11:05,620 the plaque arrows there 239 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:09,339 point to the tips of these RSL they 240 00:11:16,170 --> 00:11:11,770 actually begin way up near the tops of 241 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:16,180 this hill here and that they flow down 242 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:18,490 over the bedrock and when they flow out 243 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:20,050 onto the fans about and that's where 244 00:11:25,410 --> 00:11:22,450 they stand out most distinctly so these 245 00:11:29,340 --> 00:11:25,420 are features were talking about and if I 246 00:11:31,110 --> 00:11:29,350 could go to the next view graph this 247 00:11:34,019 --> 00:11:31,120 will show you a little animated gifs 248 00:11:36,900 --> 00:11:34,029 that shows you the time sequence of 249 00:11:38,850 --> 00:11:36,910 these features so on the left is that 250 00:11:44,070 --> 00:11:38,860 black and white image this is palak your 251 00:11:46,380 --> 00:11:44,080 crater and it's all along the North 252 00:11:48,030 --> 00:11:46,390 facing and west facing rim of this 253 00:11:49,950 --> 00:11:48,040 crater you can see the black arrows 254 00:11:53,310 --> 00:11:49,960 pointing to too many of these on the 255 00:11:56,250 --> 00:11:53,320 left on the right is this animated gif 256 00:12:00,240 --> 00:11:56,260 and it shows the sequence where the 257 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:00,250 start to form in the early summer they 258 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:03,490 grow either gradually very gradually or 259 00:12:08,519 --> 00:12:06,370 incremental II then they and they stop 260 00:12:11,850 --> 00:12:08,529 growing and they fade then they 261 00:12:14,610 --> 00:12:11,860 disappear they're gone entirely for most 262 00:12:17,610 --> 00:12:14,620 of the Mars year the following Mars 263 00:12:20,220 --> 00:12:17,620 summer new features appear and grow that 264 00:12:21,810 --> 00:12:20,230 are very similar so that's the full 265 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:21,820 sequence of events that we've been 266 00:12:29,220 --> 00:12:24,610 observing with high rise over the last 267 00:12:31,500 --> 00:12:29,230 four years or so and the these features 268 00:12:33,780 --> 00:12:31,510 are very sensitive to the temperature 269 00:12:37,140 --> 00:12:33,790 they form at different times at 270 00:12:39,930 --> 00:12:37,150 different latitudes on Mars all related 271 00:12:42,060 --> 00:12:39,940 to the seasonal variations at those 272 00:12:45,060 --> 00:12:42,070 locations so they're very temperature 273 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:45,070 dependent and the darkening and the 274 00:12:49,980 --> 00:12:46,810 temperature dependence can be explained 275 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:49,990 if these are seeps of water that seep 276 00:12:56,340 --> 00:12:52,410 through the shallow surface layer and 277 00:12:58,290 --> 00:12:56,350 darken the very surface layer but we had 278 00:13:00,210 --> 00:12:58,300 no direct detection of water that was 279 00:13:04,230 --> 00:13:00,220 just our best guess as to what these 280 00:13:08,220 --> 00:13:04,240 were if you go to the next slide 281 00:13:11,070 --> 00:13:08,230 this is a global map of Mars and it 282 00:13:13,380 --> 00:13:11,080 shows where we have what we call fully 283 00:13:15,060 --> 00:13:13,390 confirmed RSL as of a couple years ago 284 00:13:16,740 --> 00:13:15,070 this needs to be updated but it's the 285 00:13:19,380 --> 00:13:16,750 same general pattern there's three 286 00:13:22,410 --> 00:13:19,390 regions one is the southern midline 287 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:22,420 toots another is Valles Marineris 288 00:13:27,630 --> 00:13:25,090 particular and there are a few other 289 00:13:29,130 --> 00:13:27,640 equatorial spots and then in the 290 00:13:33,380 --> 00:13:29,140 northern hemisphere we've seen quite a 291 00:13:35,850 --> 00:13:33,390 few of these now in a Sedalia Planitia 292 00:13:38,790 --> 00:13:35,860 loser was going to talk about his 293 00:13:40,710 --> 00:13:38,800 discoveries of of hydrated salts in 294 00:13:44,490 --> 00:13:40,720 three locations that are marked on here 295 00:13:47,820 --> 00:13:44,500 one is in balance Marineris in Pilates 296 00:13:49,950 --> 00:13:47,830 chasm another is pala care crater which 297 00:13:53,580 --> 00:13:49,960 I showed you the the animated gif orb 298 00:13:56,790 --> 00:13:53,590 and then we see them in the central 299 00:14:01,230 --> 00:13:56,800 peaks of Hale crater and Horowitz crater 300 00:14:03,930 --> 00:14:01,240 and John mentioned the biking results 301 00:14:05,780 --> 00:14:03,940 well Norman Horowitz was the principal 302 00:14:08,610 --> 00:14:05,790 investigator on the pyrolytic release 303 00:14:10,650 --> 00:14:08,620 experiment on the Viking landers which 304 00:14:13,710 --> 00:14:10,660 was searching one of four experiments 305 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:13,720 searching for for life on Mars they had 306 00:14:21,660 --> 00:14:16,570 a negative result although there may be 307 00:14:25,110 --> 00:14:21,670 reasons for that so then the last slide 308 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:25,120 I'm going to show you if you go to the 309 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:27,850 next one this just shows Mars and its 310 00:14:32,490 --> 00:14:30,610 orbit around the Sun and this is to 311 00:14:33,780 --> 00:14:32,500 explain a little bit about why we see 312 00:14:36,900 --> 00:14:33,790 these at different times in different 313 00:14:39,750 --> 00:14:36,910 places so Mars is tilted on its axis 314 00:14:41,970 --> 00:14:39,760 about 25 degrees very similar to Earth's 315 00:14:44,430 --> 00:14:41,980 Tilton's axis so it has seasons like 316 00:14:46,290 --> 00:14:44,440 Earth when each pole is pointing towards 317 00:14:48,470 --> 00:14:46,300 the Sun it's summer in that hemisphere 318 00:14:52,380 --> 00:14:48,480 winter when it's pointing away 319 00:14:55,950 --> 00:14:52,390 in addition Mars has a more eccentric 320 00:14:58,560 --> 00:14:55,960 orbit non circular orbit than deserts so 321 00:15:02,430 --> 00:14:58,570 right now we have short and hot southern 322 00:15:06,630 --> 00:15:02,440 summers and cooler but longer northern 323 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:06,640 summers and so we see the RSL in 324 00:15:10,350 --> 00:15:08,530 southern suburbs and southern hemisphere 325 00:15:13,020 --> 00:15:10,360 we see them actually in northern spring 326 00:15:15,690 --> 00:15:13,030 in the northern hemisphere and in the 327 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:15,700 equator we see them year-round but they 328 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:19,210 follow the Sun the slope is a picture 329 00:15:23,190 --> 00:15:21,490 slope is active in the season when that 330 00:15:27,210 --> 00:15:23,200 slope is getting the most Sun depending 331 00:15:28,830 --> 00:15:27,220 on how its oriented all right with that 332 00:15:30,940 --> 00:15:28,840 I will turn it over to Liz you to 333 00:15:34,150 --> 00:15:30,950 explain the new results 334 00:15:35,710 --> 00:15:34,160 thank you operas today everyone it is 335 00:15:38,590 --> 00:15:35,720 truly an honor to be addressing this 336 00:15:40,810 --> 00:15:38,600 crowd about our results and discovery as 337 00:15:42,850 --> 00:15:40,820 Alfred mentioned we have been 338 00:15:46,150 --> 00:15:42,860 investigating these narrow streets and 339 00:15:48,639 --> 00:15:46,160 Mars ever since their discovery mainly 340 00:15:51,759 --> 00:15:48,649 to elucidate their formation mechanisms 341 00:15:53,350 --> 00:15:51,769 we know from prior investigation that 342 00:15:55,780 --> 00:15:53,360 these features form on Mars one two 343 00:15:58,389 --> 00:15:55,790 temperature condition is ideal for look 344 00:16:00,970 --> 00:15:58,399 at water to exist on the surface however 345 00:16:03,069 --> 00:16:00,980 as I also mentioned the key evidence was 346 00:16:06,790 --> 00:16:03,079 missing until now and that was their 347 00:16:09,610 --> 00:16:06,800 chemical identity an excellent way to 348 00:16:11,769 --> 00:16:09,620 validate the hypothesis that look at 349 00:16:14,949 --> 00:16:11,779 water plays a key role in the formation 350 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:14,959 mechanism of these dark Street is via 351 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:17,570 spectroscopy and this is what I will be 352 00:16:22,750 --> 00:16:20,810 talking about in this slide so if you've 353 00:16:25,269 --> 00:16:22,760 seen this slide there's a there's a 354 00:16:26,530 --> 00:16:25,279 there's an orbiter shooting Ray's down 355 00:16:28,930 --> 00:16:26,540 and that's that's basically what the 356 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:28,940 word spectroscopy is an excellent 357 00:16:33,579 --> 00:16:31,130 example to illustrate the theory behind 358 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:33,589 spectroscopy is for example a reason why 359 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:36,410 leaves the green our human eyes can 360 00:16:43,449 --> 00:16:39,410 recognize various colors we can see red 361 00:16:45,610 --> 00:16:43,459 blue yellow pink etc but the reason 362 00:16:47,410 --> 00:16:45,620 leaves were green to our human eyes is 363 00:16:49,449 --> 00:16:47,420 because a major component of leaves 364 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:49,459 which is a chlorophyll absorbs all the 365 00:16:53,110 --> 00:16:50,930 other lights our human eyes our 366 00:16:56,079 --> 00:16:53,120 sensitivity and reflect the green light 367 00:16:58,569 --> 00:16:56,089 in the same way we can view the surface 368 00:17:00,370 --> 00:16:58,579 of Mars in different color which is what 369 00:17:03,130 --> 00:17:00,380 you see in this illustration both in 370 00:17:06,309 --> 00:17:03,140 visible and infrared light and see how 371 00:17:09,130 --> 00:17:06,319 light is absorbed by various minerals on 372 00:17:10,780 --> 00:17:09,140 the surface we have an excellent 373 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:10,790 instrument called prism on board 374 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:13,250 Marshall connaissance orbiter which is 375 00:17:17,590 --> 00:17:15,530 what you see in the illustration and it 376 00:17:20,500 --> 00:17:17,600 can observe the surface of Mars at 377 00:17:22,390 --> 00:17:20,510 various wavelength in this work so what 378 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:22,400 we did was we went through these places 379 00:17:26,260 --> 00:17:24,410 were receiving nearest reef and observe 380 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:26,270 the interaction between light and the 381 00:17:30,700 --> 00:17:28,610 surface material to see if there was any 382 00:17:33,370 --> 00:17:30,710 such as scopic evidence to support our 383 00:17:37,630 --> 00:17:33,380 liquid water hypothesis so if we go to 384 00:17:39,549 --> 00:17:37,640 next slide in the next slide in this 385 00:17:40,570 --> 00:17:39,559 slide you're seeing an animated 3d 386 00:17:43,060 --> 00:17:40,580 fly-through 387 00:17:44,580 --> 00:17:43,070 of a peak with dark narrow streets 388 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:44,590 flowing out of them 389 00:17:49,630 --> 00:17:47,330 during the summer month this peak can 390 00:17:51,700 --> 00:17:49,640 contain hundreds of nearest street this 391 00:17:53,110 --> 00:17:51,710 is the same peak that I'm outfit was 392 00:17:55,420 --> 00:17:53,120 earlier talking about Horovitz 393 00:17:57,190 --> 00:17:55,430 we looked at the surface using the 394 00:17:58,810 --> 00:17:57,200 instrument I described before call 395 00:18:02,470 --> 00:17:58,820 curtain to see if there is any evidence 396 00:18:04,810 --> 00:18:02,480 for the liquid water hypothesis so if we 397 00:18:08,860 --> 00:18:04,820 go to the next slide I can show you some 398 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:08,870 of the results here you can see two 399 00:18:14,170 --> 00:18:11,650 squiggly black lines which are our 400 00:18:16,060 --> 00:18:14,180 observations from the exact place where 401 00:18:18,850 --> 00:18:16,070 we saw the narrow streets in the 402 00:18:20,950 --> 00:18:18,860 previous animation these quickly lines 403 00:18:23,530 --> 00:18:20,960 they're called spectra and you can 404 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:23,540 observe a few big dips in them if you 405 00:18:30,580 --> 00:18:26,330 read the x-axis you can see that there's 406 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:30,590 a big dip from 1.9 microns which meet at 407 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:32,690 that particular wavelength light is 408 00:18:37,540 --> 00:18:35,090 being absorbed by whatever is present on 409 00:18:39,940 --> 00:18:37,550 the surface additionally you see the 410 00:18:42,070 --> 00:18:39,950 same thing about at about two point one 411 00:18:44,170 --> 00:18:42,080 four micron another deep which means 412 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:44,180 light is also being absorbed at this 413 00:18:48,250 --> 00:18:46,010 wavelength and there are a few other 414 00:18:50,860 --> 00:18:48,260 smaller absorption feature we see on the 415 00:18:52,450 --> 00:18:50,870 spectrum now we can go here on earth we 416 00:18:55,330 --> 00:18:52,460 can go to our laboratory and find out 417 00:18:58,000 --> 00:18:55,340 which ammonia which minerals can absorb 418 00:18:59,680 --> 00:18:58,010 light at the specific wavelength and I 419 00:19:02,320 --> 00:18:59,690 present that result in the colored 420 00:19:05,230 --> 00:19:02,330 squiggly lines and I label it laboratory 421 00:19:08,530 --> 00:19:05,240 observations we found that our 422 00:19:10,570 --> 00:19:08,540 observation on Mars is well matched by a 423 00:19:13,420 --> 00:19:10,580 salt composed of chlorine and oxygen 424 00:19:15,730 --> 00:19:13,430 called perchlorate and especially when 425 00:19:18,250 --> 00:19:15,740 they are hydrated and that is really the 426 00:19:20,890 --> 00:19:18,260 key here had the hydration perfectly 427 00:19:23,110 --> 00:19:20,900 salts are hydrated when we observe them 428 00:19:25,810 --> 00:19:23,120 means that there's presence of molecular 429 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:25,820 water in their crystal structure the 430 00:19:28,660 --> 00:19:26,570 spacecraft 431 00:19:31,210 --> 00:19:28,670 mr.oat I was talking before observes the 432 00:19:33,580 --> 00:19:31,220 surface of Mars every day at roughly 433 00:19:36,130 --> 00:19:33,590 3:00 p.m. which is the driest time of 434 00:19:38,110 --> 00:19:36,140 the day so most of the liquid water 435 00:19:41,380 --> 00:19:38,120 would have been completely evaporated 436 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:41,390 however the molecular water trapped 437 00:19:46,090 --> 00:19:43,730 inside the salt structure would be a bit 438 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:46,100 more stable and that is exactly what we 439 00:19:51,430 --> 00:19:48,890 observe here this means that the source 440 00:19:53,230 --> 00:19:51,440 of hydration or two sources molecular 441 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:53,240 water in the crystal structure of the 442 00:19:57,529 --> 00:19:55,490 salt itself is either due to these 443 00:19:59,810 --> 00:19:57,539 features of ourselves 444 00:20:02,899 --> 00:19:59,820 or some other processes that created 445 00:20:05,239 --> 00:20:02,909 these streaks regardless the presence of 446 00:20:06,799 --> 00:20:05,249 hydrated cells in these slopes means 447 00:20:10,849 --> 00:20:06,809 that these speakers are forming to 448 00:20:12,919 --> 00:20:10,859 contemporary liquid water we see similar 449 00:20:15,049 --> 00:20:12,929 spectroscopic signature in few of the 450 00:20:19,489 --> 00:20:15,059 places around Mars if we go to the next 451 00:20:22,159 --> 00:20:19,499 slide this is poly clear crater and you 452 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:22,169 can see arrows pointing through some 453 00:20:26,989 --> 00:20:24,330 faded streaks flowing out of the crater 454 00:20:28,700 --> 00:20:26,999 wall this is in a slightly different 455 00:20:31,249 --> 00:20:28,710 location in the southern hemisphere of 456 00:20:33,109 --> 00:20:31,259 Mars at this location actually we have 457 00:20:35,989 --> 00:20:33,119 multiple observations from different 458 00:20:38,930 --> 00:20:35,999 times however we see the hydrated salts 459 00:20:40,969 --> 00:20:38,940 only when these streets are Vegas at 460 00:20:43,399 --> 00:20:40,979 other times when the streets are narrow 461 00:20:46,369 --> 00:20:43,409 and short we do not see any evidence of 462 00:20:48,259 --> 00:20:46,379 hydration this again just like Horace 463 00:20:50,389 --> 00:20:48,269 means that the source of hydration or 464 00:20:52,820 --> 00:20:50,399 the source of molecular water in the 465 00:20:55,369 --> 00:20:52,830 crystal structure of the salt is either 466 00:20:58,039 --> 00:20:55,379 due to the presence of ourselves or some 467 00:21:00,499 --> 00:20:58,049 other processes that created RSL 468 00:21:02,690 --> 00:21:00,509 regardless again just like all of it the 469 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:02,700 presence of hydrated salts in its slope 470 00:21:08,539 --> 00:21:05,129 means that these features are forming 471 00:21:11,149 --> 00:21:08,549 these do contemporary liquid water we go 472 00:21:13,129 --> 00:21:11,159 to the next slide the presence of 473 00:21:16,759 --> 00:21:13,139 reploid also has some other big 474 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:16,769 implication for water on Mars you can 475 00:21:22,009 --> 00:21:20,369 see the pure water stability on earth if 476 00:21:23,599 --> 00:21:22,019 you for example if you take a glass of 477 00:21:26,180 --> 00:21:23,609 liquid water here in Earth the water 478 00:21:28,669 --> 00:21:26,190 will remain and look at for until you 479 00:21:30,739 --> 00:21:28,679 get your degree Celsius when it will 480 00:21:32,570 --> 00:21:30,749 start turning into ice if the 481 00:21:34,219 --> 00:21:32,580 temperature opposes about 100 degrees 482 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:34,229 Celsius then that cup of liquid water 483 00:21:38,889 --> 00:21:35,970 will start boiling and most the water 484 00:21:41,629 --> 00:21:38,899 will start going into the vapor phase 485 00:21:43,729 --> 00:21:41,639 next if we take the same glass of water 486 00:21:45,950 --> 00:21:43,739 to the surface of Mars similar thing 487 00:21:48,529 --> 00:21:45,960 will happen the water will freeze at 0 488 00:21:50,570 --> 00:21:48,539 degrees Celsius but because of the thin 489 00:21:52,190 --> 00:21:50,580 atmosphere of Mars the water will start 490 00:21:54,409 --> 00:21:52,200 boiling as soon as the temperature 491 00:21:56,869 --> 00:21:54,419 reaches close to 10 degrees Celsius 492 00:21:59,330 --> 00:21:56,879 therefore pure liquid water is highly 493 00:22:01,999 --> 00:21:59,340 unstable on the surface of Mars and this 494 00:22:06,109 --> 00:22:02,009 is where perchlorate can help us next 495 00:22:08,869 --> 00:22:06,119 consider a water mixed with Berkeley for 496 00:22:11,270 --> 00:22:08,879 perchlorate brine if that happens then 497 00:22:14,270 --> 00:22:11,280 the stability of salty looking water 498 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:14,280 surface of Mars vastly increases and you 499 00:22:19,010 --> 00:22:16,890 can see in the graphic the perchlorate 500 00:22:21,380 --> 00:22:19,020 brine will remain in a liquid form until 501 00:22:24,020 --> 00:22:21,390 we hit negative 70 degrees Celsius and 502 00:22:26,380 --> 00:22:24,030 will not start boiling until it is 24 503 00:22:28,790 --> 00:22:26,390 degrees salty 504 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:28,800 therefore the presence of perchlorates 505 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:31,170 vastly increases our the stability of 506 00:22:36,350 --> 00:22:33,930 liquid water on the surface of Mars and 507 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:36,360 perchloric also has one of the hughes 508 00:22:40,310 --> 00:22:38,610 implication for water on Mars and for 509 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:40,320 that I'm going to turn it to Mary Beth 510 00:22:45,380 --> 00:22:43,290 to explain that and thank you gentlemen 511 00:22:47,420 --> 00:22:45,390 then we will now hear from Mary 512 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:47,430 Bethlehem we'll go to the west coast at 513 00:22:53,390 --> 00:22:48,570 the Ames Research Center 514 00:22:56,570 --> 00:22:53,400 Mary Beth thanks Duane and thanks lose 515 00:22:58,490 --> 00:22:56,580 you so lose ooh discussed the first 516 00:23:00,470 --> 00:22:58,500 major implication of our work which 517 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:00,480 pertains to the increased stability of 518 00:23:03,890 --> 00:23:02,250 liquid water on the surface of Mars I 519 00:23:05,780 --> 00:23:03,900 will now discuss the second major 520 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:05,790 implication and then discuss some of the 521 00:23:11,750 --> 00:23:09,810 broader significance of our findings so 522 00:23:13,700 --> 00:23:11,760 perchlorate salts have a special 523 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:13,710 capability pertaining to the absorption 524 00:23:16,460 --> 00:23:16,050 of atmospheric water through a process 525 00:23:19,310 --> 00:23:16,470 called 526 00:23:21,020 --> 00:23:19,320 deliquescent basically if the humidity 527 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:21,030 and the Martian atmosphere gets high 528 00:23:25,070 --> 00:23:23,490 enough perchlorate salts will absorb the 529 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:25,080 atmospheric water until the salt 530 00:23:29,990 --> 00:23:27,290 dissolves and forms a liquid solution 531 00:23:35,150 --> 00:23:30,000 this is one possibility for explaining 532 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:35,160 the formation of RSL so this sort of 533 00:23:39,050 --> 00:23:36,810 physical process can explain the 534 00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:39,060 features that we observed here the 535 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:41,130 discrete darker patches observed in this 536 00:23:46,910 --> 00:23:44,210 image may be formed by deliquescent it 537 00:23:49,100 --> 00:23:46,920 is also possible that the formation of 538 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:49,110 RSL is due to other types of processes 539 00:23:52,430 --> 00:23:51,450 in which we won't go into depth on here 540 00:23:54,380 --> 00:23:52,440 perchlorates 541 00:23:56,030 --> 00:23:54,390 have a much higher ability to dissolve 542 00:23:57,560 --> 00:23:56,040 in water compared with other salts that 543 00:23:59,900 --> 00:23:57,570 we see at the Martian surface 544 00:24:01,580 --> 00:23:59,910 so our observations could also be 545 00:24:03,770 --> 00:24:01,590 explained by some other liquid water 546 00:24:05,570 --> 00:24:03,780 source dissolving perchlorates that are 547 00:24:07,580 --> 00:24:05,580 naturally present in the soil and then 548 00:24:09,830 --> 00:24:07,590 later depositing them as a solid in 549 00:24:14,210 --> 00:24:09,840 higher concentrations but again 550 00:24:15,500 --> 00:24:14,220 deliquescent is our favorite scenario so 551 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:15,510 here you see a map of the distribution 552 00:24:19,950 --> 00:24:17,650 of perchlorates on Mars 553 00:24:21,630 --> 00:24:19,960 the red triangles indicate places on the 554 00:24:23,670 --> 00:24:21,640 surface where perchlorates have 555 00:24:26,060 --> 00:24:23,680 previously we have previously been 556 00:24:28,260 --> 00:24:26,070 detected by Rovers or Landers 557 00:24:30,210 --> 00:24:28,270 perchlorate is suspected to be present 558 00:24:32,130 --> 00:24:30,220 at both of the Viking landing sites and 559 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:32,140 was found in the northern plains by the 560 00:24:36,870 --> 00:24:34,930 Phoenix mission in the late 2000s most 561 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:36,880 recently it was detected at Gale Crater 562 00:24:41,750 --> 00:24:38,530 by the sample analysis at Mars 563 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:41,760 instrument aboard the Curiosity rover 564 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:44,890 our detection of perchlorate sat RSL 565 00:24:49,410 --> 00:24:47,170 sites are shown here in blue are the 566 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:49,420 first to be made using data acquired by 567 00:24:53,970 --> 00:24:51,730 an orbiter we have increased the number 568 00:24:56,370 --> 00:24:53,980 of known locations of this important 569 00:24:57,930 --> 00:24:56,380 resource on the Martian surface showing 570 00:24:59,760 --> 00:24:57,940 that perchlorates are perhaps more 571 00:25:01,640 --> 00:24:59,770 widely distributed than previously 572 00:25:04,500 --> 00:25:01,650 thought 573 00:25:05,910 --> 00:25:04,510 so to summarize our findings strongly 574 00:25:08,100 --> 00:25:05,920 suggest that these recurring slope 575 00:25:10,350 --> 00:25:08,110 lineae are formed by liquid water on 576 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:10,360 present-day Mars the spectroscopic 577 00:25:14,940 --> 00:25:12,610 detection of hydrated perchlorates 578 00:25:17,790 --> 00:25:14,950 indicates that this water is briny and 579 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:17,800 not pure so if that I'll now discuss 580 00:25:25,470 --> 00:25:19,690 some of the broader significance of our 581 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:25,480 findings so water as I'm sure many of 582 00:25:28,980 --> 00:25:26,890 you have heard us say on multiple 583 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:28,990 occasions is an essential ingredient for 584 00:25:32,130 --> 00:25:29,410 life 585 00:25:34,140 --> 00:25:32,140 our results may point to more habitable 586 00:25:37,290 --> 00:25:34,150 conditions on the near surface of Mars 587 00:25:39,660 --> 00:25:37,300 than previously thought here potential 588 00:25:42,810 --> 00:25:39,670 habitability by earth-like microbes is 589 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:42,820 unclear to assess habitability we would 590 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:44,770 first need to determine how cold and how 591 00:25:49,230 --> 00:25:47,650 concentrated the brine is but the 592 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:49,240 detection that we've described warrants 593 00:25:53,850 --> 00:25:51,490 further astrobiological characterization 594 00:25:58,740 --> 00:25:53,860 and exploration of these unique regions 595 00:26:00,480 --> 00:25:58,750 on Mars finally water may be an 596 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:00,490 important resource for future human 597 00:26:05,220 --> 00:26:02,530 explorers and inhabitants of Mars and 598 00:26:07,650 --> 00:26:05,230 may decrease the cost and increase the 599 00:26:10,410 --> 00:26:07,660 resilience of human activity on the Red 600 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:10,420 Planet looking forward it is imperative 601 00:26:14,549 --> 00:26:12,970 for us to further understand the source 602 00:26:16,650 --> 00:26:14,559 of these water for these features as 603 00:26:18,060 --> 00:26:16,660 well as the amount and with that I'll 604 00:26:18,780 --> 00:26:18,070 turn it back over to you Dwayne at NASA 605 00:26:21,450 --> 00:26:18,790 headquarters 606 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:21,460 Thank You Mary Beth okay ladies John we 607 00:26:27,180 --> 00:26:24,250 now will transition to our question and 608 00:26:28,380 --> 00:26:27,190 answer we have a lot of media not only 609 00:26:30,419 --> 00:26:28,390 here in Washington but on the phone 610 00:26:30,990 --> 00:26:30,429 lines and we want to get to social media 611 00:26:33,420 --> 00:26:31,000 so what 612 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:33,430 to ask you wait for the mic please limit 613 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:36,370 your question to one I will try to get 614 00:26:39,090 --> 00:26:38,290 to as many questions our participants 615 00:26:41,430 --> 00:26:39,100 will be here 616 00:26:43,170 --> 00:26:41,440 following a press conference but let's 617 00:26:44,930 --> 00:26:43,180 we have a gentleman here if we get a mic 618 00:26:48,180 --> 00:26:44,940 here and your name an affiliation please 619 00:26:50,190 --> 00:26:48,190 agreed I'm chip Reed with CBS News and 620 00:26:52,410 --> 00:26:50,200 I'd like to try to pin you down given 621 00:26:54,390 --> 00:26:52,420 all this new evidence how likely do you 622 00:26:56,250 --> 00:26:54,400 think it is a one to ten point scale or 623 00:27:02,160 --> 00:26:56,260 whatever you choose that today there is 624 00:27:03,660 --> 00:27:02,170 some form of life on Mars okay I guess I 625 00:27:06,930 --> 00:27:03,670 everybody's looking at me so I'll give 626 00:27:09,030 --> 00:27:06,940 you a my feeling you know when you look 627 00:27:11,490 --> 00:27:09,040 at Earth the water is an essential 628 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:11,500 ingredient and just about well not just 629 00:27:14,790 --> 00:27:13,090 about everywhere we go whether it's 630 00:27:19,170 --> 00:27:14,800 liquid water whether it's deep in the 631 00:27:22,050 --> 00:27:19,180 earth or in the arid regions we find 632 00:27:24,180 --> 00:27:22,060 life this is tremendously exciting we 633 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:24,190 haven't been able to answer the question 634 00:27:28,980 --> 00:27:26,650 does life exist beyond Earth but 635 00:27:32,130 --> 00:27:28,990 following the water is critical element 636 00:27:33,660 --> 00:27:32,140 of that we now have I think great 637 00:27:35,550 --> 00:27:33,670 opportunities to be in the right 638 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:35,560 locations on Mars to thoroughly 639 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:38,170 investigate that and I think the 640 00:27:41,580 --> 00:27:40,330 reoccurring slope lineae with the with 641 00:27:44,670 --> 00:27:41,590 the actual of water on the surface 642 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:44,680 allows us with surface mobility that we 643 00:27:49,170 --> 00:27:47,290 have in our assets now and in the future 644 00:27:50,970 --> 00:27:49,180 to be able to go over to thoroughly 645 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:50,980 investigate that and indeed look for 646 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:52,570 life and then make that positive 647 00:27:58,350 --> 00:27:56,410 identification and oh good job I'm sorry 648 00:28:02,130 --> 00:27:58,360 I just think the really exciting thing 649 00:28:04,260 --> 00:28:02,140 about this is that our view of Mars of 650 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:04,270 this ancient Mars and the possibility of 651 00:28:10,590 --> 00:28:07,450 you know life originating on Mars has 652 00:28:13,830 --> 00:28:10,600 been really about seeking chemical 653 00:28:16,500 --> 00:28:13,840 fossils of possible past life on Mars 654 00:28:19,470 --> 00:28:16,510 the existence of liquid water even if 655 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:19,480 it's super salty briny water gives the 656 00:28:24,990 --> 00:28:23,050 possibility that if there's life on Mars 657 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:25,000 you know that we have a way to describe 658 00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:27,970 how it might survive and that we are now 659 00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:30,640 at a point technologically with in over 660 00:28:35,910 --> 00:28:33,130 50 years of successful space flight that 661 00:28:37,950 --> 00:28:35,920 we have the capability to go there ask 662 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:37,960 this question of is there life on Mars 663 00:28:42,180 --> 00:28:40,690 and answer it you know this is to me the 664 00:28:44,380 --> 00:28:42,190 most exciting thing is now that question 665 00:28:47,290 --> 00:28:44,390 is not an abstract 666 00:28:50,140 --> 00:28:47,300 scientific question it's a concrete one 667 00:28:52,450 --> 00:28:50,150 that we can answer okay yeah I would 668 00:28:56,190 --> 00:28:52,460 just like to add sort of a sensibility 669 00:28:58,930 --> 00:28:56,200 about how much we don't know 670 00:29:02,140 --> 00:28:58,940 we have only one example of life and 671 00:29:04,870 --> 00:29:02,150 that's us this is it on planet Earth we 672 00:29:07,510 --> 00:29:04,880 don't know how it started and so one of 673 00:29:09,490 --> 00:29:07,520 the things that we found at Mars is we 674 00:29:12,460 --> 00:29:09,500 know that Mars could have supported life 675 00:29:14,590 --> 00:29:12,470 at least what we know about life but we 676 00:29:16,990 --> 00:29:14,600 don't know how life started here so we 677 00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:17,000 don't know if it's possible for life to 678 00:29:21,310 --> 00:29:19,100 is started on Mars and so that's a huge 679 00:29:23,050 --> 00:29:21,320 question that needs further exploration 680 00:29:24,250 --> 00:29:23,060 and it's only through that exploration 681 00:29:26,290 --> 00:29:24,260 that we're going to narrow the 682 00:29:28,540 --> 00:29:26,300 possibilities down and maybe get but 683 00:29:30,910 --> 00:29:28,550 actually a direct answer doesn't of 684 00:29:32,500 --> 00:29:30,920 course a judge is going to just expand a 685 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:32,510 little bit on that you know now that we 686 00:29:38,350 --> 00:29:34,970 know what we're looking for with with 687 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:38,360 high rise we can begin a better search 688 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:41,810 we can begin to be more methodical we 689 00:29:47,530 --> 00:29:44,570 can look and see if we can determine if 690 00:29:50,020 --> 00:29:47,540 there is some sort of aquifer Network 691 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:50,030 that may be supplying these we don't 692 00:29:54,450 --> 00:29:51,770 know that there are other theories other 693 00:29:57,790 --> 00:29:54,460 ideas but that is actually the next step 694 00:29:59,950 --> 00:29:57,800 how much water that when it left the 695 00:30:02,560 --> 00:29:59,960 planet went into the soil one 696 00:30:04,030 --> 00:30:02,570 underground and that as we said is there 697 00:30:07,660 --> 00:30:04,040 also a resource for human exploration 698 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:07,670 for us so if there is indeed those kind 699 00:30:12,820 --> 00:30:10,970 of resources that we can begin to probe 700 00:30:16,390 --> 00:30:12,830 we might be able to answer that question 701 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:16,400 pretty quickly so that question probably 702 00:30:19,740 --> 00:30:17,810 knocks out half of the question they're 703 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:19,750 going to get today let me see if our 704 00:30:24,220 --> 00:30:22,370 scientists in France or Mary Beth if you 705 00:30:28,260 --> 00:30:24,230 all want to chime in on that question I 706 00:30:30,910 --> 00:30:28,270 will start with France Alpha deluging 707 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:30,920 well I would just say that I think the 708 00:30:34,660 --> 00:30:32,930 possibility of life in the interior of 709 00:30:36,670 --> 00:30:34,670 Mars has always been very high there's 710 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:36,680 certainly water somewhere in the crust 711 00:30:42,940 --> 00:30:41,210 of Mars and Mars has received meteorites 712 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:42,950 from Earth it's been contaminated by 713 00:30:49,180 --> 00:30:47,090 earth rocks we know that microbes can 714 00:30:51,100 --> 00:30:49,190 survive that trip so it's very likely I 715 00:30:54,850 --> 00:30:51,110 think that there's life somewhere in the 716 00:30:56,650 --> 00:30:54,860 crust of Mars microbes but it's where is 717 00:30:58,000 --> 00:30:56,660 it how accessible is it is very 718 00:30:59,560 --> 00:30:58,010 difficult now maybe 719 00:31:01,090 --> 00:30:59,570 something we can find close to the 720 00:31:03,190 --> 00:31:01,100 surface and that's that's what's 721 00:31:05,409 --> 00:31:03,200 exciting but to me the chances of there 722 00:31:11,260 --> 00:31:05,419 being life in the subsurface of Mars has 723 00:31:13,539 --> 00:31:11,270 always been very high okay just a 724 00:31:15,159 --> 00:31:13,549 reminder to our many many many social 725 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:15,169 media folks send in your questions at 726 00:31:19,570 --> 00:31:17,690 hashtag ask NASA and we're going to 727 00:31:22,270 --> 00:31:19,580 continue here at headquarters before we 728 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:22,280 go to the phone lines and we have we go 729 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:25,850 this later here then here give you name 730 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:27,890 affiliation please hi Anna Wilding 731 00:31:31,750 --> 00:31:29,690 Harold Dupree newspaper we publish an 732 00:31:33,730 --> 00:31:31,760 English and French how today's 733 00:31:36,100 --> 00:31:33,740 announcements affect your timeline 734 00:31:37,780 --> 00:31:36,110 timeframe for going to NASA and the 735 00:31:39,310 --> 00:31:37,790 possibility of coming back and does any 736 00:31:41,860 --> 00:31:39,320 budget allocated towards cultural 737 00:31:44,110 --> 00:31:41,870 resources finding any sign of cultural 738 00:31:46,150 --> 00:31:44,120 resources on NASA I know you're looking 739 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:46,160 at the water but what about potential 740 00:31:52,419 --> 00:31:49,210 habitats or anything like that as well 741 00:31:55,330 --> 00:31:52,429 is there a budget well we do have a Mars 742 00:31:57,460 --> 00:31:55,340 budget for future scientific exploration 743 00:32:00,580 --> 00:31:57,470 and in fact we have a number of exciting 744 00:32:03,430 --> 00:32:00,590 missions that are queued up both NASA 745 00:32:06,460 --> 00:32:03,440 led and also European Space Agency led 746 00:32:09,789 --> 00:32:06,470 with the partnership with Russia and so 747 00:32:12,220 --> 00:32:09,799 we have the insight Lander which is 748 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:12,230 going to launch next year and will tell 749 00:32:15,610 --> 00:32:13,970 us about the interior of Mars it's the 750 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:15,620 first time we're going to look into Mars 751 00:32:20,260 --> 00:32:18,290 by putting a seismometer sort of an 752 00:32:22,090 --> 00:32:20,270 earthquake sensor and a heat flow 753 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:22,100 experiment to tell us about the interior 754 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:23,690 of Mars and so that's very exciting and 755 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:27,410 is linked to these broader questions the 756 00:32:31,450 --> 00:32:29,090 European Space Agency with Russia is 757 00:32:34,900 --> 00:32:31,460 launching a mission called ExoMars also 758 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:34,910 in 2016 and in 2018 they have a lander 759 00:32:38,770 --> 00:32:37,010 going down and in partnership with NASA 760 00:32:40,750 --> 00:32:38,780 we have an organ organic molecular 761 00:32:42,700 --> 00:32:40,760 analyzer and they're going to have a 762 00:32:44,890 --> 00:32:42,710 deep drill that's going to drill under 763 00:32:46,330 --> 00:32:44,900 the surface bring up materials and 764 00:32:49,620 --> 00:32:46,340 analyze it to see if there's organic 765 00:32:52,510 --> 00:32:49,630 matter organic mean meaning related to 766 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:52,520 carbon compounds but specifically ones 767 00:32:56,770 --> 00:32:54,770 that might have been created by life so 768 00:32:59,590 --> 00:32:56,780 that's very exciting and then in 2020 is 769 00:33:01,750 --> 00:32:59,600 our next big NASA rover following on 770 00:33:04,180 --> 00:33:01,760 curiosity that will actually collect 771 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:04,190 samples so that eventually we can bring 772 00:33:08,350 --> 00:33:06,530 them back to earth put them in our best 773 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:08,360 analytical instruments and see if we see 774 00:33:11,710 --> 00:33:10,250 any signs of ancient or 775 00:33:14,290 --> 00:33:11,720 conditions that would tell us that 776 00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:14,300 there's life on Mars that's just the 777 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:15,710 beginning that's just in the next five 778 00:33:19,090 --> 00:33:17,570 years you know beyond that we have lots 779 00:33:21,700 --> 00:33:19,100 of plans as part of our journey to Mars 780 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:21,710 that include developing the Space Launch 781 00:33:25,570 --> 00:33:23,930 System a big rocket that will better in 782 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:25,580 the future be able to get payloads to 783 00:33:29,770 --> 00:33:27,410 Mars and perhaps a round-trip mission 784 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:29,780 and we're still sketching out what that 785 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:31,370 looks like the future is always more 786 00:33:36,100 --> 00:33:33,290 fuzzy than the current but certainly 787 00:33:39,070 --> 00:33:36,110 these exciting results only encourage us 788 00:33:40,390 --> 00:33:39,080 for the future of Mars exploration we 789 00:33:42,070 --> 00:33:40,400 also shouldn't discount what we 790 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:42,080 currently have as assets that are there 791 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:44,930 they're actually relatively healthy the 792 00:33:49,270 --> 00:33:46,730 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is doing a 793 00:33:50,950 --> 00:33:49,280 fabulous job it's got high resolution 794 00:33:52,900 --> 00:33:50,960 imaging and as we talked about the 795 00:33:55,150 --> 00:33:52,910 mineralogy and from chrism that it's 796 00:33:56,890 --> 00:33:55,160 been doing you know when you look at 797 00:33:58,870 --> 00:33:56,900 even though it's been there nearly nine 798 00:34:01,150 --> 00:33:58,880 years it's only really mapped about 799 00:34:03,670 --> 00:34:01,160 three or four percent in high resolution 800 00:34:06,370 --> 00:34:03,680 of Mars there's so much more that we 801 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:06,380 need to do to really look and understand 802 00:34:11,409 --> 00:34:08,450 that this kind of network all over the 803 00:34:14,379 --> 00:34:11,419 place and with that it'll enable us then 804 00:34:16,750 --> 00:34:14,389 to narrow down on some better places or 805 00:34:19,780 --> 00:34:16,760 more accessible places where we can get 806 00:34:22,149 --> 00:34:19,790 access to these kind of regions to 807 00:34:24,430 --> 00:34:22,159 really thoroughly examine curiosity is 808 00:34:26,530 --> 00:34:24,440 also in a nice location it's in Mount 809 00:34:29,740 --> 00:34:26,540 sharp it's doing great there's a 810 00:34:31,540 --> 00:34:29,750 potentially some dark streaks that are 811 00:34:33,100 --> 00:34:31,550 on Mount sharp we don't know much about 812 00:34:36,190 --> 00:34:33,110 those we don't know if they're 813 00:34:39,909 --> 00:34:36,200 reoccurring slope slope lineae there's a 814 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:39,919 possibility that more more observations 815 00:34:44,860 --> 00:34:42,490 will eliminate those or or give us more 816 00:34:46,899 --> 00:34:44,870 data that could tell us that they also 817 00:34:49,060 --> 00:34:46,909 could be ourselves that we might be able 818 00:34:50,860 --> 00:34:49,070 to visit so there's some really exciting 819 00:34:53,020 --> 00:34:50,870 things just coming up even with our 820 00:34:54,490 --> 00:34:53,030 current assets one more question and 821 00:34:56,950 --> 00:34:54,500 then we go to the phone line sir 822 00:34:59,350 --> 00:34:56,960 keep it curly from ABC News John let's 823 00:35:01,200 --> 00:34:59,360 talk about astronauts this really is a 824 00:35:04,720 --> 00:35:01,210 breakthrough for human travel to Mars 825 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:04,730 you could now purify the water create 826 00:35:09,580 --> 00:35:06,770 oxygen this makes it much easier doesn't 827 00:35:10,900 --> 00:35:09,590 it well I think all of the scientific 828 00:35:13,180 --> 00:35:10,910 discoveries that were making on the 829 00:35:16,240 --> 00:35:13,190 surface of Mars that curiosity reality 830 00:35:18,250 --> 00:35:16,250 at Gale Crater these observations from 831 00:35:20,530 --> 00:35:18,260 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are giving 832 00:35:21,859 --> 00:35:20,540 us a much better view that Mars has 833 00:35:25,460 --> 00:35:21,869 resources 834 00:35:27,019 --> 00:35:25,470 that are useful to future travelers when 835 00:35:29,809 --> 00:35:27,029 you have water you know what's water 836 00:35:32,180 --> 00:35:29,819 hydrogen and oxygen that's what we make 837 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:32,190 rocket fuel out of perchlorates 838 00:35:36,349 --> 00:35:34,650 the Space Shuttle the solid rocket 839 00:35:38,420 --> 00:35:36,359 booters our boosters are aluminum 840 00:35:41,299 --> 00:35:38,430 perchlorate in principle you could make 841 00:35:43,009 --> 00:35:41,309 solid rocket fuel and and as we've 842 00:35:45,049 --> 00:35:43,019 talked about perchlorates are ubiquitous 843 00:35:46,749 --> 00:35:45,059 around Mars but the water really is 844 00:35:49,789 --> 00:35:46,759 crucial because we need water to drink 845 00:35:51,799 --> 00:35:49,799 oxygen to breathe we have carbon dioxide 846 00:35:54,650 --> 00:35:51,809 also oxygen so there are plenty of 847 00:35:56,059 --> 00:35:54,660 resources on Mars even nitrogen in the 848 00:35:57,680 --> 00:35:56,069 atmosphere which we don't usually think 849 00:36:00,920 --> 00:35:57,690 about because for us it's relatively 850 00:36:03,739 --> 00:36:00,930 inert but it's crucial for life both if 851 00:36:04,999 --> 00:36:03,749 life exists on Mars but also you know 852 00:36:06,739 --> 00:36:05,009 once we get there we're going to need 853 00:36:08,569 --> 00:36:06,749 nitrogen for a variety purposes so I 854 00:36:11,150 --> 00:36:08,579 think you know Mars is looking more and 855 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:11,160 more that you know it's a potential 856 00:36:16,569 --> 00:36:13,410 habitat for extant life on Mars that 857 00:36:18,769 --> 00:36:16,579 could be as you heard you know from 858 00:36:20,420 --> 00:36:18,779 transfer from Earth one way or the other 859 00:36:23,210 --> 00:36:20,430 you know some people say we're Martians 860 00:36:24,829 --> 00:36:23,220 could go either way but the exciting 861 00:36:26,720 --> 00:36:24,839 thing is that I think we will send 862 00:36:28,609 --> 00:36:26,730 humans in the near future to Mars 863 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:28,619 there'll be scientists looking for signs 864 00:36:33,289 --> 00:36:31,410 of life and also to be able to live on 865 00:36:36,430 --> 00:36:33,299 the surface and the resources are there 866 00:36:40,430 --> 00:36:36,440 I think it's important to realize that 867 00:36:42,950 --> 00:36:40,440 NASA's approach to exploration is as not 868 00:36:45,109 --> 00:36:42,960 Star Trek it's not go where no man has 869 00:36:47,210 --> 00:36:45,119 gone before as they say it's really a 870 00:36:49,069 --> 00:36:47,220 very methodical approach for which we 871 00:36:50,690 --> 00:36:49,079 learn everything about the environment 872 00:36:53,089 --> 00:36:50,700 that we're going to subject humans to 873 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:53,099 that we possibly can and that's why our 874 00:36:57,979 --> 00:36:55,410 rigorous scientific program is really 875 00:37:00,769 --> 00:36:57,989 the pioneers that are making steady 876 00:37:02,839 --> 00:37:00,779 discoveries and I anticipate continuing 877 00:37:04,910 --> 00:37:02,849 to do that for many many years before 878 00:37:07,339 --> 00:37:04,920 humans even get into the vicinity of 879 00:37:10,099 --> 00:37:07,349 Mars will make rapid progress in these 880 00:37:13,190 --> 00:37:10,109 areas that does indeed help us 881 00:37:16,069 --> 00:37:13,200 understand the parameters and design 882 00:37:18,559 --> 00:37:16,079 better missions leverage and utilize the 883 00:37:20,809 --> 00:37:18,569 resources that are available and even 884 00:37:23,059 --> 00:37:20,819 make those kind of trips more feasible 885 00:37:25,849 --> 00:37:23,069 in the future than ever before fact I'll 886 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:25,859 be very specific on our Mars 2020 lander 887 00:37:30,799 --> 00:37:28,650 we have an experiment that's not a 888 00:37:33,609 --> 00:37:30,809 classical science experiment in fact 889 00:37:35,660 --> 00:37:33,619 it's a Institute resource utilization 890 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:35,670 experiment so you may hear that 891 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:38,010 and we love our acronyms is ru but it's 892 00:37:44,060 --> 00:37:41,370 a small apparatus that's going to take 893 00:37:46,610 --> 00:37:44,070 in Martian atmosphere mostly carbon 894 00:37:49,670 --> 00:37:46,620 dioxide and extract the oxygen and 895 00:37:50,660 --> 00:37:49,680 that's its function we know we can do 896 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:50,670 that on earth but we're going to 897 00:37:55,790 --> 00:37:52,770 demonstrate it on Mars and that's you 898 00:37:59,360 --> 00:37:55,800 know part of in our combination of human 899 00:38:01,700 --> 00:37:59,370 spaceflight space technology and science 900 00:38:05,030 --> 00:38:01,710 all in one now in addition to that on 901 00:38:06,980 --> 00:38:05,040 2020 is a underneath the rover is a 902 00:38:08,870 --> 00:38:06,990 radar actually it's a from Norway 903 00:38:12,700 --> 00:38:08,880 they're building it Norwegian Space 904 00:38:14,810 --> 00:38:12,710 Agency and this is a radar that will 905 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:14,820 send weight radio waves through the 906 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:17,010 ground return reflections will tell us 907 00:38:21,890 --> 00:38:19,410 what that strat is like and you know it 908 00:38:24,140 --> 00:38:21,900 might be able to uncover aquifers that 909 00:38:26,150 --> 00:38:24,150 are close to the close to the surface it 910 00:38:28,310 --> 00:38:26,160 could tell us how important experiments 911 00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:28,320 like that are for humans to be able to 912 00:38:32,900 --> 00:38:30,930 take and go to Mars and in fact the 913 00:38:34,820 --> 00:38:32,910 Moxie instrument which is great we're 914 00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:34,830 going to operate that all times during 915 00:38:38,060 --> 00:38:36,210 the day you know there's huge 916 00:38:40,370 --> 00:38:38,070 temperature and pressure swings on Mars 917 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:40,380 so what is it like what's the efficiency 918 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:42,810 of extracting the oxygen under various 919 00:38:47,300 --> 00:38:44,970 extremes not only during the day but all 920 00:38:49,220 --> 00:38:47,310 throughout a season so these are huge 921 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:49,230 steps for us to be able to plan the 922 00:38:54,020 --> 00:38:51,210 right resources to support humans in the 923 00:38:56,330 --> 00:38:54,030 future okay let's go to the phone lines 924 00:39:00,550 --> 00:38:56,340 now and we're going to start out with 925 00:39:02,950 --> 00:39:00,560 Kim Chang of new york times again 926 00:39:05,420 --> 00:39:02,960 alright thanks for taking my question 927 00:39:07,820 --> 00:39:05,430 so you always say how exciting this is 928 00:39:09,620 --> 00:39:07,830 and we want and this thing wanted to go 929 00:39:11,510 --> 00:39:09,630 study the possibility of current life I 930 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:11,520 was wondering when would you actually 931 00:39:17,060 --> 00:39:13,890 get there since none of the current 932 00:39:18,530 --> 00:39:17,070 spacecraft there or being planned have 933 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:18,540 been clean enough to go to a special 934 00:39:22,700 --> 00:39:20,850 region I heard dr. green said that 935 00:39:25,990 --> 00:39:22,710 curiosity might goatees dark streaks 936 00:39:28,670 --> 00:39:26,000 under what parameters would that happen 937 00:39:30,410 --> 00:39:28,680 can you brought up a really important 938 00:39:33,170 --> 00:39:30,420 point I know Michael and Jim will 939 00:39:35,540 --> 00:39:33,180 comment on this but the question of is 940 00:39:37,700 --> 00:39:35,550 there life on Mars we know there's life 941 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:37,710 on Mars already because we sent it there 942 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:40,050 we try and clean our spacecraft as best 943 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:42,570 as we can and the Vikings certainly were 944 00:39:46,060 --> 00:39:44,490 sterilized the best of any of our 945 00:39:48,900 --> 00:39:46,070 spacecraft because we just didn't know 946 00:39:52,140 --> 00:39:48,910 but the surface of Mars is really 947 00:39:54,030 --> 00:39:52,150 very harsh place it's got ultraviolet 948 00:39:55,620 --> 00:39:54,040 light from the Sun that bakes the 949 00:39:57,150 --> 00:39:55,630 outside of the spacecraft and it and if 950 00:39:59,160 --> 00:39:57,160 you want to kill microbes on earth you 951 00:40:01,680 --> 00:39:59,170 take a UV light and you kill the 952 00:40:04,260 --> 00:40:01,690 microbes how we've cleaned the 953 00:40:06,330 --> 00:40:04,270 spacecraft as best as we can but we know 954 00:40:08,310 --> 00:40:06,340 that you know microbial life bacteria 955 00:40:11,010 --> 00:40:08,320 are so tenacious that it's impossible to 956 00:40:13,860 --> 00:40:11,020 kill them all so we do the best job we 957 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:13,870 can and then we send our spacecraft into 958 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:16,290 areas that we think are the least 959 00:40:21,300 --> 00:40:18,610 sensitive to the possibility of 960 00:40:23,070 --> 00:40:21,310 contaminating extant Mars life and so 961 00:40:24,630 --> 00:40:23,080 what Ken Chang of the New York Times has 962 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:24,640 suggested is how can we take a 963 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:26,290 spacecraft like curiosity that may not 964 00:40:30,210 --> 00:40:28,210 have been cleaned as well as say Viking 965 00:40:31,380 --> 00:40:30,220 to an area that might have extant life 966 00:40:34,020 --> 00:40:31,390 and it's a great question 967 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:34,030 but this is the scientific process this 968 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:36,850 is why you know were you know crawling 969 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:38,530 before we walk so to speak that we're 970 00:40:43,230 --> 00:40:41,530 being very careful that we don't send a 971 00:40:45,780 --> 00:40:43,240 spacecraft to Mars with the intention of 972 00:40:47,700 --> 00:40:45,790 detecting Martian life and find out we 973 00:40:50,430 --> 00:40:47,710 detected the earth life we took with us 974 00:40:52,980 --> 00:40:50,440 and this is the general well I mean it's 975 00:40:54,930 --> 00:40:52,990 you know that's tough to do when you 976 00:40:56,580 --> 00:40:54,940 actually go down and list you know how 977 00:40:59,640 --> 00:40:56,590 do you avoid doing that it's very hard 978 00:41:01,530 --> 00:40:59,650 and this is the general field that you 979 00:41:04,470 --> 00:41:01,540 may hear us talk about if planetary 980 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:04,480 protection it's not only protecting the 981 00:41:08,910 --> 00:41:06,610 earth from bringing some alien life-form 982 00:41:10,590 --> 00:41:08,920 to earth but more so right now it's 983 00:41:13,170 --> 00:41:10,600 protecting the environments that we go 984 00:41:14,910 --> 00:41:13,180 to whether it's Mars or Europa to make 985 00:41:16,890 --> 00:41:14,920 sure you know that we don't contaminate 986 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:16,900 other planets before we find out if 987 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:19,210 we're alone in the universe yeah we 988 00:41:23,700 --> 00:41:21,010 don't really know if curiosity will be a 989 00:41:27,060 --> 00:41:23,710 have an opportunity to be able to go to 990 00:41:30,450 --> 00:41:27,070 one of these areas and find make 991 00:41:32,730 --> 00:41:30,460 measurement we as I mentioned have some 992 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:32,740 linear streaks on Mount sharp that we 993 00:41:38,490 --> 00:41:34,810 just don't know enough about they may or 994 00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:38,500 may not be RSL's we've got a lot of work 995 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:40,330 to do on that and then we have to make 996 00:41:43,620 --> 00:41:42,370 decisions on is curiosity really good 997 00:41:45,810 --> 00:41:43,630 enough to be able to go over to that 998 00:41:48,500 --> 00:41:45,820 area and make appropriate measurements 999 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:48,510 with the width as John said without 1000 00:41:52,500 --> 00:41:50,890 measuring us you know without it 1001 00:41:54,510 --> 00:41:52,510 measuring things that we might have 1002 00:41:56,670 --> 00:41:54,520 taken with us but even then it has a 1003 00:41:59,670 --> 00:41:56,680 limited set of capability to be able to 1004 00:42:01,920 --> 00:41:59,680 make or any any sort of detection in 1005 00:42:07,319 --> 00:42:01,930 this area next up 10 1006 00:42:08,910 --> 00:42:07,329 Rison US News and World Report Tim yes 1007 00:42:10,260 --> 00:42:08,920 thank you this is Tom Ransome with US 1008 00:42:12,150 --> 00:42:10,270 News and World Report yes 1009 00:42:14,790 --> 00:42:12,160 congratulations everyone great research 1010 00:42:16,559 --> 00:42:14,800 on Mars very exciting that together the 1011 00:42:19,799 --> 00:42:16,569 surface of Mars can at some point 1012 00:42:21,900 --> 00:42:19,809 support water it sounds a bit like Game 1013 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:21,910 of Thrones where there's extreme seas in 1014 00:42:23,700 --> 00:42:23,170 this work it's really cold it's really 1015 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:23,710 warm 1016 00:42:28,170 --> 00:42:25,690 do you think that if we hit it right on 1017 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:28,180 one of the warm seasons that humans 1018 00:42:33,599 --> 00:42:31,210 could grow crops on Mars that the soil 1019 00:42:36,630 --> 00:42:33,609 will be and be alive enough to support 1020 00:42:38,549 --> 00:42:36,640 some kind of earth crops well I think 1021 00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:38,559 the real challenge and if you think 1022 00:42:42,900 --> 00:42:41,290 about the progression of altitude on 1023 00:42:44,910 --> 00:42:42,910 earth you know as you climb a mountain 1024 00:42:46,260 --> 00:42:44,920 say you're climbing Mount Everest when 1025 00:42:48,660 --> 00:42:46,270 you're in the you know the verdant 1026 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:48,670 valleys of Nepal you know you have 1027 00:42:52,500 --> 00:42:50,890 wonderful plant life but as you go 1028 00:42:54,750 --> 00:42:52,510 higher that plant life sort of 1029 00:42:57,120 --> 00:42:54,760 disappears till you see only lichens on 1030 00:42:59,700 --> 00:42:57,130 rock which are this unique symbiosis 1031 00:43:00,990 --> 00:42:59,710 between fungus and algae and as you go a 1032 00:43:03,030 --> 00:43:01,000 little bit higher all the plant life 1033 00:43:06,270 --> 00:43:03,040 disappears that's largely because the 1034 00:43:08,010 --> 00:43:06,280 atmosphere gets so thin that any life 1035 00:43:11,670 --> 00:43:08,020 would be desiccated would lose its 1036 00:43:13,620 --> 00:43:11,680 moisture well Mars is about the altitude 1037 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:13,630 as an Everest that's three times higher 1038 00:43:17,970 --> 00:43:16,450 higher than any airplanes can fly and so 1039 00:43:21,420 --> 00:43:17,980 you'd have a challenge growing plants on 1040 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:21,430 the surface of Mars even with maybe some 1041 00:43:25,650 --> 00:43:23,650 extreme genetic engineering but 1042 00:43:27,809 --> 00:43:25,660 certainly you could build you know 1043 00:43:30,510 --> 00:43:27,819 inflatable or small greenhouses with 1044 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:30,520 higher pressure and if there's a lot of 1045 00:43:34,170 --> 00:43:32,170 water on Mars you could then use that 1046 00:43:35,700 --> 00:43:34,180 water to grow plants inside the 1047 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:35,710 greenhouse because after all it has 1048 00:43:39,900 --> 00:43:37,450 plenty of carbon dioxide which is what 1049 00:43:41,670 --> 00:43:39,910 plants breathe to create oxygen so that 1050 00:43:44,549 --> 00:43:41,680 might be another mechanism that we have 1051 00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:44,559 future explorers with the plants that 1052 00:43:49,650 --> 00:43:47,530 they eat as part of the system to 1053 00:43:52,109 --> 00:43:49,660 provide environmental can now we know 1054 00:43:54,420 --> 00:43:52,119 there's a significant amount of water in 1055 00:43:57,120 --> 00:43:54,430 the humidity and water resources to be 1056 00:44:00,710 --> 00:43:57,130 able to bring to bear hey next up 1057 00:44:06,059 --> 00:44:04,680 thanks very much doing um I also had a 1058 00:44:08,250 --> 00:44:06,069 question about planetary protection 1059 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:08,260 issues is it I understand 1060 00:44:15,749 --> 00:44:11,770 Mars 2020 doesn't have the budget to do 1061 00:44:19,319 --> 00:44:15,759 a necessary sterilization to 1062 00:44:20,870 --> 00:44:19,329 to an area of special interest and just 1063 00:44:25,859 --> 00:44:20,880 wondering in light of this discovery 1064 00:44:32,129 --> 00:44:25,869 might that be revisited and could the 1065 00:44:39,199 --> 00:44:32,139 landing team consider sites close to our 1066 00:44:42,419 --> 00:44:39,209 SL locations a budget question well uh 1067 00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:42,429 indeed the current sites that are being 1068 00:44:47,909 --> 00:44:45,729 considered for Mars 2020 are being 1069 00:44:50,069 --> 00:44:47,919 classified relative to planetary 1070 00:44:54,109 --> 00:44:50,079 protection and our plans indeed are to 1071 00:44:57,179 --> 00:44:54,119 make sure that Mars 2020 does indeed 1072 00:45:00,179 --> 00:44:57,189 recognize what classification and then 1073 00:45:03,479 --> 00:45:00,189 sterilize appropriately at a particular 1074 00:45:05,609 --> 00:45:03,489 level returning samples is one of the 1075 00:45:09,089 --> 00:45:05,619 highest levels of planetary protection 1076 00:45:12,199 --> 00:45:09,099 no matter what and so we have a whole 1077 00:45:15,659 --> 00:45:12,209 variety of plans to be able to sterilize 1078 00:45:18,269 --> 00:45:15,669 Mars 2020 and and and we have the budget 1079 00:45:20,459 --> 00:45:18,279 in the plan to be able to do that so 1080 00:45:23,009 --> 00:45:20,469 it's incorrect to say we're not going to 1081 00:45:25,679 --> 00:45:23,019 consider planetary protection on 2020 we 1082 00:45:28,649 --> 00:45:25,689 are and we have plans in terms of how to 1083 00:45:30,679 --> 00:45:28,659 handle that and I mean I think the other 1084 00:45:34,769 --> 00:45:30,689 part of that question though is that 1085 00:45:38,579 --> 00:45:34,779 these are cells these streaks of briny 1086 00:45:41,819 --> 00:45:38,589 water are in challenging locations so to 1087 00:45:43,399 --> 00:45:41,829 design a rover and the 2020 Rover is the 1088 00:45:45,419 --> 00:45:43,409 same design as the Curiosity rover 1089 00:45:48,689 --> 00:45:45,429 curiosity has gone up some pretty steep 1090 00:45:51,149 --> 00:45:48,699 slopes but some of these briny features 1091 00:45:53,370 --> 00:45:51,159 are on very steep slope very in tough 1092 00:45:54,989 --> 00:45:53,380 terrain that would be trivial for an 1093 00:45:56,669 --> 00:45:54,999 astronaut in a space suit to go up and 1094 00:45:59,009 --> 00:45:56,679 investigate but it's very hard for a 1095 00:46:00,870 --> 00:45:59,019 rover so we're a little ways off so I 1096 00:46:04,409 --> 00:46:00,880 think that the investigation of these 1097 00:46:06,989 --> 00:46:04,419 with proper planetary protection lays in 1098 00:46:08,879 --> 00:46:06,999 the domain of future robotic spacecraft 1099 00:46:10,739 --> 00:46:08,889 that are designed specifically to go 1100 00:46:12,779 --> 00:46:10,749 there and they're designed in a way that 1101 00:46:14,009 --> 00:46:12,789 they can be appropriately sterilized and 1102 00:46:16,229 --> 00:46:14,019 I think the exciting thing about this 1103 00:46:18,329 --> 00:46:16,239 announcement is it's the confirmation of 1104 00:46:20,639 --> 00:46:18,339 what we suspected that this is due to 1105 00:46:24,389 --> 00:46:20,649 some kind of water feature that I think 1106 00:46:26,279 --> 00:46:24,399 will really drive the ingenuity of our 1107 00:46:28,799 --> 00:46:26,289 engineers and scientists to come up with 1108 00:46:29,430 --> 00:46:28,809 a viable experiment and hopefully that 1109 00:46:31,020 --> 00:46:29,440 we can do in the 1110 00:46:34,020 --> 00:46:31,030 2020s that would go and investigate 1111 00:46:36,349 --> 00:46:34,030 these areas and you know perhaps even 1112 00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:36,359 return samples from these areas someday 1113 00:46:40,500 --> 00:46:38,650 okay Irene we're going to get your 1114 00:46:42,510 --> 00:46:40,510 planetary protection question another 1115 00:46:43,260 --> 00:46:42,520 time we'll have to do a lot of 1116 00:46:45,450 --> 00:46:43,270 follow-ups 1117 00:46:47,309 --> 00:46:45,460 I believe folks in France want to 1118 00:46:51,630 --> 00:46:47,319 respond to the question and please 1119 00:46:53,550 --> 00:46:51,640 identify yourself hi this is Delta I was 1120 00:46:55,349 --> 00:46:53,560 going to say exactly what janja says 1121 00:46:58,040 --> 00:46:55,359 that these are a seller on steep slope 1122 00:47:00,990 --> 00:46:58,050 that's the VRS all that we know about 1123 00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:01,000 there may be water from deliquescent 1124 00:47:05,970 --> 00:47:03,250 flat areas as well that we just don't 1125 00:47:09,270 --> 00:47:05,980 know about and the problem is that we 1126 00:47:11,990 --> 00:47:09,280 observed with MRO at 3 p.m. the driest 1127 00:47:14,819 --> 00:47:12,000 time days that with a morning orbiter 1128 00:47:17,520 --> 00:47:14,829 maybe we would see and high-resolution 1129 00:47:19,109 --> 00:47:17,530 observations maybe we could find this in 1130 00:47:21,540 --> 00:47:19,119 other locations that are more accessible 1131 00:47:23,849 --> 00:47:21,550 but right now these are only known to 1132 00:47:27,210 --> 00:47:23,859 exist on these very steep rocky slopes 1133 00:47:29,670 --> 00:47:27,220 places we can't land directly we could 1134 00:47:31,319 --> 00:47:29,680 land close to them and observe them from 1135 00:47:33,089 --> 00:47:31,329 a distance 1136 00:47:34,650 --> 00:47:33,099 so it'd be remote sensing from the 1137 00:47:36,329 --> 00:47:34,660 ground and that would be valuable 1138 00:47:38,609 --> 00:47:36,339 especially to watch these things 1139 00:47:42,420 --> 00:47:38,619 throughout the day which we can't do 1140 00:47:45,450 --> 00:47:42,430 from orbit okay I would also just say 1141 00:47:47,970 --> 00:47:45,460 that if I were a microbe on Mars I would 1142 00:47:48,690 --> 00:47:47,980 probably not live near one of these 1143 00:47:51,630 --> 00:47:48,700 RSL's 1144 00:47:54,480 --> 00:47:51,640 I would want to live probably further 1145 00:47:56,250 --> 00:47:54,490 north or south higher latitudes under 1146 00:47:57,930 --> 00:47:56,260 the surface quite far under the surface 1147 00:48:00,660 --> 00:47:57,940 and where there's more of a freshwater 1148 00:48:02,250 --> 00:48:00,670 glacier we only suspect those places 1149 00:48:04,349 --> 00:48:02,260 exist and we have some scientific 1150 00:48:06,089 --> 00:48:04,359 evidence that they do and that's the 1151 00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:06,099 subject of future exploration when we 1152 00:48:11,099 --> 00:48:08,410 can find subsurface ice that's a few 1153 00:48:13,050 --> 00:48:11,109 meters or deeper below the surface and 1154 00:48:14,819 --> 00:48:13,060 that's freshwater and I think that's 1155 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:14,829 going to be an a very exciting area of 1156 00:48:19,230 --> 00:48:17,890 exploration in the future all right 1157 00:48:20,430 --> 00:48:19,240 we're running short on time but we're 1158 00:48:22,260 --> 00:48:20,440 going to take one more call from the 1159 00:48:26,270 --> 00:48:22,270 phone social media and then come back 1160 00:48:30,240 --> 00:48:26,280 here Keith's counting on the phone a 1161 00:48:34,050 --> 00:48:30,250 question for Michael mutt up I mean yes 1162 00:48:35,700 --> 00:48:34,060 you hear me yes again Michael Mayer um 1163 00:48:37,170 --> 00:48:35,710 this is sort of a perennial question I 1164 00:48:38,849 --> 00:48:37,180 have that you guys always say you want 1165 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:38,859 to look for life on Mars but you don't 1166 00:48:41,910 --> 00:48:40,810 know what Mars life looks like and since 1167 00:48:42,609 --> 00:48:41,920 you don't know what it looks like you 1168 00:48:45,430 --> 00:48:42,619 don't have to look 1169 00:48:47,559 --> 00:48:45,440 or it that said this discovery is just a 1170 00:48:49,480 --> 00:48:47,569 series of papers that have finally come 1171 00:48:50,349 --> 00:48:49,490 to a conclusion about the water and 1172 00:48:52,960 --> 00:48:50,359 perchlorates 1173 00:48:55,089 --> 00:48:52,970 a are there analogues an earth that you 1174 00:48:57,670 --> 00:48:55,099 are very specifically looking at that 1175 00:48:59,980 --> 00:48:57,680 mirror aspects of what you found in Mars 1176 00:49:02,529 --> 00:48:59,990 and B as you prepare to send people 1177 00:49:04,109 --> 00:49:02,539 there and maybe more robots have you 1178 00:49:06,940 --> 00:49:04,119 ever given thought to building a large 1179 00:49:09,130 --> 00:49:06,950 refrigerator and trying to simulate the 1180 00:49:10,599 --> 00:49:09,140 geology by dumping stuff in there and 1181 00:49:13,769 --> 00:49:10,609 seeing how it reacts and then 1182 00:49:17,799 --> 00:49:13,779 inoculating it with known life-forms 1183 00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:17,809 so number one we are actually looking 1184 00:49:23,710 --> 00:49:20,410 for life on Mars we're taking a very 1185 00:49:25,720 --> 00:49:23,720 measured approach to it because in many 1186 00:49:27,420 --> 00:49:25,730 ways we don't know what exactly to look 1187 00:49:30,309 --> 00:49:27,430 for so we're looking for things that 1188 00:49:32,019 --> 00:49:30,319 frame it and give us a context to make 1189 00:49:35,049 --> 00:49:32,029 us understand whether or not life was 1190 00:49:37,210 --> 00:49:35,059 even possible and then what may be sort 1191 00:49:40,019 --> 00:49:37,220 of a biochemical discontinuity that 1192 00:49:43,299 --> 00:49:40,029 would be a clue that that life was there 1193 00:49:44,680 --> 00:49:43,309 and included in that search is in fact 1194 00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:44,690 the idea that we're going to cache 1195 00:49:50,019 --> 00:49:47,690 samples in 2020 this has been a 1196 00:49:52,539 --> 00:49:50,029 long-standing scientific opinion from 1197 00:49:54,789 --> 00:49:52,549 the Natural Research Council etc is that 1198 00:49:56,529 --> 00:49:54,799 the only way we'll ever be able to tell 1199 00:49:58,269 --> 00:49:56,539 whether or not there is life on Mars is 1200 00:50:00,579 --> 00:49:58,279 in fact to be able to bring a sample 1201 00:50:04,509 --> 00:50:00,589 back to look at it thoroughly to 1202 00:50:07,349 --> 00:50:04,519 understand what is there and what the 1203 00:50:12,880 --> 00:50:10,539 yes there are some earth analogs and 1204 00:50:15,849 --> 00:50:12,890 then in fact they see streaks forming 1205 00:50:20,460 --> 00:50:15,859 that look similar in places like 1206 00:50:22,690 --> 00:50:20,470 Antarctica but the difficulty is is that 1207 00:50:24,519 --> 00:50:22,700 something that looks the same doesn't 1208 00:50:26,499 --> 00:50:24,529 mean it is the same so we don't know if 1209 00:50:27,999 --> 00:50:26,509 it's the same mechanism but at least we 1210 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:28,009 have something that visually looks 1211 00:50:33,700 --> 00:50:32,210 similar and that's being studied the 1212 00:50:35,859 --> 00:50:33,710 idea of throwing stuff in the freezer 1213 00:50:38,220 --> 00:50:35,869 and seeing if it grows I think the food 1214 00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:38,230 industry does that all the time 1215 00:50:43,210 --> 00:50:41,450 and that's one of the things that helps 1216 00:50:44,980 --> 00:50:43,220 sets what the temperature of your 1217 00:50:46,870 --> 00:50:44,990 freezer is which is you know around 1218 00:50:51,280 --> 00:50:46,880 minus 20 because you don't get things 1219 00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:51,290 growing in them I think the other the 1220 00:50:54,880 --> 00:50:52,490 other point to make is that the 1221 00:50:57,010 --> 00:50:54,890 scientific process and how we decide 1222 00:50:59,380 --> 00:50:57,020 what missions to send that are our large 1223 00:51:02,020 --> 00:50:59,390 strategic missions like Mars Science 1224 00:51:04,330 --> 00:51:02,030 Laboratory Curiosity like Mars 2020 is 1225 00:51:07,210 --> 00:51:04,340 based on a rather large scientific 1226 00:51:09,040 --> 00:51:07,220 community that's heavily influenced by 1227 00:51:12,580 --> 00:51:09,050 scientific discovery that's the 1228 00:51:14,020 --> 00:51:12,590 scientific process and in just about 1229 00:51:16,390 --> 00:51:14,030 five years we're going to start up the 1230 00:51:19,540 --> 00:51:16,400 next major review of planetary science 1231 00:51:21,910 --> 00:51:19,550 and I can anticipate that with the 1232 00:51:24,130 --> 00:51:21,920 results from sample analysis at Mars the 1233 00:51:25,870 --> 00:51:24,140 Sam instrument that shows you know 1234 00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:25,880 perchlorates at Gale Crater that shows 1235 00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:28,010 organic materials that had a transient 1236 00:51:33,340 --> 00:51:30,050 methane signal that we still don't know 1237 00:51:35,560 --> 00:51:33,350 what it's from from these results on our 1238 00:51:37,750 --> 00:51:35,570 cells and all the rest I can't imagine 1239 00:51:39,460 --> 00:51:37,760 that it won't be a high priority and 1240 00:51:41,200 --> 00:51:39,470 with the scientific community to send 1241 00:51:43,450 --> 00:51:41,210 something that has the right planetary 1242 00:51:46,750 --> 00:51:43,460 protection to go to these areas and may 1243 00:51:48,370 --> 00:51:46,760 have a life detection capability to see 1244 00:51:49,990 --> 00:51:48,380 if if there's life there that's similar 1245 00:51:51,250 --> 00:51:50,000 to earth and that may be you know that's 1246 00:51:53,110 --> 00:51:51,260 always risky because what if you don't 1247 00:51:54,910 --> 00:51:53,120 see it that doesn't rule out life it 1248 00:51:57,160 --> 00:51:54,920 just means it's not just like us and 1249 00:51:59,740 --> 00:51:57,170 from an evolution standpoint you 1250 00:52:02,230 --> 00:51:59,750 wouldn't expect that so let me let me 1251 00:52:04,480 --> 00:52:02,240 close this out notice we have we have 1252 00:52:06,730 --> 00:52:04,490 yep okay couple people minutes but then 1253 00:52:08,830 --> 00:52:06,740 let you close it out let's go to social 1254 00:52:10,570 --> 00:52:08,840 media I know we've got a lot of 1255 00:52:13,300 --> 00:52:10,580 questions but let's take two quick ones 1256 00:52:14,980 --> 00:52:13,310 and then I'm gonna give Associated Press 1257 00:52:16,660 --> 00:52:14,990 on the phone Marsha done one question 1258 00:52:18,910 --> 00:52:16,670 and we come back and then I'll turn it 1259 00:52:20,620 --> 00:52:18,920 over to the boss okay Emily what we got 1260 00:52:23,950 --> 00:52:20,630 sure yeah this first question is from 1261 00:52:26,140 --> 00:52:23,960 Melissa on Twitter and she said so you 1262 00:52:28,080 --> 00:52:26,150 found water what are the next steps what 1263 00:52:32,500 --> 00:52:28,090 do you plan to do with this information 1264 00:52:34,720 --> 00:52:32,510 drink it drink it well let's do that I 1265 00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:34,730 mean one of the big things is okay now 1266 00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:37,610 we found water we see it participate in 1267 00:52:42,310 --> 00:52:40,010 forming these streaks but we don't know 1268 00:52:46,330 --> 00:52:42,320 where the water actually comes from and 1269 00:52:48,010 --> 00:52:46,340 so it could be hiding major source of 1270 00:52:50,620 --> 00:52:48,020 water in the subsurface but we don't 1271 00:52:51,490 --> 00:52:50,630 have any idea and so this this is sort 1272 00:52:54,370 --> 00:52:51,500 of the next puzzle 1273 00:52:56,200 --> 00:52:54,380 to this recent discovery and a critical 1274 00:52:58,150 --> 00:52:56,210 part of that is to find out other places 1275 00:52:59,770 --> 00:52:58,160 on Mars that we see this as Adam said 1276 00:53:01,930 --> 00:52:59,780 we've on Jim green said we've only 1277 00:53:04,510 --> 00:53:01,940 imaged about three to four percent total 1278 00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:04,520 at this high resolution and different 1279 00:53:08,410 --> 00:53:07,010 times a year so yeah we need that high 1280 00:53:11,650 --> 00:53:08,420 resolution I mean these streaks are 1281 00:53:12,670 --> 00:53:11,660 maybe four or five meters in width you 1282 00:53:15,870 --> 00:53:12,680 know there may be a couple football 1283 00:53:19,420 --> 00:53:15,880 fields long but you know with with our 1284 00:53:21,280 --> 00:53:19,430 normal imagers that that that major you 1285 00:53:22,570 --> 00:53:21,290 know half a kilometer by half a 1286 00:53:25,240 --> 00:53:22,580 kilometer they're totally lost 1287 00:53:28,660 --> 00:53:25,250 we need that high-resolution imaging we 1288 00:53:30,910 --> 00:53:28,670 need that ability to see this table and 1289 00:53:33,430 --> 00:53:30,920 several pixels from orbit and we have 1290 00:53:34,080 --> 00:53:33,440 that with high rise right now hey one 1291 00:53:36,370 --> 00:53:34,090 more question 1292 00:53:38,470 --> 00:53:36,380 sure this one's from Meredith she said 1293 00:53:40,000 --> 00:53:38,480 does this mean that it rains on Mars is 1294 00:53:44,020 --> 00:53:40,010 there a full water cycle like there is 1295 00:53:45,760 --> 00:53:44,030 on Earth so we haven't seen rain on Mars 1296 00:53:48,700 --> 00:53:45,770 because the surface pressure is way too 1297 00:53:51,370 --> 00:53:48,710 low but we have seen snow and so even 1298 00:53:54,010 --> 00:53:51,380 today we know from the humidity the fact 1299 00:53:56,530 --> 00:53:54,020 that when the Sun Goes Down it cools the 1300 00:53:58,990 --> 00:53:56,540 humidity precipitates out it is ice 1301 00:54:01,750 --> 00:53:59,000 crystals on the surface of Rovers and on 1302 00:54:03,910 --> 00:54:01,760 rocks so we know there is a water cycle 1303 00:54:06,460 --> 00:54:03,920 and we know from the evidence of 1304 00:54:07,930 --> 00:54:06,470 curiosity roving on the surface that 1305 00:54:09,550 --> 00:54:07,940 three and a half four billion years ago 1306 00:54:11,710 --> 00:54:09,560 there was a very active water cycle 1307 00:54:13,780 --> 00:54:11,720 because we're driving over river deltas 1308 00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:13,790 and so at that time it certainly did 1309 00:54:19,540 --> 00:54:16,970 rain in fact the Phoenix lander which 1310 00:54:22,720 --> 00:54:19,550 are landed very close to the North Pole 1311 00:54:25,900 --> 00:54:22,730 up and what we'd call the artic sone 1312 00:54:27,940 --> 00:54:25,910 region of Mars actually made some great 1313 00:54:29,440 --> 00:54:27,950 observations with their lighter and that 1314 00:54:31,870 --> 00:54:29,450 was a Canadian instrument from the 1315 00:54:33,610 --> 00:54:31,880 Canadian Space Agency watching the snow 1316 00:54:35,830 --> 00:54:33,620 come in I mean there's some really great 1317 00:54:40,120 --> 00:54:35,840 data from from Phoenix alone that shows 1318 00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:40,130 us that before we go to the phone one 1319 00:54:44,380 --> 00:54:42,770 last time I for social media keep 1320 00:54:46,810 --> 00:54:44,390 sending those questions in a hashtag ask 1321 00:54:48,160 --> 00:54:46,820 NASA we'll have folks responding as 1322 00:54:50,470 --> 00:54:48,170 quickly as possible to all of your 1323 00:54:52,150 --> 00:54:50,480 questions on social media so on the 1324 00:54:55,600 --> 00:54:52,160 phone Marsha Dunn Associated Press 1325 00:55:00,580 --> 00:54:55,610 Marsha yes can you hear me loud and 1326 00:55:03,580 --> 00:55:00,590 clear yes my question about the RSL's 1327 00:55:04,870 --> 00:55:03,590 would you anticipate the water being as 1328 00:55:06,220 --> 00:55:04,880 Saudi as fierce 1329 00:55:10,150 --> 00:55:06,230 oceans I'm just wondering on the 1330 00:55:12,400 --> 00:55:10,160 salinity and can you even estimate or 1331 00:55:15,100 --> 00:55:12,410 guess how much water we're talking about 1332 00:55:17,800 --> 00:55:15,110 flowing I don't know if I'm envisioning 1333 00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:17,810 streams rivers a trickle is there a 1334 00:55:24,010 --> 00:55:20,690 drought just sort of give me a picture 1335 00:55:29,890 --> 00:55:24,020 of what you think how much water there 1336 00:55:32,790 --> 00:55:29,900 might be in how salty thank you oh yeah 1337 00:55:34,750 --> 00:55:32,800 Luigi did you did you copy that question 1338 00:55:37,720 --> 00:55:34,760 yeah the hoppers going to answer that 1339 00:55:41,580 --> 00:55:37,730 question okay yeah I'll say what I think 1340 00:55:44,470 --> 00:55:41,590 and lose use in containment as well but 1341 00:55:46,360 --> 00:55:44,480 Earth's oceans seem pretty salty to us 1342 00:55:48,790 --> 00:55:46,370 but walking it much much saltier than 1343 00:55:50,680 --> 00:55:48,800 that and if the process of deliquescent 1344 00:55:52,600 --> 00:55:50,690 occurs if that's how the water is being 1345 00:55:56,470 --> 00:55:52,610 made it will be much much saltier than 1346 00:55:58,510 --> 00:55:56,480 our thirst oceans how much water we made 1347 00:56:01,270 --> 00:55:58,520 an attempt to estimate in part of Ellis 1348 00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:01,280 Marineris how much water might be the 1349 00:56:05,890 --> 00:56:03,530 minimum amount to explain the darkening 1350 00:56:07,630 --> 00:56:05,900 assuming only 5% water which is 1351 00:56:09,910 --> 00:56:07,640 sufficient for metrically to darken it 1352 00:56:12,700 --> 00:56:09,920 and only 10 millimeters thickness which 1353 00:56:15,460 --> 00:56:12,710 is enough for it to actually flow down 1354 00:56:18,970 --> 00:56:15,470 the slopes the minimum was 10 to the 1355 00:56:20,770 --> 00:56:18,980 fifth cubic meters of water which sounds 1356 00:56:22,120 --> 00:56:20,780 like a lot of it was all in one place I 1357 00:56:24,310 --> 00:56:22,130 don't know how many Olympic swimming 1358 00:56:26,680 --> 00:56:24,320 pools that is but that's dispersed over 1359 00:56:30,070 --> 00:56:26,690 very wide areas and so we're dealing 1360 00:56:34,120 --> 00:56:30,080 with is wet soil thin layers of wet soil 1361 00:56:36,130 --> 00:56:34,130 not not standing water but Mars there's 1362 00:56:38,320 --> 00:56:36,140 a lot of surface area so if you could 1363 00:56:44,860 --> 00:56:38,330 add it all up it could be a significant 1364 00:56:46,990 --> 00:56:44,870 volume okay all right what I'd like to 1365 00:56:50,140 --> 00:56:47,000 do now is turn it over to dr. John 1366 00:56:52,090 --> 00:56:50,150 Grunsfeld and obviously Mars the Mars 1367 00:56:54,100 --> 00:56:52,100 missions the Mars program is in his 1368 00:56:55,570 --> 00:56:54,110 portfolio but he also has nearly a 1369 00:56:59,590 --> 00:56:55,580 hundred missions than the science 1370 00:57:00,970 --> 00:56:59,600 portfolio so sir wrap up Thanks well 1371 00:57:02,950 --> 00:57:00,980 again thank you all for coming I know 1372 00:57:04,450 --> 00:57:02,960 this is an exciting and interesting 1373 00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:04,460 result I know you'll have lots more 1374 00:57:08,530 --> 00:57:05,930 questions we'll try and answer the 1375 00:57:11,220 --> 00:57:08,540 questions from social media we encourage 1376 00:57:13,690 --> 00:57:11,230 you to talk to our scientists after this 1377 00:57:15,610 --> 00:57:13,700 we are on our journey to Mars and 1378 00:57:17,710 --> 00:57:15,620 science is leading the way and I think 1379 00:57:20,109 --> 00:57:17,720 each time we learn about some 1380 00:57:21,550 --> 00:57:20,119 knew about Mars Mars becomes more and 1381 00:57:24,460 --> 00:57:21,560 more interesting and I think it's just 1382 00:57:27,310 --> 00:57:24,470 going to provide us with you know a 1383 00:57:30,450 --> 00:57:27,320 great sense of our place in the universe 1384 00:57:32,349 --> 00:57:30,460 and our solar system in particular as 1385 00:57:34,000 --> 00:57:32,359 Dwayne says we have a lot of other 1386 00:57:36,099 --> 00:57:34,010 missions we've just started this year a 1387 00:57:38,470 --> 00:57:36,109 mission to Europa which we know has an 1388 00:57:40,750 --> 00:57:38,480 undersea ocean and we'll be exploring 1389 00:57:42,940 --> 00:57:40,760 that in the next decade so please stay 1390 00:57:44,859 --> 00:57:42,950 tuned to science 1391 00:57:46,780 --> 00:57:44,869 you know basically science never sleeps 1392 00:57:48,190 --> 00:57:46,790 we have lots of discoveries and we 1393 00:57:59,530 --> 00:57:48,200 appreciate your interest thank you very 1394 00:58:05,510 --> 00:58:02,329 so with that thanks for joining us from 1395 00:58:07,490 --> 00:58:05,520 Washington DC again goto nasa.gov slash 1396 00:58:10,010 --> 00:58:07,500 mars and i said that gulf slash journey 1397 00:58:12,290 --> 00:58:10,020 to mars follow us on social media 1398 00:58:34,510 --> 00:58:12,300 ladies and gentlemen NASA's journey to