1 00:00:06,230 --> 00:00:04,070 good afternoon my name is duane brown 2 00:00:08,950 --> 00:00:06,240 with the office of communications 3 00:00:11,030 --> 00:00:08,960 and welcome to nasa headquarters 4 00:00:13,190 --> 00:00:11,040 today you will hear about the curiosity 5 00:00:15,829 --> 00:00:13,200 rover's analysis of the first 6 00:00:17,269 --> 00:00:15,839 sample of rock powder ever collected 7 00:00:19,189 --> 00:00:17,279 on mars 8 00:00:20,310 --> 00:00:19,199 we'll have brief presentations from our 9 00:00:21,670 --> 00:00:20,320 panel 10 00:00:23,429 --> 00:00:21,680 then we'll open it up with questions 11 00:00:26,150 --> 00:00:23,439 starting here on the phone lines our 12 00:00:27,269 --> 00:00:26,160 centers and also have our social media 13 00:00:30,310 --> 00:00:27,279 community 14 00:00:31,750 --> 00:00:30,320 have an opportunity to ask questions 15 00:00:33,270 --> 00:00:31,760 of course you can get all of this 16 00:00:35,030 --> 00:00:33,280 information and the latest updates on 17 00:00:39,110 --> 00:00:35,040 curiosity and all of nasa's mall's 18 00:00:42,790 --> 00:00:40,709 mars 19 00:00:44,709 --> 00:00:42,800 and join the conversation 20 00:00:46,630 --> 00:00:44,719 in the social media community and there 21 00:00:48,310 --> 00:00:46,640 are a lot of people all around the world 22 00:00:49,830 --> 00:00:48,320 talking about mars 23 00:00:51,350 --> 00:00:49,840 send your question in to 24 00:00:55,189 --> 00:00:51,360 ask nasa 25 00:00:57,270 --> 00:00:55,199 and on twitter at mars curiosity 26 00:00:59,029 --> 00:00:57,280 before we begin 27 00:01:02,150 --> 00:00:59,039 coming to the podium 28 00:01:04,390 --> 00:01:02,160 to put things in context for everyone 29 00:01:06,710 --> 00:01:04,400 is the associate administrator 30 00:01:18,149 --> 00:01:06,720 for nasa's science mission directorate 31 00:01:21,670 --> 00:01:19,590 well i'd like to welcome everyone to 32 00:01:23,429 --> 00:01:21,680 this press conference this is uh just 33 00:01:25,590 --> 00:01:23,439 incredibly exciting incredible exciting 34 00:01:27,510 --> 00:01:25,600 for me and i think once you hear the 35 00:01:29,510 --> 00:01:27,520 results and i've not heard the detailed 36 00:01:31,910 --> 00:01:29,520 results yet i think there'll be a 37 00:01:34,710 --> 00:01:31,920 tremendous amount of excitement when we 38 00:01:36,550 --> 00:01:34,720 think about the mars science laboratory 39 00:01:39,910 --> 00:01:36,560 event that we had last august the 40 00:01:41,670 --> 00:01:39,920 landing of curiosity on the planet mars 41 00:01:43,270 --> 00:01:41,680 often what comes to mind is the seven 42 00:01:45,109 --> 00:01:43,280 minutes of terror 43 00:01:46,710 --> 00:01:45,119 well since then we've had seven months 44 00:01:48,069 --> 00:01:46,720 of anticipation 45 00:01:51,030 --> 00:01:48,079 for the results that you're going to 46 00:01:51,990 --> 00:01:51,040 hear about today 47 00:01:54,149 --> 00:01:52,000 for me 48 00:01:55,910 --> 00:01:54,159 one of the most remarkable things about 49 00:01:58,789 --> 00:01:55,920 the curiosity 50 00:02:00,709 --> 00:01:58,799 rover is that everything is working 51 00:02:02,870 --> 00:02:00,719 and i think that's just an incredible 52 00:02:05,270 --> 00:02:02,880 engineering feed and i want to remind 53 00:02:06,709 --> 00:02:05,280 everyone who's listening that the amount 54 00:02:09,350 --> 00:02:06,719 of work that went into the results 55 00:02:12,229 --> 00:02:09,360 you'll hear is is really been just 56 00:02:15,190 --> 00:02:12,239 incredibly intensive has pushed human 57 00:02:16,949 --> 00:02:15,200 technology has pushed what we're able to 58 00:02:19,430 --> 00:02:16,959 do not only on earth with 59 00:02:21,830 --> 00:02:19,440 instrumentation but on a planet that's 60 00:02:24,869 --> 00:02:21,840 tens of millions of miles away 61 00:02:26,949 --> 00:02:24,879 in a very difficult environment 62 00:02:28,550 --> 00:02:26,959 i also want to remind everyone that what 63 00:02:30,949 --> 00:02:28,560 you're going to hear about are not the 64 00:02:33,110 --> 00:02:30,959 discoveries of curiosity but the 65 00:02:35,750 --> 00:02:33,120 discoveries of scientists here on earth 66 00:02:37,190 --> 00:02:35,760 and represented here today are those 67 00:02:39,190 --> 00:02:37,200 scientists 68 00:02:40,710 --> 00:02:39,200 and it's not just the four folks who are 69 00:02:43,030 --> 00:02:40,720 up on the stage but it represents 70 00:02:44,630 --> 00:02:43,040 hundreds of scientists working days and 71 00:02:46,309 --> 00:02:44,640 nights and i think they've probably been 72 00:02:48,790 --> 00:02:46,319 doing uh 73 00:02:50,790 --> 00:02:48,800 ops you know on nights and weekends not 74 00:02:52,550 --> 00:02:50,800 because they have to but because they 75 00:02:53,670 --> 00:02:52,560 love it because this is what excites 76 00:02:55,750 --> 00:02:53,680 them 77 00:02:58,309 --> 00:02:55,760 the fact that we're on mars and that we 78 00:02:59,589 --> 00:02:58,319 have this analytical laboratory on mars 79 00:03:02,070 --> 00:02:59,599 that's being controlled by the 80 00:03:04,309 --> 00:03:02,080 scientists and engineers and technicians 81 00:03:06,149 --> 00:03:04,319 from here on planet earth so with that i 82 00:03:08,949 --> 00:03:06,159 will hand it over 83 00:03:09,910 --> 00:03:08,959 uh back to dwayne and 84 00:03:11,270 --> 00:03:09,920 you know i think this is going to be 85 00:03:19,589 --> 00:03:11,280 incredibly exciting i know my 86 00:03:23,350 --> 00:03:21,430 thank you john and that's a great segue 87 00:03:25,589 --> 00:03:23,360 because now i get to introduce 88 00:03:27,589 --> 00:03:25,599 these incredible scientists a small part 89 00:03:29,030 --> 00:03:27,599 of a tremendous team 90 00:03:31,670 --> 00:03:29,040 first up 91 00:03:33,589 --> 00:03:31,680 you're here from michael meyer 92 00:03:35,589 --> 00:03:33,599 lead scientist 93 00:03:40,869 --> 00:03:35,599 mars exploration program nasa 94 00:03:44,830 --> 00:03:42,949 john godzinger 95 00:03:47,190 --> 00:03:44,840 curiosity project 96 00:03:54,470 --> 00:03:47,200 scientists california institute of 97 00:03:59,270 --> 00:03:57,030 david blake 98 00:04:00,550 --> 00:03:59,280 principal investigator for curiosity's 99 00:04:02,869 --> 00:04:00,560 chemistry 100 00:04:05,350 --> 00:04:02,879 mineralogy investigation 101 00:04:10,710 --> 00:04:05,360 at nasa's ames research center 102 00:04:14,789 --> 00:04:12,869 and paul mahaffey 103 00:04:17,670 --> 00:04:14,799 principal investigator for curiosity's 104 00:04:19,830 --> 00:04:17,680 sample analysis at mars investigation at 105 00:04:21,670 --> 00:04:19,840 nasa's goddard space flight center in 106 00:04:24,550 --> 00:04:21,680 greenbelt maryland so with that i'll 107 00:04:27,030 --> 00:04:24,560 turn it over to you michael thanks duane 108 00:04:29,510 --> 00:04:27,040 the nasa mars exploration program has 109 00:04:32,390 --> 00:04:29,520 progressively approached the red planet 110 00:04:35,510 --> 00:04:32,400 from a global perspective to focus 111 00:04:38,390 --> 00:04:35,520 exploration of regions past and present 112 00:04:40,550 --> 00:04:38,400 that exhibit the potential for life 113 00:04:42,950 --> 00:04:40,560 every successive mission has boosted our 114 00:04:45,189 --> 00:04:42,960 expectations that mars could have been a 115 00:04:46,950 --> 00:04:45,199 habitable planet a place that could have 116 00:04:49,590 --> 00:04:46,960 supported life 117 00:04:51,510 --> 00:04:49,600 this program of orbiters and landers 118 00:04:53,990 --> 00:04:51,520 have brought us to the point of seeking 119 00:04:56,230 --> 00:04:54,000 a habitable environment on mars 120 00:04:57,830 --> 00:04:56,240 this is what brought the rover curiosity 121 00:05:00,390 --> 00:04:57,840 to gale crater 122 00:05:01,430 --> 00:05:00,400 mineralogical and geomorphological 123 00:05:03,830 --> 00:05:01,440 evidence 124 00:05:07,749 --> 00:05:03,840 from orbit showing that the area had 125 00:05:10,710 --> 00:05:07,759 significant amount of water in its past 126 00:05:12,790 --> 00:05:10,720 as john mentioned on august 6 curiosity 127 00:05:15,189 --> 00:05:12,800 landed spectacularly 128 00:05:16,710 --> 00:05:15,199 where we wanted in gale crater within 129 00:05:19,350 --> 00:05:16,720 two months the team found an ancient 130 00:05:21,350 --> 00:05:19,360 riverbed evidence of flowing water 131 00:05:23,430 --> 00:05:21,360 and we followed that downhill to 132 00:05:25,830 --> 00:05:23,440 yellowknife bay 133 00:05:28,870 --> 00:05:25,840 at the same time 134 00:05:30,469 --> 00:05:28,880 we exercised the rover's capabilities 135 00:05:31,830 --> 00:05:30,479 tested the instruments for the first 136 00:05:34,230 --> 00:05:31,840 time 137 00:05:36,870 --> 00:05:34,240 and doing science along the way 138 00:05:39,430 --> 00:05:36,880 we have now completed all the first time 139 00:05:41,749 --> 00:05:39,440 activities including the first sample 140 00:05:44,230 --> 00:05:41,759 drilled on another planet 141 00:05:46,550 --> 00:05:44,240 this mission has been a fantastic team 142 00:05:49,029 --> 00:05:46,560 effort of engineers and scientists 143 00:05:50,950 --> 00:05:49,039 to deliver a highly capable exploration 144 00:05:53,430 --> 00:05:50,960 rover to mars 145 00:05:55,510 --> 00:05:53,440 the rover is now fully commissioned 146 00:05:56,550 --> 00:05:55,520 for science all the instruments are 147 00:05:57,909 --> 00:05:56,560 working 148 00:06:03,430 --> 00:05:57,919 and the keys to the rover have been 149 00:06:08,950 --> 00:06:06,550 so mars has written the autobiography 150 00:06:11,590 --> 00:06:08,960 its autobiography and the rocks of gale 151 00:06:14,309 --> 00:06:11,600 crater and we just started deciphering 152 00:06:16,070 --> 00:06:14,319 that story so chapter one 153 00:06:18,150 --> 00:06:16,080 yellowknife bay 154 00:06:19,749 --> 00:06:18,160 this was an ancient environment with the 155 00:06:21,909 --> 00:06:19,759 right elements 156 00:06:22,950 --> 00:06:21,919 minerals indicating a near neutral 157 00:06:26,950 --> 00:06:22,960 environment 158 00:06:28,790 --> 00:06:26,960 and slightly salty liquid water 159 00:06:30,550 --> 00:06:28,800 all the prerequisites 160 00:06:32,550 --> 00:06:30,560 to support life 161 00:06:34,150 --> 00:06:32,560 a habitable environment 162 00:06:36,230 --> 00:06:34,160 and so for the rest of the story i'll 163 00:06:37,189 --> 00:06:36,240 turn this over to john great thanks 164 00:06:39,909 --> 00:06:37,199 michael 165 00:06:41,830 --> 00:06:39,919 um it's a it's a great uh science story 166 00:06:44,390 --> 00:06:41,840 as as michael was saying and i need to 167 00:06:47,270 --> 00:06:44,400 start first with acknowledging uh our 168 00:06:49,350 --> 00:06:47,280 colleagues that came before us and also 169 00:06:51,510 --> 00:06:49,360 the entire planetary community that that 170 00:06:54,309 --> 00:06:51,520 supported this mission as you know 171 00:06:55,430 --> 00:06:54,319 developing msl was a a tremendous 172 00:06:57,350 --> 00:06:55,440 challenge 173 00:06:59,110 --> 00:06:57,360 and uh and and we had plenty of 174 00:07:00,390 --> 00:06:59,120 adventures there but we got the support 175 00:07:02,870 --> 00:07:00,400 from our community and we really 176 00:07:05,270 --> 00:07:02,880 appreciate that i'd also like to thank 177 00:07:07,270 --> 00:07:05,280 the mars community and through the the 178 00:07:09,350 --> 00:07:07,280 leadership of matt gombeck and john 179 00:07:10,790 --> 00:07:09,360 grant which led to the the final 180 00:07:13,189 --> 00:07:10,800 selection of landing sites that 181 00:07:15,670 --> 00:07:13,199 ultimately led us to gale 182 00:07:17,029 --> 00:07:15,680 where we have uh uh have had a terrific 183 00:07:19,749 --> 00:07:17,039 time so far 184 00:07:22,390 --> 00:07:19,759 that's been great and also in particular 185 00:07:24,629 --> 00:07:22,400 uh the mer mission spirit opportunity 186 00:07:27,189 --> 00:07:24,639 mars express and and also mars 187 00:07:28,870 --> 00:07:27,199 reconnaissance orbiter uh if we have 188 00:07:30,550 --> 00:07:28,880 looked farther is because we have stood 189 00:07:32,710 --> 00:07:30,560 on the shoulders of giants and those 190 00:07:34,870 --> 00:07:32,720 missions allowed us to fine-tune our 191 00:07:35,990 --> 00:07:34,880 exploration campaign that led us to this 192 00:07:36,950 --> 00:07:36,000 place 193 00:07:38,790 --> 00:07:36,960 finally 194 00:07:41,029 --> 00:07:38,800 those of us that get to set up here 195 00:07:43,189 --> 00:07:41,039 today are joined by our colleagues 196 00:07:44,390 --> 00:07:43,199 back at jpl and elsewhere the other pis 197 00:07:47,589 --> 00:07:44,400 of the mission 198 00:07:50,869 --> 00:07:47,599 including uh ken edgett uh ralph gellert 199 00:07:53,110 --> 00:07:50,879 don hassler mike malen igor mitrafanoff 200 00:07:55,510 --> 00:07:53,120 and and roger wiens and javier gomez 201 00:07:57,589 --> 00:07:55,520 ovira every one of the instruments has 202 00:07:59,830 --> 00:07:57,599 led into the discovery that we have made 203 00:08:01,830 --> 00:07:59,840 here some of those instruments presented 204 00:08:04,629 --> 00:08:01,840 back in january when we first talked 205 00:08:06,230 --> 00:08:04,639 about the geology and that chemcam 206 00:08:08,710 --> 00:08:06,240 discovered the first evidence for 207 00:08:09,510 --> 00:08:08,720 sulfates in this area here you'll hear 208 00:08:12,469 --> 00:08:09,520 more 209 00:08:13,990 --> 00:08:12,479 results coming out next week at lpsc and 210 00:08:15,749 --> 00:08:14,000 then at egu 211 00:08:18,629 --> 00:08:15,759 over in europe in april you'll get to 212 00:08:20,710 --> 00:08:18,639 hear more still so this has been a very 213 00:08:22,950 --> 00:08:20,720 comprehensive exercise and we didn't 214 00:08:25,350 --> 00:08:22,960 just stumble into this area that this is 215 00:08:27,189 --> 00:08:25,360 something that took a lot of planning 216 00:08:29,430 --> 00:08:27,199 okay so let me go to the first display 217 00:08:32,070 --> 00:08:29,440 item and bring it back to where we were 218 00:08:34,550 --> 00:08:32,080 the night of of landing when we as a 219 00:08:37,350 --> 00:08:34,560 community first looked at this slide 220 00:08:39,190 --> 00:08:37,360 we had selected a landing sl site and 221 00:08:40,709 --> 00:08:39,200 the landing ellipse in particular was 222 00:08:43,190 --> 00:08:40,719 close to mount sharp which was 223 00:08:44,790 --> 00:08:43,200 considered to be our primary objective 224 00:08:47,110 --> 00:08:44,800 and so you can think about drilling an 225 00:08:48,790 --> 00:08:47,120 oil well here uh you don't just go in 226 00:08:50,630 --> 00:08:48,800 with one objective you need primary 227 00:08:52,710 --> 00:08:50,640 objectives and you want secondary 228 00:08:55,350 --> 00:08:52,720 objectives and we had a secondary 229 00:08:57,190 --> 00:08:55,360 objective which was the distal part of 230 00:08:59,430 --> 00:08:57,200 this alluvial fan that you see here in 231 00:09:01,750 --> 00:08:59,440 the landing ellipse and we needed this 232 00:09:03,590 --> 00:09:01,760 in the back pocket in order to have the 233 00:09:05,750 --> 00:09:03,600 landing site 234 00:09:08,550 --> 00:09:05,760 confirmed by the review board and then 235 00:09:10,150 --> 00:09:08,560 eventually accepted by by headquarters 236 00:09:11,750 --> 00:09:10,160 and in case something happened to the 237 00:09:13,269 --> 00:09:11,760 rover we needed to make sure we had 238 00:09:15,030 --> 00:09:13,279 science to do and that a landing ellipse 239 00:09:17,030 --> 00:09:15,040 but that was sort of a you can think of 240 00:09:18,710 --> 00:09:17,040 it as a backup or a secondary objective 241 00:09:20,550 --> 00:09:18,720 and it turns out now in fact to have 242 00:09:24,790 --> 00:09:20,560 become our primary objective at this 243 00:09:27,350 --> 00:09:24,800 point uh we landed uh at the uh there 244 00:09:29,670 --> 00:09:27,360 where it says curiosity landing site and 245 00:09:31,269 --> 00:09:29,680 we drove just a few hundred meters in 246 00:09:33,110 --> 00:09:31,279 the opposite direction we did this 247 00:09:34,230 --> 00:09:33,120 deliberately and this was based on the 248 00:09:35,990 --> 00:09:34,240 mapping 249 00:09:38,389 --> 00:09:36,000 that the science team did an advance of 250 00:09:40,470 --> 00:09:38,399 landing and based on the previous 251 00:09:42,630 --> 00:09:40,480 mapping that came from odyssey and mro 252 00:09:44,389 --> 00:09:42,640 and all those great missions before us 253 00:09:46,230 --> 00:09:44,399 and in this particular case it led to 254 00:09:48,949 --> 00:09:46,240 the deliberate discovery 255 00:09:51,190 --> 00:09:48,959 so it wasn't serendipity or luck that 256 00:09:53,350 --> 00:09:51,200 got us here it was a result of planning 257 00:09:55,269 --> 00:09:53,360 now what paul and dave will tell you 258 00:09:57,190 --> 00:09:55,279 about is the part that we do consider 259 00:09:59,430 --> 00:09:57,200 serendipitous we had no idea that we 260 00:10:01,030 --> 00:09:59,440 were going to go into the aqueous 261 00:10:03,829 --> 00:10:01,040 environment that we were predicting to 262 00:10:06,069 --> 00:10:03,839 exist here and also find sulfates and 263 00:10:09,269 --> 00:10:06,079 also find clays and and those guys will 264 00:10:10,550 --> 00:10:09,279 tell you about it uh so that what that's 265 00:10:12,470 --> 00:10:10,560 that's one of the reasons that we're 266 00:10:14,790 --> 00:10:12,480 going to be spending some time here 267 00:10:16,630 --> 00:10:14,800 so let me turn it over to dave and he 268 00:10:18,710 --> 00:10:16,640 can tell you about kevin 269 00:10:20,470 --> 00:10:18,720 well thanks john and uh you know we got 270 00:10:24,310 --> 00:10:20,480 really excited when we first saw these 271 00:10:26,150 --> 00:10:24,320 uh these uh bedrock at john klein inside 272 00:10:28,949 --> 00:10:26,160 these concretions and and the reason is 273 00:10:30,829 --> 00:10:28,959 concretions are evidence of uh 274 00:10:33,190 --> 00:10:30,839 uh a water soaked sediment a soft 275 00:10:35,750 --> 00:10:33,200 sediment but what kind of an environment 276 00:10:37,590 --> 00:10:35,760 was it uh was it ever habitable for life 277 00:10:39,590 --> 00:10:37,600 and if it was 278 00:10:41,190 --> 00:10:39,600 would it preserve the organics for 279 00:10:43,430 --> 00:10:41,200 literally billions of years until we 280 00:10:45,269 --> 00:10:43,440 came here to to take a look to see if we 281 00:10:47,110 --> 00:10:45,279 could see what was there 282 00:10:48,710 --> 00:10:47,120 if you turn to the first graphic you can 283 00:10:51,110 --> 00:10:48,720 see what made us think we really found 284 00:10:54,069 --> 00:10:51,120 something special 285 00:10:56,310 --> 00:10:54,079 okay well this is what we call pay dirt 286 00:10:58,069 --> 00:10:56,320 this powder in the scoop here is from 287 00:11:00,470 --> 00:10:58,079 john klein the drill powder and it's 288 00:11:01,750 --> 00:11:00,480 gray green meaning that it wasn't highly 289 00:11:03,190 --> 00:11:01,760 oxidized 290 00:11:04,470 --> 00:11:03,200 and you can see in the back of the scoop 291 00:11:06,949 --> 00:11:04,480 there there's a little bit of reddish 292 00:11:08,949 --> 00:11:06,959 material this is from the rock nest and 293 00:11:11,269 --> 00:11:08,959 this is highly oxidized so anyway what 294 00:11:13,670 --> 00:11:11,279 it shows you is that this material was 295 00:11:15,990 --> 00:11:13,680 never highly oxidized and therefore if 296 00:11:18,310 --> 00:11:16,000 there was organic material present there 297 00:11:20,790 --> 00:11:18,320 it could have been preserved 298 00:11:22,550 --> 00:11:20,800 uh the second graphic shows comparison 299 00:11:25,030 --> 00:11:22,560 of the two x-ray diffraction patterns 300 00:11:27,509 --> 00:11:25,040 that chemin has collected so far on the 301 00:11:29,910 --> 00:11:27,519 left is rocknest soil and on the right 302 00:11:30,870 --> 00:11:29,920 is the pattern we got recently from john 303 00:11:32,630 --> 00:11:30,880 klein 304 00:11:34,389 --> 00:11:32,640 you can see they look very similar and 305 00:11:36,870 --> 00:11:34,399 from our analyses we can tell you they 306 00:11:38,150 --> 00:11:36,880 both have igneous minerals feldspar 307 00:11:40,310 --> 00:11:38,160 pyroxene 308 00:11:41,829 --> 00:11:40,320 olivine and magnetite 309 00:11:45,269 --> 00:11:41,839 what's different if you look at the john 310 00:11:48,230 --> 00:11:45,279 klein fraction pattern uh down close to 311 00:11:50,790 --> 00:11:48,240 the central uh point there the intensity 312 00:11:53,190 --> 00:11:50,800 is due to clay minerals and you see 313 00:11:54,069 --> 00:11:53,200 there's they're labeled phyllosilicates 314 00:11:55,509 --> 00:11:54,079 and 315 00:11:57,990 --> 00:11:55,519 we can tell you from our analysis 316 00:12:00,870 --> 00:11:58,000 there's between 20 and 30 percent of a 317 00:12:03,750 --> 00:12:00,880 phyllosilicate called smectite 318 00:12:06,069 --> 00:12:03,760 and that smektite forms in the presence 319 00:12:08,310 --> 00:12:06,079 of water we know that in addition 320 00:12:10,710 --> 00:12:08,320 we have evidence of salts like halite 321 00:12:12,389 --> 00:12:10,720 and calcium sulfates rather than iron or 322 00:12:15,509 --> 00:12:12,399 magnesium sulfates that were found at 323 00:12:19,269 --> 00:12:15,519 meridiani and this suggests that the the 324 00:12:21,509 --> 00:12:19,279 water was uh relatively neutral ph uh 325 00:12:23,190 --> 00:12:21,519 and uh in other words it was a potential 326 00:12:25,190 --> 00:12:23,200 habitable environment 327 00:12:27,509 --> 00:12:25,200 so all of this is what mineralogy can 328 00:12:28,389 --> 00:12:27,519 tell you from an ancient surface that's 329 00:12:30,550 --> 00:12:28,399 uh 330 00:12:32,870 --> 00:12:30,560 billions of years old so the next 331 00:12:35,269 --> 00:12:32,880 graphic uh shows you what we think a 332 00:12:38,150 --> 00:12:35,279 good terrestrial analog is for this 333 00:12:40,310 --> 00:12:38,160 material we found in yellowknife bay the 334 00:12:42,310 --> 00:12:40,320 left image shows a clay bearing sediment 335 00:12:43,590 --> 00:12:42,320 deposited in a lake bed in southern 336 00:12:45,350 --> 00:12:43,600 australia 337 00:12:47,509 --> 00:12:45,360 and on the right you see a core of the 338 00:12:49,590 --> 00:12:47,519 sediment and the different layers in the 339 00:12:51,829 --> 00:12:49,600 core represent 340 00:12:55,190 --> 00:12:51,839 different changes in mineral composition 341 00:12:58,069 --> 00:12:55,200 as the lake sediment was deposited 342 00:13:01,269 --> 00:12:58,079 and with that i'll let paul talk about 343 00:13:02,470 --> 00:13:01,279 what the sam instrument found 344 00:13:04,870 --> 00:13:02,480 thanks dave 345 00:13:06,550 --> 00:13:04,880 just delighted to show you some 346 00:13:08,790 --> 00:13:06,560 results from sam 347 00:13:11,350 --> 00:13:08,800 uh and i'm going to explain a little bit 348 00:13:12,470 --> 00:13:11,360 about how we did this fairly complex 349 00:13:14,310 --> 00:13:12,480 experiment 350 00:13:16,150 --> 00:13:14,320 but i thought it would be fun to bring 351 00:13:17,990 --> 00:13:16,160 along what's a 352 00:13:20,629 --> 00:13:18,000 full-size scale 353 00:13:22,310 --> 00:13:20,639 model of 354 00:13:23,590 --> 00:13:22,320 sam the sample analysis of mars 355 00:13:25,269 --> 00:13:23,600 experiment 356 00:13:27,750 --> 00:13:25,279 sam and kevin are both buried deep 357 00:13:30,069 --> 00:13:27,760 inside of a curiosity so in these kind 358 00:13:31,829 --> 00:13:30,079 of beautiful 359 00:13:34,389 --> 00:13:31,839 self-portraits that 360 00:13:36,069 --> 00:13:34,399 ken edgett's camera takes of curiosity 361 00:13:38,069 --> 00:13:36,079 you don't see much of salmon come in we 362 00:13:39,590 --> 00:13:38,079 have a test bed up at goddard 363 00:13:41,350 --> 00:13:39,600 you don't see much of it either because 364 00:13:43,030 --> 00:13:41,360 it's an environmental chamber it's it's 365 00:13:45,189 --> 00:13:43,040 buried deep inside 366 00:13:46,629 --> 00:13:45,199 an environment that represents mars so 367 00:13:47,750 --> 00:13:46,639 here we've kind of taken away the 368 00:13:50,790 --> 00:13:47,760 aluminum 369 00:13:52,069 --> 00:13:50,800 paneling and put on plexiglass and and 370 00:13:54,310 --> 00:13:52,079 made a model 371 00:13:55,910 --> 00:13:54,320 and where the experiment starts that i'm 372 00:13:58,629 --> 00:13:55,920 going to describe 373 00:14:00,790 --> 00:13:58,639 we have just a little bit of sample 374 00:14:04,310 --> 00:14:00,800 located inside 375 00:14:05,750 --> 00:14:04,320 a sam cup and i went last night into amy 376 00:14:07,750 --> 00:14:05,760 mcadams lab 377 00:14:10,710 --> 00:14:07,760 up at goddard and and dug around and 378 00:14:12,389 --> 00:14:10,720 found some nontrinite which is a clay 379 00:14:14,069 --> 00:14:12,399 mineral of the type that we're going to 380 00:14:16,069 --> 00:14:14,079 be talking about today 381 00:14:19,269 --> 00:14:16,079 and i there's a scale in there and i 382 00:14:21,590 --> 00:14:19,279 weighed out uh 45 thousandths of a gram 383 00:14:24,550 --> 00:14:21,600 of that stuff because that's about the 384 00:14:26,710 --> 00:14:24,560 amount that was was in our sam cup uh 385 00:14:28,310 --> 00:14:26,720 when we analyzed it so that's where the 386 00:14:29,990 --> 00:14:28,320 story of this analysis that i'm going to 387 00:14:32,069 --> 00:14:30,000 tell you starts 388 00:14:33,990 --> 00:14:32,079 we have the sample in the cup and sam we 389 00:14:36,069 --> 00:14:34,000 have loaded it the previous sole the 390 00:14:37,269 --> 00:14:36,079 previous day and we're ready to do our 391 00:14:39,590 --> 00:14:37,279 analysis 392 00:14:42,310 --> 00:14:39,600 so it's night on mars the rover's gone 393 00:14:44,949 --> 00:14:42,320 to sleep uh sam's kind of a night owl we 394 00:14:46,790 --> 00:14:44,959 like to operate at night and 395 00:14:49,189 --> 00:14:46,800 nobody else there to bother us but it's 396 00:14:50,949 --> 00:14:49,199 also a good thermal environment for some 397 00:14:54,230 --> 00:14:50,959 of the instruments to operate 398 00:14:55,910 --> 00:14:54,240 and so we had put the sample 399 00:14:56,790 --> 00:14:55,920 in the cup 400 00:14:58,949 --> 00:14:56,800 through 401 00:15:01,030 --> 00:14:58,959 this little inlet tube this vibrates as 402 00:15:03,430 --> 00:15:01,040 the sample is going into the cup and 403 00:15:04,389 --> 00:15:03,440 then the sample manipula manipulation 404 00:15:05,750 --> 00:15:04,399 system 405 00:15:08,870 --> 00:15:05,760 developed by our collaborators at 406 00:15:11,430 --> 00:15:08,880 honeybee robotics is 407 00:15:13,829 --> 00:15:11,440 is can be seen down here 408 00:15:16,629 --> 00:15:13,839 and it turns out that the way the sample 409 00:15:19,670 --> 00:15:16,639 gets to the oven is this little carousel 410 00:15:23,030 --> 00:15:19,680 rotates the samples dropped into the cup 411 00:15:25,350 --> 00:15:23,040 the oven the the quartz cup moves over 412 00:15:27,509 --> 00:15:25,360 and then it raises into into the oven a 413 00:15:29,269 --> 00:15:27,519 very small oven where we take the sample 414 00:15:30,470 --> 00:15:29,279 up to the maximum temperature that i'll 415 00:15:32,310 --> 00:15:30,480 show you 416 00:15:34,150 --> 00:15:32,320 and what we do then is we start heating 417 00:15:36,470 --> 00:15:34,160 up the oven we get a flow of helium 418 00:15:38,389 --> 00:15:36,480 going over the sample we heat up the 419 00:15:40,790 --> 00:15:38,399 oven and then with the mass spectrometer 420 00:15:42,389 --> 00:15:40,800 which is right in this area we sniff a 421 00:15:44,230 --> 00:15:42,399 little bit of that gas 422 00:15:46,389 --> 00:15:44,240 and we measure the the chemical 423 00:15:48,949 --> 00:15:46,399 constituents that come off 424 00:15:50,710 --> 00:15:48,959 and as we do that we capture a little 425 00:15:52,389 --> 00:15:50,720 bit of gas in our tunable laser 426 00:15:53,670 --> 00:15:52,399 spectrometer that was developed by chris 427 00:15:55,110 --> 00:15:53,680 webster's team 428 00:15:57,910 --> 00:15:55,120 out at jpl 429 00:16:00,710 --> 00:15:57,920 and we capture a little bit more of the 430 00:16:03,030 --> 00:16:00,720 gas in a hydrocarbon trap because one of 431 00:16:04,710 --> 00:16:03,040 our objectives of this experiment really 432 00:16:07,509 --> 00:16:04,720 is to search for organic compounds on 433 00:16:09,430 --> 00:16:07,519 mars and we later will send this gas to 434 00:16:10,790 --> 00:16:09,440 the gas chromatograph 435 00:16:13,189 --> 00:16:10,800 i think i have a button here that will 436 00:16:14,870 --> 00:16:13,199 make one of one of the columns light up 437 00:16:17,430 --> 00:16:14,880 and then the gas goes through those 438 00:16:19,350 --> 00:16:17,440 columns and the individual constituents 439 00:16:20,949 --> 00:16:19,360 come out one by one and then back into 440 00:16:24,230 --> 00:16:20,959 the mass spectrometer through a back 441 00:16:25,829 --> 00:16:24,240 door and again we we analyze uh what 442 00:16:27,829 --> 00:16:25,839 mars is made of 443 00:16:31,670 --> 00:16:27,839 and so if you go to the first graphic uh 444 00:16:33,829 --> 00:16:31,680 we'll show you some of the data 445 00:16:35,269 --> 00:16:33,839 and this really is just picking out the 446 00:16:38,150 --> 00:16:35,279 five uh 447 00:16:40,629 --> 00:16:38,160 major gases that were evolved from the 448 00:16:43,030 --> 00:16:40,639 sample and let's start with what's 449 00:16:45,670 --> 00:16:43,040 labeled water on top but the 450 00:16:46,949 --> 00:16:45,680 mass that we're monitoring that is mass 451 00:16:49,030 --> 00:16:46,959 18 452 00:16:50,870 --> 00:16:49,040 that's the signature of water and you 453 00:16:52,710 --> 00:16:50,880 see the temperature scale on the bottom 454 00:16:54,550 --> 00:16:52,720 going all the way up to 1500 degrees 455 00:16:57,030 --> 00:16:54,560 fahrenheit in this case 456 00:16:59,430 --> 00:16:57,040 and that water is coming off at really 457 00:17:01,910 --> 00:16:59,440 high temperature and that's exactly 458 00:17:03,749 --> 00:17:01,920 characteristic of these smektite clays 459 00:17:06,630 --> 00:17:03,759 and it's very good confirmation of what 460 00:17:08,710 --> 00:17:06,640 the chemin saw uh we really do have 461 00:17:10,309 --> 00:17:08,720 clays here and about thirty percent of 462 00:17:12,069 --> 00:17:10,319 the water that's coming off is that is 463 00:17:14,069 --> 00:17:12,079 that high temperature water 464 00:17:16,470 --> 00:17:14,079 uh go down to the lower left you'll see 465 00:17:18,630 --> 00:17:16,480 a blue trace that's oxygen we've we've 466 00:17:21,110 --> 00:17:18,640 blown it up by about a factor of of 10 467 00:17:24,390 --> 00:17:21,120 in this case for illustration and we did 468 00:17:25,829 --> 00:17:24,400 see some oxygen at a rock nest dust pile 469 00:17:28,470 --> 00:17:25,839 and we attributed that to the 470 00:17:30,870 --> 00:17:28,480 decomposition of a perchlorate which is 471 00:17:32,710 --> 00:17:30,880 pretty interesting it looks like there's 472 00:17:33,830 --> 00:17:32,720 very likely some perchlorate here as 473 00:17:36,230 --> 00:17:33,840 well 474 00:17:39,350 --> 00:17:36,240 the the red peak is likewise carbon 475 00:17:40,549 --> 00:17:39,360 dioxide the carbon dioxide is produced 476 00:17:42,549 --> 00:17:40,559 either from 477 00:17:45,909 --> 00:17:42,559 oxygen reacting with carbon in the 478 00:17:47,750 --> 00:17:45,919 sample and making this carbon dioxide or 479 00:17:50,070 --> 00:17:47,760 really the other alternative is a 480 00:17:51,990 --> 00:17:50,080 decomposition of a carbonate and both of 481 00:17:54,470 --> 00:17:52,000 those possibilities are just fascinating 482 00:17:57,750 --> 00:17:54,480 so that's what we'll be uh pursuing as 483 00:18:00,070 --> 00:17:57,760 we as we progress with new samples and 484 00:18:00,870 --> 00:18:00,080 so on and then finally in the bottom 485 00:18:02,710 --> 00:18:00,880 right 486 00:18:07,190 --> 00:18:02,720 at higher temperatures 487 00:18:10,310 --> 00:18:07,200 you see masses labeled 64 and and 34 488 00:18:12,390 --> 00:18:10,320 and those represent an oxidized and a 489 00:18:15,669 --> 00:18:12,400 reduced form of sulfur they represent 490 00:18:19,430 --> 00:18:15,679 respectively sulfur dioxide and hydrogen 491 00:18:20,630 --> 00:18:19,440 sulfide and so that's just fascinating 492 00:18:23,909 --> 00:18:20,640 we have 493 00:18:26,789 --> 00:18:23,919 both oxidized and much more than in this 494 00:18:28,630 --> 00:18:26,799 atmospheric dust much more reduced 495 00:18:30,549 --> 00:18:28,640 sulfur there as well 496 00:18:33,029 --> 00:18:30,559 what the tunable laser spectrometer was 497 00:18:34,950 --> 00:18:33,039 doing in the meantime in this experiment 498 00:18:37,909 --> 00:18:34,960 was measuring the deuterium to hydrogen 499 00:18:40,470 --> 00:18:37,919 ratio in water and a very interesting 500 00:18:42,630 --> 00:18:40,480 observation we had measured a very high 501 00:18:45,430 --> 00:18:42,640 deuterium hydrogen ratio 502 00:18:48,710 --> 00:18:45,440 in water evolved from the dust and we 503 00:18:50,870 --> 00:18:48,720 understand that as being a signature of 504 00:18:53,350 --> 00:18:50,880 a good fraction of 505 00:18:54,710 --> 00:18:53,360 water having been lost from the mars 506 00:18:56,470 --> 00:18:54,720 atmosphere 507 00:18:58,470 --> 00:18:56,480 over geological time 508 00:19:01,430 --> 00:18:58,480 and in this sample we see just the 509 00:19:03,909 --> 00:19:01,440 lowest uh deuterium to hydrogen ratio 510 00:19:05,350 --> 00:19:03,919 that we've seen in evolved gas so far 511 00:19:07,190 --> 00:19:05,360 and uh so that's something we're 512 00:19:10,150 --> 00:19:07,200 definitely going to be pursuing as as we 513 00:19:12,789 --> 00:19:10,160 go forward uh with other samples uh so 514 00:19:15,830 --> 00:19:12,799 go to the the uh next us 515 00:19:19,830 --> 00:19:15,840 slide and here's what the 516 00:19:22,710 --> 00:19:19,840 search for organics uh is looking like 517 00:19:24,789 --> 00:19:22,720 the data looks like uh 518 00:19:26,710 --> 00:19:24,799 signatures of mass to charge just as i 519 00:19:28,310 --> 00:19:26,720 showed in the previous time but here 520 00:19:30,630 --> 00:19:28,320 these compounds are coming out of the 521 00:19:32,470 --> 00:19:30,640 end of the gas chromatograph column and 522 00:19:35,190 --> 00:19:32,480 here we see two compounds that we 523 00:19:38,310 --> 00:19:35,200 actually had also detected uh at rock 524 00:19:41,110 --> 00:19:38,320 nest a very simple uh chloromethane and 525 00:19:42,789 --> 00:19:41,120 dichloromethane compounds and it looks 526 00:19:44,549 --> 00:19:42,799 like they're above the background level 527 00:19:46,390 --> 00:19:44,559 it looks like they're there 528 00:19:49,190 --> 00:19:46,400 we have to be very careful at this point 529 00:19:51,669 --> 00:19:49,200 in in interpretation this was the very 530 00:19:53,990 --> 00:19:51,679 first sample that had gone through the 531 00:19:55,909 --> 00:19:54,000 curiosity drill and so there's always a 532 00:19:56,710 --> 00:19:55,919 possibility that some residual carbon 533 00:19:58,950 --> 00:19:56,720 that 534 00:20:00,470 --> 00:19:58,960 was on the drill bit made its way into 535 00:20:01,750 --> 00:20:00,480 the sample so we're really looking 536 00:20:03,909 --> 00:20:01,760 forward to 537 00:20:06,230 --> 00:20:03,919 repeating this experiment and seeing if 538 00:20:08,149 --> 00:20:06,240 the signatures of simple chloromethane 539 00:20:10,390 --> 00:20:08,159 compounds uh persist 540 00:20:11,990 --> 00:20:10,400 so the really good news is the the 541 00:20:14,230 --> 00:20:12,000 instrument is just working beautifully 542 00:20:16,549 --> 00:20:14,240 it's a credit to the to the very 543 00:20:18,549 --> 00:20:16,559 talented team that worked hard on not 544 00:20:20,630 --> 00:20:18,559 only making this stuff but making it 545 00:20:22,950 --> 00:20:20,640 robust and making it work in this very 546 00:20:24,630 --> 00:20:22,960 difficult environment on mars so with 547 00:20:27,190 --> 00:20:24,640 that i'll turn it back to john for some 548 00:20:29,029 --> 00:20:27,200 additional comments great thanks paul so 549 00:20:31,110 --> 00:20:29,039 what i'd like to do now is sort of set 550 00:20:33,830 --> 00:20:31,120 the stage a little bit for what we view 551 00:20:35,750 --> 00:20:33,840 in this mission as the transition from 552 00:20:37,110 --> 00:20:35,760 the original goal a decade ago of the 553 00:20:39,270 --> 00:20:37,120 search for water 554 00:20:41,430 --> 00:20:39,280 on mars to now the search for habitable 555 00:20:43,350 --> 00:20:41,440 environments on mars and if we go to the 556 00:20:45,669 --> 00:20:43,360 first display item there 557 00:20:47,590 --> 00:20:45,679 uh what we can see are two two rocks 558 00:20:49,750 --> 00:20:47,600 separated by a decade of research the 559 00:20:50,710 --> 00:20:49,760 one on the left is from the opportunity 560 00:20:54,950 --> 00:20:50,720 rover 561 00:20:57,909 --> 00:20:54,960 uh back in in 2004 a rock called watmey 562 00:21:00,310 --> 00:20:57,919 uh and what you see here is a rock these 563 00:21:01,909 --> 00:21:00,320 images have been processed by mike malin 564 00:21:04,070 --> 00:21:01,919 and jim bell with what's called white 565 00:21:06,310 --> 00:21:04,080 balance and that helps bring out our 566 00:21:07,669 --> 00:21:06,320 terrestrial intuition to to sort of get 567 00:21:09,750 --> 00:21:07,679 a sense of what these rocks would look 568 00:21:11,830 --> 00:21:09,760 like if they were on earth the one on 569 00:21:14,470 --> 00:21:11,840 the left is is basically from the 570 00:21:16,870 --> 00:21:14,480 sequence of rocks at meridiani planum a 571 00:21:18,630 --> 00:21:16,880 rock that is reasonably fine grained the 572 00:21:21,270 --> 00:21:18,640 the particles were either formed in 573 00:21:23,990 --> 00:21:21,280 water or transported in water it was 574 00:21:26,149 --> 00:21:24,000 then cemented uh in water converted from 575 00:21:27,669 --> 00:21:26,159 sediment into rock and then after that 576 00:21:29,590 --> 00:21:27,679 it was fractured and then some of the 577 00:21:31,909 --> 00:21:29,600 fractures were filled in with what looks 578 00:21:34,230 --> 00:21:31,919 like a relatively uh 579 00:21:35,590 --> 00:21:34,240 uh thin material in this particular rock 580 00:21:37,510 --> 00:21:35,600 but you see all the bumps sticking out 581 00:21:39,590 --> 00:21:37,520 those are the famous blueberries these 582 00:21:41,430 --> 00:21:39,600 things we know are concretions well it 583 00:21:44,549 --> 00:21:41,440 turns out these things are turning up on 584 00:21:47,190 --> 00:21:44,559 mars and here on the right is our rock 585 00:21:50,390 --> 00:21:47,200 uh in the yellowknife bay area called 586 00:21:51,990 --> 00:21:50,400 sheep bed uh unit we've named it and 587 00:21:54,390 --> 00:21:52,000 again you can see it approximately has 588 00:21:56,470 --> 00:21:54,400 the same color on the surface uh it's 589 00:21:59,270 --> 00:21:56,480 laced with these features that look like 590 00:22:00,950 --> 00:21:59,280 concretions to us and the big difference 591 00:22:03,190 --> 00:22:00,960 is is that you can see in that rock that 592 00:22:04,630 --> 00:22:03,200 it has a white vein fill uh running 593 00:22:06,789 --> 00:22:04,640 through it that's the thing that chemcam 594 00:22:09,350 --> 00:22:06,799 first hit and told us that there were 595 00:22:11,350 --> 00:22:09,360 probably sulfates here so texturally you 596 00:22:13,110 --> 00:22:11,360 see rocks that were transported in water 597 00:22:15,830 --> 00:22:13,120 formed in water cemented and watered 598 00:22:17,510 --> 00:22:15,840 altered in water and uh but that's what 599 00:22:19,270 --> 00:22:17,520 you get on the surface and so what we 600 00:22:21,350 --> 00:22:19,280 need to do is scratch below the surface 601 00:22:23,510 --> 00:22:21,360 and if you go to the next one 602 00:22:24,710 --> 00:22:23,520 this is what a decade of of engineering 603 00:22:26,870 --> 00:22:24,720 gives you 604 00:22:29,270 --> 00:22:26,880 on the left there's a rock that was one 605 00:22:32,230 --> 00:22:29,280 of the first rocks that we ever uh 606 00:22:35,029 --> 00:22:32,240 interacted with it at mertiani uh with 607 00:22:37,750 --> 00:22:35,039 the rat rock abrasion tool and on the 608 00:22:39,350 --> 00:22:37,760 right we have the uh the drill hole uh 609 00:22:41,510 --> 00:22:39,360 from from curiosity and the drill hole 610 00:22:43,830 --> 00:22:41,520 is about one-third of the size of of the 611 00:22:46,390 --> 00:22:43,840 rat hole there on the left but the big 612 00:22:48,070 --> 00:22:46,400 story is in the powder that's generated 613 00:22:49,830 --> 00:22:48,080 and so as we learned at meridiani we 614 00:22:52,630 --> 00:22:49,840 have a rock that is composed 615 00:22:54,630 --> 00:22:52,640 significantly of hematite in addition to 616 00:22:56,789 --> 00:22:54,640 these sulfates iron bearing sulfates 617 00:22:59,669 --> 00:22:56,799 that indicate very acidic waters on the 618 00:23:02,070 --> 00:22:59,679 right we get to see the newmars the grey 619 00:23:04,070 --> 00:23:02,080 mars uh that one that suggests uh 620 00:23:07,270 --> 00:23:04,080 habitability that has these clays and 621 00:23:10,310 --> 00:23:07,280 other under other minerals present 622 00:23:12,310 --> 00:23:10,320 so what then do we mean by habitability 623 00:23:15,110 --> 00:23:12,320 the key thing here is an environment 624 00:23:17,430 --> 00:23:15,120 that a a microbe could have lived in and 625 00:23:19,029 --> 00:23:17,440 maybe even prospered in so there's three 626 00:23:21,909 --> 00:23:19,039 things that we want to point out today 627 00:23:23,669 --> 00:23:21,919 that that dave and paul have shown you 628 00:23:25,990 --> 00:23:23,679 and the first issue comes down to 629 00:23:28,230 --> 00:23:26,000 acidity we don't see any of the evidence 630 00:23:30,390 --> 00:23:28,240 that we have here the rock on the left 631 00:23:32,390 --> 00:23:30,400 the one from meridiani it's totally 632 00:23:33,830 --> 00:23:32,400 different in the subsurface in this rock 633 00:23:36,549 --> 00:23:33,840 on the right we have the clay minerals 634 00:23:39,190 --> 00:23:36,559 which form a neutral ph we don't see the 635 00:23:41,830 --> 00:23:39,200 iron sulfates which indicate acid ph 636 00:23:43,669 --> 00:23:41,840 instead we see calcium sulfate this rock 637 00:23:45,590 --> 00:23:43,679 quite frankly looks like a typical thing 638 00:23:48,230 --> 00:23:45,600 that we would get on earth and it's a 639 00:23:50,710 --> 00:23:48,240 neutral ph environment and i think 640 00:23:52,950 --> 00:23:50,720 everybody has a sense of what acidity 641 00:23:55,990 --> 00:23:52,960 means but there are some microbes that 642 00:23:58,630 --> 00:23:56,000 exist at very very low phs but wait 643 00:24:00,870 --> 00:23:58,640 there's more and the second point is 644 00:24:02,630 --> 00:24:00,880 water activity this is how much 645 00:24:05,029 --> 00:24:02,640 available water there was for a 646 00:24:06,870 --> 00:24:05,039 microorganism to live in its environment 647 00:24:09,669 --> 00:24:06,880 so with that i'm going to pull out a 648 00:24:11,510 --> 00:24:09,679 prop here it's a jar of honey 649 00:24:14,390 --> 00:24:11,520 everybody always wonders why it is the 650 00:24:16,070 --> 00:24:14,400 solution of of water and sugar can last 651 00:24:18,390 --> 00:24:16,080 on the shelf forever and ever without 652 00:24:20,149 --> 00:24:18,400 spoiling and the reason why is that even 653 00:24:21,750 --> 00:24:20,159 though there's a lot of water in this 654 00:24:23,590 --> 00:24:21,760 honey there's not enough that's 655 00:24:26,149 --> 00:24:23,600 available for a microorganism and if a 656 00:24:27,750 --> 00:24:26,159 microorganism winds up in here all the 657 00:24:29,750 --> 00:24:27,760 water will be sucked out of the cell 658 00:24:32,149 --> 00:24:29,760 it's this thing called osmosis the 659 00:24:33,909 --> 00:24:32,159 organism won't be able to live turns out 660 00:24:35,510 --> 00:24:33,919 the rock on the left there that's what 661 00:24:37,269 --> 00:24:35,520 we think happened at meridiani but 662 00:24:40,149 --> 00:24:37,279 instead of sugar we had a salt called 663 00:24:41,990 --> 00:24:40,159 magnesium sulfate and there was so much 664 00:24:43,669 --> 00:24:42,000 of it that it would have inhibited 665 00:24:46,070 --> 00:24:43,679 microorganisms to live there that was 666 00:24:47,750 --> 00:24:46,080 not a habitable environment and then 667 00:24:49,590 --> 00:24:47,760 there's one more thing that we're really 668 00:24:52,630 --> 00:24:49,600 excited about that we 669 00:24:53,510 --> 00:24:52,640 that we found at mertiani sorry at 670 00:24:56,310 --> 00:24:53,520 gale 671 00:24:58,070 --> 00:24:56,320 and uh it's a battery and basically 672 00:24:59,830 --> 00:24:58,080 these minerals that dave and paul were 673 00:25:01,190 --> 00:24:59,840 telling you about they're effectively 674 00:25:03,430 --> 00:25:01,200 like batteries 675 00:25:05,990 --> 00:25:03,440 some of them are negatively charged and 676 00:25:07,510 --> 00:25:06,000 they have various oxidation states and 677 00:25:09,269 --> 00:25:07,520 what we have learned in the last 20 678 00:25:12,390 --> 00:25:09,279 years of modern microbiology is that 679 00:25:15,350 --> 00:25:12,400 very primitive organisms they can derive 680 00:25:17,830 --> 00:25:15,360 energy just by feeding on rocks so when 681 00:25:20,789 --> 00:25:17,840 paul talks about sulfate versus sulfide 682 00:25:22,310 --> 00:25:20,799 and dave talks about clays and magnetite 683 00:25:24,230 --> 00:25:22,320 these are the kind of things that tell 684 00:25:26,149 --> 00:25:24,240 you that there could have been a flow of 685 00:25:28,870 --> 00:25:26,159 electrons in the environment just like 686 00:25:30,549 --> 00:25:28,880 on this battery you hook up the wires 687 00:25:32,710 --> 00:25:30,559 and it goes to the light bulb and the 688 00:25:34,390 --> 00:25:32,720 light bulb turns on that's kind of what 689 00:25:36,470 --> 00:25:34,400 a microorganism would have done in this 690 00:25:38,630 --> 00:25:36,480 environment if life had ever evolved on 691 00:25:40,870 --> 00:25:38,640 mars and if it was present here so 692 00:25:43,190 --> 00:25:40,880 that's what we mean by habitability take 693 00:25:45,190 --> 00:25:43,200 all three of those factors and to really 694 00:25:47,590 --> 00:25:45,200 understand that that's that's what 695 00:25:48,789 --> 00:25:47,600 that's what we built this payload for 696 00:25:51,510 --> 00:25:48,799 and that's what we feel that we've 697 00:25:53,510 --> 00:25:51,520 succeeded at and so with that i'll turn 698 00:25:54,630 --> 00:25:53,520 it back to dwayne thank you gentlemen 699 00:25:56,310 --> 00:25:54,640 okay we're going to open it up for 700 00:25:58,230 --> 00:25:56,320 questions that normally i would start 701 00:25:59,830 --> 00:25:58,240 here in washington but we're going to go 702 00:26:01,350 --> 00:25:59,840 out to the west coast first and then 703 00:26:07,110 --> 00:26:01,360 come back to the jet propulsion 704 00:26:12,070 --> 00:26:10,470 hi how's it going nbc in los angeles so 705 00:26:14,230 --> 00:26:12,080 can you talk to me a little bit about 706 00:26:16,630 --> 00:26:14,240 the area where the rock was found 707 00:26:21,830 --> 00:26:16,640 what would it have been like uh in 708 00:26:25,590 --> 00:26:23,430 okay so what we imagined it would have 709 00:26:28,149 --> 00:26:25,600 looked like was the picture that dave 710 00:26:30,870 --> 00:26:28,159 showed uh we feel is a pretty good 711 00:26:33,909 --> 00:26:30,880 representation uh it's it's conservative 712 00:26:36,470 --> 00:26:33,919 in the sense that it shows a a lake bed 713 00:26:38,870 --> 00:26:36,480 that's dry the lake bed was filled by 714 00:26:40,870 --> 00:26:38,880 sediment derived from streams 715 00:26:43,430 --> 00:26:40,880 uh but we don't know how long lived it 716 00:26:44,789 --> 00:26:43,440 was and and so that's always a challenge 717 00:26:46,470 --> 00:26:44,799 we've got on mars it's not like the 718 00:26:48,710 --> 00:26:46,480 rocks come with numbers on them to tell 719 00:26:51,269 --> 00:26:48,720 you how long the water was there or how 720 00:26:53,190 --> 00:26:51,279 much there was there ultimately but we 721 00:26:55,350 --> 00:26:53,200 believe that that we wound up in the 722 00:26:57,830 --> 00:26:55,360 sheep bed unit at a place that was that 723 00:26:59,430 --> 00:26:57,840 was wet uh for a relatively long period 724 00:27:06,549 --> 00:26:59,440 of time enough for all these these 725 00:27:09,830 --> 00:27:07,750 okay we're going to canal we're going to 726 00:27:11,990 --> 00:27:09,840 come back to uh nasa headquarters any 727 00:27:15,269 --> 00:27:12,000 questions from a media in in the front 728 00:27:19,190 --> 00:27:16,549 okay so 729 00:27:20,789 --> 00:27:19,200 what what i will do then is let's go to 730 00:27:22,310 --> 00:27:20,799 our social media 731 00:27:23,669 --> 00:27:22,320 uh community 732 00:27:30,230 --> 00:27:23,679 for a couple of questions that have come 733 00:27:32,549 --> 00:27:31,430 before and 734 00:27:34,230 --> 00:27:32,559 then we're going to go to allen boyle 735 00:27:35,990 --> 00:27:34,240 but let me let me take the social media 736 00:27:38,389 --> 00:27:36,000 question first um 737 00:27:41,990 --> 00:27:38,399 clear nasa knows how to build rovers 738 00:27:46,789 --> 00:27:42,000 what will the 2020 rover look like or be 739 00:27:52,230 --> 00:27:47,909 one of the things that we're playing 740 00:27:55,430 --> 00:27:52,240 with the 2020 rover uh we now have 741 00:27:57,510 --> 00:27:55,440 a great capability in the entry descent 742 00:27:59,750 --> 00:27:57,520 and landing system and the rover system 743 00:28:00,549 --> 00:27:59,760 that we built for curiosity 744 00:28:02,630 --> 00:28:00,559 we 745 00:28:05,350 --> 00:28:02,640 want to use as much of that as possible 746 00:28:09,190 --> 00:28:05,360 in the 2020 rover and so the approach 747 00:28:10,230 --> 00:28:09,200 that we're taking is to use that 748 00:28:13,350 --> 00:28:10,240 descent 749 00:28:14,470 --> 00:28:13,360 landing capability and the rover as a 750 00:28:17,750 --> 00:28:14,480 platform 751 00:28:19,510 --> 00:28:17,760 for the for the 2020 mission but we're 752 00:28:22,070 --> 00:28:19,520 going to populate it with new 753 00:28:24,230 --> 00:28:22,080 instruments and new capabilities may be 754 00:28:26,710 --> 00:28:24,240 in the arm and for instance maybe doing 755 00:28:28,549 --> 00:28:26,720 coreness drilling so that's sort of in 756 00:28:31,029 --> 00:28:28,559 the mix but we're going to start with 757 00:28:33,269 --> 00:28:31,039 the basic rover and a system to get it 758 00:28:36,630 --> 00:28:33,279 to the surface safely and because of 759 00:28:40,070 --> 00:28:38,549 let's say not have to do a lot of the 760 00:28:42,470 --> 00:28:40,080 engineering development that was 761 00:28:44,470 --> 00:28:42,480 required for curiosity save a fair 762 00:28:46,630 --> 00:28:44,480 amount of money and get also a very 763 00:28:49,430 --> 00:28:46,640 capable rover system to the surface of 764 00:28:51,110 --> 00:28:49,440 mars with the newest and best 765 00:28:52,870 --> 00:28:51,120 instruments that we have available at 766 00:28:54,470 --> 00:28:52,880 the time 767 00:28:56,950 --> 00:28:54,480 okay now let's go to the phone lines and 768 00:28:59,590 --> 00:28:56,960 i believe we have alan boyle up uh first 769 00:29:02,950 --> 00:28:59,600 in the queue alan 770 00:29:05,430 --> 00:29:02,960 hi thank you uh alan ball from nbc news 771 00:29:07,909 --> 00:29:05,440 i just had a general question about 772 00:29:08,950 --> 00:29:07,919 uh how do you feel 773 00:29:11,750 --> 00:29:08,960 that 774 00:29:13,669 --> 00:29:11,760 it sounds like you're all excited about 775 00:29:18,230 --> 00:29:13,679 this and and do you feel like it's 776 00:29:20,389 --> 00:29:18,240 mission accomplished what went into uh 777 00:29:22,230 --> 00:29:20,399 nailing down these sorts of results can 778 00:29:25,430 --> 00:29:22,240 you describe a little bit of the emotion 779 00:29:28,389 --> 00:29:25,440 behind the process thank you 780 00:29:30,710 --> 00:29:28,399 well i'll i'll start with um 781 00:29:33,750 --> 00:29:30,720 sort of the whole idea of where to land 782 00:29:36,549 --> 00:29:33,760 on mars with this tremendous asset 783 00:29:39,750 --> 00:29:36,559 uh when it came down to it we narrowed 784 00:29:42,149 --> 00:29:39,760 the uh our landing sites down to four 785 00:29:43,750 --> 00:29:42,159 and all of them looked really good and 786 00:29:45,430 --> 00:29:43,760 as you might imagine 787 00:29:46,470 --> 00:29:45,440 every single scientist had their 788 00:29:49,430 --> 00:29:46,480 favorite 789 00:29:51,110 --> 00:29:49,440 and so we had four major contenders and 790 00:29:53,669 --> 00:29:51,120 i kept on thinking now that we picked 791 00:29:54,389 --> 00:29:53,679 curio that we picked gale crater to go 792 00:29:57,830 --> 00:29:54,399 to 793 00:30:00,230 --> 00:29:57,840 that the odds are 20 that are 75 that we 794 00:30:02,789 --> 00:30:00,240 picked the wrong place to go 795 00:30:04,950 --> 00:30:02,799 well you can imagine relief landing 796 00:30:07,830 --> 00:30:04,960 there and then almost right off the bat 797 00:30:10,950 --> 00:30:07,840 we do find evidence of water we see a 798 00:30:12,789 --> 00:30:10,960 ancient riverbed we're now finding a 799 00:30:14,950 --> 00:30:12,799 environment in the near subsurface you 800 00:30:17,909 --> 00:30:14,960 know not too far beneath the oxidized 801 00:30:18,950 --> 00:30:17,919 layer of finding sort of a neutral 802 00:30:20,789 --> 00:30:18,960 rock 803 00:30:23,350 --> 00:30:20,799 all the things that we were really 804 00:30:25,750 --> 00:30:23,360 hoping for to find a place that could 805 00:30:27,590 --> 00:30:25,760 have been habitable in its past so as 806 00:30:30,070 --> 00:30:27,600 far as as far as i'm concerned this is 807 00:30:31,909 --> 00:30:30,080 fantastic all the rest is gravy in terms 808 00:30:33,669 --> 00:30:31,919 of how the rover's going to go about 809 00:30:34,870 --> 00:30:33,679 looking around this area because it 810 00:30:38,789 --> 00:30:34,880 definitely 811 00:30:40,549 --> 00:30:38,799 was uh all the indications of being a 812 00:30:43,830 --> 00:30:40,559 habitable environment at one point in 813 00:30:48,789 --> 00:30:47,110 i think i'll i'll add to that by uh 814 00:30:51,510 --> 00:30:48,799 adding an additional point that what 815 00:30:53,350 --> 00:30:51,520 this does now is that uh i think with 816 00:30:54,710 --> 00:30:53,360 all the planning that that michael was 817 00:30:56,630 --> 00:30:54,720 talking about going into picking the 818 00:30:59,190 --> 00:30:56,640 landing site and then effectively 819 00:31:01,350 --> 00:30:59,200 exploiting the landing site uh you know 820 00:31:03,190 --> 00:31:01,360 we had 400 team members and before we 821 00:31:05,269 --> 00:31:03,200 landed for about two months folks got 822 00:31:08,149 --> 00:31:05,279 stuck into mapping this and that helped 823 00:31:10,310 --> 00:31:08,159 us expeditiously find a place that when 824 00:31:13,110 --> 00:31:10,320 we landed no matter where we landed we 825 00:31:14,710 --> 00:31:13,120 would be able to move there and and uh 826 00:31:16,230 --> 00:31:14,720 and do the instrument checkouts and 827 00:31:17,909 --> 00:31:16,240 hopefully a good place 828 00:31:20,389 --> 00:31:17,919 i think what we can do now with the 829 00:31:22,230 --> 00:31:20,399 issue of of habitability in the bag with 830 00:31:25,509 --> 00:31:22,240 a really good habitability now we can 831 00:31:27,269 --> 00:31:25,519 undertake a more systematic search for 832 00:31:29,830 --> 00:31:27,279 a brighter carbon signal the kind of 833 00:31:31,909 --> 00:31:29,840 thing that that paul was talking about 834 00:31:34,389 --> 00:31:31,919 uh the search for organic carbon is a is 835 00:31:35,830 --> 00:31:34,399 a is an issue of this mission 836 00:31:37,430 --> 00:31:35,840 and and you want to do this as 837 00:31:39,750 --> 00:31:37,440 deliberately as possible you don't want 838 00:31:42,070 --> 00:31:39,760 to just wander around and and try stuff 839 00:31:43,830 --> 00:31:42,080 out and so we have a search engine now 840 00:31:46,070 --> 00:31:43,840 and there's three components to this as 841 00:31:47,830 --> 00:31:46,080 i've i've stressed in the past the one 842 00:31:50,230 --> 00:31:47,840 is is that the primary environment has 843 00:31:52,710 --> 00:31:50,240 to have a mechanism by by which you 844 00:31:55,029 --> 00:31:52,720 enrich whatever carbon signal is there 845 00:31:57,350 --> 00:31:55,039 whatever reason it's there you'd like to 846 00:31:59,430 --> 00:31:57,360 have a good strong signal but the 847 00:32:01,750 --> 00:31:59,440 problem is is that what you see going on 848 00:32:04,070 --> 00:32:01,760 in these images is that there's a 849 00:32:05,909 --> 00:32:04,080 process that geologists call die genetic 850 00:32:07,990 --> 00:32:05,919 digenesis and it's all this chemical 851 00:32:09,590 --> 00:32:08,000 transformation that happens sometimes 852 00:32:12,389 --> 00:32:09,600 when you make these minerals and and 853 00:32:14,389 --> 00:32:12,399 chemicals uh it they they actually use 854 00:32:16,789 --> 00:32:14,399 use the organics as part of this 855 00:32:18,470 --> 00:32:16,799 electron flow i was talking about so 856 00:32:19,990 --> 00:32:18,480 they can be degraded and then you leave 857 00:32:21,669 --> 00:32:20,000 the rock sitting around for a couple of 858 00:32:24,310 --> 00:32:21,679 billion years and it's getting bombarded 859 00:32:25,909 --> 00:32:24,320 with radiation this is not a simple 860 00:32:28,149 --> 00:32:25,919 problem and it's going to take us a 861 00:32:30,070 --> 00:32:28,159 while but i think the mission is up to 862 00:32:32,470 --> 00:32:30,080 it and and we're really excited to get 863 00:32:33,750 --> 00:32:32,480 started on that now 864 00:32:34,630 --> 00:32:33,760 maybe dave and paul want to say 865 00:32:36,070 --> 00:32:34,640 something 866 00:32:37,509 --> 00:32:36,080 well i don't know you know i think we 867 00:32:39,990 --> 00:32:37,519 really round the table with this 868 00:32:41,430 --> 00:32:40,000 analysis because uh just coming to this 869 00:32:43,669 --> 00:32:41,440 place and 870 00:32:46,230 --> 00:32:43,679 analyzing this bedrock uh finding an 871 00:32:47,830 --> 00:32:46,240 aqueous environment finding a what 872 00:32:50,549 --> 00:32:47,840 appeared to be a habitable environment 873 00:32:52,549 --> 00:32:50,559 and and with good preservation potential 874 00:32:56,389 --> 00:32:52,559 it kind of covered all the 875 00:32:58,389 --> 00:32:56,399 all the points of what i would call a a 876 00:33:00,630 --> 00:32:58,399 just an elegant sample to analyze with 877 00:33:02,470 --> 00:33:00,640 our capability so i'm really happy we 878 00:33:04,230 --> 00:33:02,480 landed at the spot 879 00:33:06,870 --> 00:33:04,240 yeah just uh 880 00:33:09,029 --> 00:33:06,880 yeah you know this is really a different 881 00:33:10,950 --> 00:33:09,039 new set of tools with chemcam on the 882 00:33:13,830 --> 00:33:10,960 mast and the survey tools we have the 883 00:33:15,509 --> 00:33:13,840 first definitive mineralogy for a range 884 00:33:16,230 --> 00:33:15,519 of minerals with chemin 885 00:33:17,590 --> 00:33:16,240 and 886 00:33:20,310 --> 00:33:17,600 you know the capabilities we've 887 00:33:22,389 --> 00:33:20,320 described with sam and you know the the 888 00:33:24,870 --> 00:33:22,399 team is just 889 00:33:27,509 --> 00:33:24,880 delighted to be waking up every morning 890 00:33:29,269 --> 00:33:27,519 and and you know looking at what's 891 00:33:31,830 --> 00:33:29,279 happening on this different planet is 892 00:33:33,830 --> 00:33:31,840 just tremendously exciting 893 00:33:36,870 --> 00:33:33,840 the next question is from dan vagano of 894 00:33:39,110 --> 00:33:36,880 usa today dan 895 00:33:40,470 --> 00:33:39,120 hi thanks dan vergano usa today i guess 896 00:33:42,630 --> 00:33:40,480 this is sir john grotzinger really 897 00:33:43,509 --> 00:33:42,640 anyone who can handle it 898 00:33:44,630 --> 00:33:43,519 uh 899 00:33:46,549 --> 00:33:44,640 in the past you seemed a little 900 00:33:48,789 --> 00:33:46,559 pessimistic about getting this kind of 901 00:33:50,470 --> 00:33:48,799 signal from this site on the first 902 00:33:53,590 --> 00:33:50,480 drilling you know what does it mean to 903 00:33:54,950 --> 00:33:53,600 have sort of pulled out these chemicals 904 00:33:58,710 --> 00:33:54,960 on this attempt about the whole 905 00:34:04,070 --> 00:34:01,269 well i i you know i think that uh if the 906 00:34:06,070 --> 00:34:04,080 pessimism you refer to is that that we 907 00:34:09,109 --> 00:34:06,080 go into this type of exploration with 908 00:34:11,349 --> 00:34:09,119 our guard up uh i think it's justified 909 00:34:13,909 --> 00:34:11,359 because you know when you land on mars 910 00:34:15,909 --> 00:34:13,919 you know strange things can happen 911 00:34:17,750 --> 00:34:15,919 and and i i think if there's a positive 912 00:34:19,430 --> 00:34:17,760 message here is that is that we're 913 00:34:21,190 --> 00:34:19,440 getting better at this and i don't think 914 00:34:24,149 --> 00:34:21,200 it's by accident i think it's the result 915 00:34:26,710 --> 00:34:24,159 of the agency having a program of 916 00:34:28,790 --> 00:34:26,720 missions that build on top of each other 917 00:34:30,389 --> 00:34:28,800 and that and that we can now be more 918 00:34:32,310 --> 00:34:30,399 predictive about what we're doing but 919 00:34:33,909 --> 00:34:32,320 you still never quite know what's going 920 00:34:35,829 --> 00:34:33,919 to happen until till we get there it 921 00:34:37,990 --> 00:34:35,839 just so happened that the environment 922 00:34:39,909 --> 00:34:38,000 that we've been exploring is is one that 923 00:34:40,790 --> 00:34:39,919 we have a lot of experience with here on 924 00:34:43,349 --> 00:34:40,800 earth 925 00:34:45,270 --> 00:34:43,359 and uh and and i and i believe that our 926 00:34:47,990 --> 00:34:45,280 science team was well prepared for that 927 00:34:49,990 --> 00:34:48,000 to really focus and and figure out where 928 00:34:51,109 --> 00:34:50,000 exactly to drive the rover but you 929 00:34:53,669 --> 00:34:51,119 always need to be careful when you're 930 00:34:57,829 --> 00:34:53,679 working on mars 931 00:35:02,470 --> 00:35:00,630 thanks delane um congratulations this is 932 00:35:05,190 --> 00:35:02,480 pretty exciting stuff you guys are 933 00:35:06,630 --> 00:35:05,200 reporting today i had two questions the 934 00:35:09,430 --> 00:35:06,640 first is 935 00:35:11,829 --> 00:35:09,440 what else needs to be done for 936 00:35:14,870 --> 00:35:11,839 analysis of the um 937 00:35:16,470 --> 00:35:14,880 of the organics to um you mentioned a 938 00:35:19,190 --> 00:35:16,480 little bit about that 939 00:35:20,950 --> 00:35:19,200 the the assessments were preliminary and 940 00:35:24,150 --> 00:35:20,960 then the second question probably is for 941 00:35:27,349 --> 00:35:24,160 john um i know this is not a life 942 00:35:30,470 --> 00:35:27,359 detection mission but given that you've 943 00:35:32,950 --> 00:35:30,480 scored a hole in one so early 944 00:35:36,069 --> 00:35:32,960 how much farther can you push this 945 00:35:37,750 --> 00:35:36,079 through the remaining 18 months of the 946 00:35:40,550 --> 00:35:37,760 of the 947 00:35:42,069 --> 00:35:40,560 primary mission 948 00:35:44,310 --> 00:35:42,079 well let me start with 949 00:35:47,430 --> 00:35:44,320 the organics 950 00:35:49,589 --> 00:35:47,440 we have we're planning when we had a 951 00:35:52,230 --> 00:35:49,599 pause to 952 00:35:54,069 --> 00:35:52,240 look at these software 953 00:35:56,550 --> 00:35:54,079 issues 954 00:35:59,270 --> 00:35:56,560 had planned to do two more samples 955 00:36:01,349 --> 00:35:59,280 one where we really instead of one dump 956 00:36:03,670 --> 00:36:01,359 about the size that i showed we put in 957 00:36:04,950 --> 00:36:03,680 three dumps and really try and uh 958 00:36:07,990 --> 00:36:04,960 increase the 959 00:36:09,910 --> 00:36:08,000 uh the signal from very trace compounds 960 00:36:12,390 --> 00:36:09,920 uh but what we're really looking forward 961 00:36:13,750 --> 00:36:12,400 to is getting the second drilled sample 962 00:36:16,150 --> 00:36:13,760 where we've really flushed out the 963 00:36:18,470 --> 00:36:16,160 drilling system uh accomplished two 964 00:36:20,550 --> 00:36:18,480 things number one there may be a little 965 00:36:21,910 --> 00:36:20,560 bit of residue from from rock nests 966 00:36:23,670 --> 00:36:21,920 still in there you saw it in fact the 967 00:36:26,230 --> 00:36:23,680 picture that dave showed there's a 968 00:36:28,550 --> 00:36:26,240 little bit of that coating on on the 969 00:36:30,550 --> 00:36:28,560 sample transfer chain and so we'd like 970 00:36:32,150 --> 00:36:30,560 to dilute that out further 971 00:36:35,510 --> 00:36:32,160 and uh 972 00:36:38,790 --> 00:36:35,520 then very long term uh we'll have to 973 00:36:40,710 --> 00:36:38,800 decide uh exactly when we decide to use 974 00:36:43,030 --> 00:36:40,720 uh what's our wet chemistry cups and we 975 00:36:45,030 --> 00:36:43,040 have nine of those and uh that'll be a 976 00:36:46,710 --> 00:36:45,040 very deliberate decision and we'll we'll 977 00:36:48,230 --> 00:36:46,720 not do that until we're ready but at 978 00:36:49,990 --> 00:36:48,240 some point we're really looking forward 979 00:36:52,710 --> 00:36:50,000 to doing an entirely different type of 980 00:36:55,030 --> 00:36:52,720 chemical analysis 981 00:36:56,950 --> 00:36:55,040 i guess irene the answer to the second 982 00:36:58,870 --> 00:36:56,960 half of the question is to 983 00:37:01,190 --> 00:36:58,880 underscore what you said which is that 984 00:37:02,870 --> 00:37:01,200 uh you know we're not a life detection 985 00:37:05,190 --> 00:37:02,880 mission if there was microbial 986 00:37:07,829 --> 00:37:05,200 metabolism going on we really wouldn't 987 00:37:09,589 --> 00:37:07,839 have the ability to to measure that and 988 00:37:11,829 --> 00:37:09,599 if there were ancient microfossils in 989 00:37:13,589 --> 00:37:11,839 the rock is as good as mali is i mean it 990 00:37:15,430 --> 00:37:13,599 can tell us definitively that we have a 991 00:37:18,790 --> 00:37:15,440 mudstone here but it would not be able 992 00:37:21,910 --> 00:37:18,800 to resolve individual fossil microbes 993 00:37:23,990 --> 00:37:21,920 what we can do is to survey additional 994 00:37:26,550 --> 00:37:24,000 targets that that we have picked out and 995 00:37:29,030 --> 00:37:26,560 we still want to go to mount sharp uh 996 00:37:31,349 --> 00:37:29,040 and and we we hope to get there and 997 00:37:33,349 --> 00:37:31,359 there are different combinations of of 998 00:37:35,190 --> 00:37:33,359 minerals that we see from orbit that 999 00:37:37,430 --> 00:37:35,200 give us different prospects 1000 00:37:39,589 --> 00:37:37,440 and and what i hope will become a a 1001 00:37:42,230 --> 00:37:39,599 burgeoning new field of competi of 1002 00:37:44,069 --> 00:37:42,240 comparative planetary habitability and 1003 00:37:45,430 --> 00:37:44,079 and what that means is that if you if 1004 00:37:47,109 --> 00:37:45,440 you look at how we've studied the 1005 00:37:48,950 --> 00:37:47,119 ancient earth and you look at the 1006 00:37:50,550 --> 00:37:48,960 minerals and compounds and substances 1007 00:37:52,230 --> 00:37:50,560 that are available 1008 00:37:54,630 --> 00:37:52,240 and you look at the ways that different 1009 00:37:57,109 --> 00:37:54,640 prokaryotic microorganisms can do their 1010 00:37:59,349 --> 00:37:57,119 metabolism they use different materials 1011 00:38:01,750 --> 00:37:59,359 it's almost like an organism has evolved 1012 00:38:04,870 --> 00:38:01,760 to exploit every one of these little 1013 00:38:06,950 --> 00:38:04,880 rock batteries that exists in the record 1014 00:38:08,790 --> 00:38:06,960 and so the question is how many of these 1015 00:38:11,190 --> 00:38:08,800 different kinds of batteries can can we 1016 00:38:13,430 --> 00:38:11,200 find at gale crater and and i think that 1017 00:38:19,829 --> 00:38:13,440 really becomes our mission along with 1018 00:38:19,839 --> 00:38:25,750 irene did you have a follow-up 1019 00:38:31,190 --> 00:38:27,670 give us a little update on the status of 1020 00:38:33,510 --> 00:38:31,200 the rover now with the recovery from the 1021 00:38:34,150 --> 00:38:33,520 computer reboot and they shut down for 1022 00:38:35,910 --> 00:38:34,160 the 1023 00:38:38,870 --> 00:38:35,920 solar 1024 00:38:43,109 --> 00:38:41,190 yeah i mean things are looking well the 1025 00:38:44,310 --> 00:38:43,119 rover is still on side b 1026 00:38:46,470 --> 00:38:44,320 and 1027 00:38:48,150 --> 00:38:46,480 it's operating just fine they're still 1028 00:38:50,950 --> 00:38:48,160 suspending most of the scientific 1029 00:38:53,510 --> 00:38:50,960 activities for a couple more saws as 1030 00:38:57,030 --> 00:38:53,520 they sort through what they think was 1031 00:38:59,190 --> 00:38:57,040 the root cause and the problem of side a 1032 00:39:01,829 --> 00:38:59,200 and uh because they want to make sure 1033 00:39:05,270 --> 00:39:01,839 that that is a confirmed operational 1034 00:39:06,230 --> 00:39:05,280 backup for any more operations 1035 00:39:08,069 --> 00:39:06,240 um 1036 00:39:10,950 --> 00:39:08,079 and as you mentioned solar conjunction 1037 00:39:13,109 --> 00:39:10,960 we're headed toward that uh 1038 00:39:14,950 --> 00:39:13,119 basically we can't talk to the rover and 1039 00:39:17,190 --> 00:39:14,960 rover talk to us 1040 00:39:18,550 --> 00:39:17,200 for most of the month of april 1041 00:39:21,829 --> 00:39:18,560 and so what's going to happen is we'll 1042 00:39:22,710 --> 00:39:21,839 we'll do some more science activities 1043 00:39:25,109 --> 00:39:22,720 now 1044 00:39:27,349 --> 00:39:25,119 through the end of this month uh 1045 00:39:29,270 --> 00:39:27,359 you know permitting with the engineers 1046 00:39:32,069 --> 00:39:29,280 confirming that things are safe for us 1047 00:39:33,190 --> 00:39:32,079 to do those operations but we will not 1048 00:39:35,670 --> 00:39:33,200 do 1049 00:39:37,750 --> 00:39:35,680 another drilling uh the second drill 1050 00:39:39,109 --> 00:39:37,760 hole until after solar conjunction so 1051 00:39:40,870 --> 00:39:39,119 that's we're not going to start that 1052 00:39:44,310 --> 00:39:40,880 activity until 1053 00:39:49,030 --> 00:39:46,230 our next caller from the wall street 1054 00:39:50,390 --> 00:39:49,040 journal robert lee hutz 1055 00:39:53,349 --> 00:39:50,400 robert lee 1056 00:39:56,390 --> 00:39:53,359 uh yes uh thank you uh can you hear me 1057 00:39:58,470 --> 00:39:56,400 all yes uh good good good so gentlemen 1058 00:40:01,190 --> 00:39:58,480 um in a simple straightforward 1059 00:40:04,390 --> 00:40:01,200 declarative sentence please or two 1060 00:40:14,630 --> 00:40:04,400 please tell my readers uh what you have 1061 00:40:19,349 --> 00:40:16,390 i think we had a we have found a 1062 00:40:21,670 --> 00:40:19,359 habitable environment uh that that is so 1063 00:40:23,829 --> 00:40:21,680 benign and supportive of life that 1064 00:40:25,349 --> 00:40:23,839 probably if this water was around and 1065 00:40:32,870 --> 00:40:25,359 you had been on the planet you would 1066 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:36,230 i think that did it for him 1067 00:40:39,109 --> 00:40:37,430 let me 1068 00:40:41,430 --> 00:40:39,119 uh before we go on the phone lines again 1069 00:40:43,190 --> 00:40:41,440 let me uh take another question from 1070 00:40:45,829 --> 00:40:43,200 twitter um 1071 00:40:47,750 --> 00:40:45,839 the opportunity rover 1072 00:40:49,990 --> 00:40:47,760 three months and it's going on for many 1073 00:40:53,750 --> 00:40:50,000 many years how long do you think 1074 00:40:54,550 --> 00:40:53,760 curiosity could last 1075 00:40:58,470 --> 00:40:54,560 uh 1076 00:41:00,790 --> 00:40:58,480 the the half-life of of its power is on 1077 00:41:03,190 --> 00:41:00,800 the order of 84 years 1078 00:41:05,990 --> 00:41:03,200 so i expect the rover to be there to 1079 00:41:10,710 --> 00:41:06,000 shake the first astronaut's hand 1080 00:41:15,430 --> 00:41:13,750 next up new york times kenneth chang 1081 00:41:17,430 --> 00:41:15,440 ken 1082 00:41:19,270 --> 00:41:17,440 thanks for taking my question i was 1083 00:41:21,910 --> 00:41:19,280 wondering given that this rocks had good 1084 00:41:23,270 --> 00:41:21,920 preservation was there a hope or 1085 00:41:25,589 --> 00:41:23,280 expectation that they actually would 1086 00:41:26,870 --> 00:41:25,599 have a stronger organic signal and what 1087 00:41:30,790 --> 00:41:26,880 does it mean that you don't have a 1088 00:41:35,270 --> 00:41:32,309 yeah i mean 1089 00:41:37,829 --> 00:41:35,280 i think we try since mars is such a 1090 00:41:39,910 --> 00:41:37,839 different planet to go in as as much as 1091 00:41:43,270 --> 00:41:39,920 we can at least i certainly do 1092 00:41:45,190 --> 00:41:43,280 uh with an open mind uh it's one reason 1093 00:41:47,910 --> 00:41:45,200 we have kind of the broad chemical 1094 00:41:49,829 --> 00:41:47,920 survey capability we have on on sam 1095 00:41:51,829 --> 00:41:49,839 we're we're looking for signatures 1096 00:41:54,150 --> 00:41:51,839 wherever they might be 1097 00:41:55,750 --> 00:41:54,160 and you know i suppose 1098 00:41:57,030 --> 00:41:55,760 you know 1099 00:41:59,109 --> 00:41:57,040 on earth it's 1100 00:42:01,430 --> 00:41:59,119 you know finding organics in in very 1101 00:42:04,150 --> 00:42:01,440 very ancient rocks is a 1102 00:42:05,109 --> 00:42:04,160 difficult proposition and 1103 00:42:08,150 --> 00:42:05,119 so 1104 00:42:09,750 --> 00:42:08,160 yeah no great expectations we're just 1105 00:42:12,309 --> 00:42:09,760 looking for the environments that are 1106 00:42:14,150 --> 00:42:12,319 right in the first place and looking at 1107 00:42:17,750 --> 00:42:14,160 it as best we can with the tools that we 1108 00:42:19,510 --> 00:42:17,760 have and and see what see what we see 1109 00:42:21,349 --> 00:42:19,520 ken if if i can i'll just add a little 1110 00:42:23,750 --> 00:42:21,359 bit to that uh 1111 00:42:24,630 --> 00:42:23,760 paul's reference to the early earth 1112 00:42:27,030 --> 00:42:24,640 is 1113 00:42:29,589 --> 00:42:27,040 there 1114 00:42:31,349 --> 00:42:29,599 you have to have a search paradigm and 1115 00:42:33,109 --> 00:42:31,359 and that paradigm gets built on your 1116 00:42:35,030 --> 00:42:33,119 understanding of the processes that 1117 00:42:36,470 --> 00:42:35,040 result in the preservation of organics 1118 00:42:38,870 --> 00:42:36,480 in the rock record 1119 00:42:40,950 --> 00:42:38,880 and and one of the big things on earth 1120 00:42:43,750 --> 00:42:40,960 is that because of plate tectonics we we 1121 00:42:45,430 --> 00:42:43,760 have a lot of heat uh that exists that 1122 00:42:47,190 --> 00:42:45,440 of course exist today 1123 00:42:49,670 --> 00:42:47,200 so a lot of organic compounds are 1124 00:42:52,069 --> 00:42:49,680 degraded in the presence of that heat on 1125 00:42:54,230 --> 00:42:52,079 mars we actually think the planet cools 1126 00:42:55,750 --> 00:42:54,240 with time and so it may not be that 1127 00:42:57,670 --> 00:42:55,760 heat's the problem it might be that 1128 00:43:00,150 --> 00:42:57,680 radiation is the problem something that 1129 00:43:01,910 --> 00:43:00,160 we're not so affected by on earth so we 1130 00:43:03,829 --> 00:43:01,920 have these three factors as i said 1131 00:43:05,589 --> 00:43:03,839 before to reiterate them i think we're 1132 00:43:07,270 --> 00:43:05,599 all going to have to learn these the 1133 00:43:09,589 --> 00:43:07,280 first is the primary concentration 1134 00:43:11,109 --> 00:43:09,599 mechanism the second is that all that 1135 00:43:12,870 --> 00:43:11,119 cool chemistry that creates the 1136 00:43:14,230 --> 00:43:12,880 habitable environment including the 1137 00:43:15,910 --> 00:43:14,240 presence of water itself is not 1138 00:43:17,990 --> 00:43:15,920 necessarily a good thing for the 1139 00:43:19,910 --> 00:43:18,000 preservation of organics and then the 1140 00:43:22,550 --> 00:43:19,920 third thing is the radiation environment 1141 00:43:24,870 --> 00:43:22,560 and so our trick is to find a place 1142 00:43:26,870 --> 00:43:24,880 where all three of those things 1143 00:43:28,710 --> 00:43:26,880 went right and and that could take the 1144 00:43:32,069 --> 00:43:28,720 entire length of this mission but we're 1145 00:43:36,790 --> 00:43:34,870 okay i just want to remind folks that um 1146 00:43:39,030 --> 00:43:36,800 particularly the folks who are 1147 00:43:40,470 --> 00:43:39,040 viewing this program the community the 1148 00:43:43,589 --> 00:43:40,480 social media community 1149 00:43:47,990 --> 00:43:43,599 join the conversation at mars curiosity 1150 00:43:50,309 --> 00:43:48,000 and send in a question hashtag ask nasa 1151 00:43:52,829 --> 00:43:50,319 our next question will be from nature 1152 00:43:55,750 --> 00:43:52,839 alex whitsey 1153 00:43:57,670 --> 00:43:55,760 alex thanks i have a question for john 1154 00:43:59,670 --> 00:43:57,680 gratzinger what does this mean for 1155 00:44:01,430 --> 00:43:59,680 getting to mount sharp you talked about 1156 00:44:03,750 --> 00:44:01,440 primary objective becoming now to 1157 00:44:06,470 --> 00:44:03,760 explore the area when might you begin a 1158 00:44:08,870 --> 00:44:06,480 traverse to mount sharp 1159 00:44:10,390 --> 00:44:08,880 well like like michael was saying uh we 1160 00:44:12,550 --> 00:44:10,400 we do uh whether we like it or not we 1161 00:44:14,630 --> 00:44:12,560 have solar conjunction coming up here 1162 00:44:17,349 --> 00:44:14,640 and but as soon we've discussed this as 1163 00:44:19,829 --> 00:44:17,359 a team and as soon as we uh get past 1164 00:44:21,670 --> 00:44:19,839 conjunction uh we're gonna we're gonna 1165 00:44:23,030 --> 00:44:21,680 jump right into drilling a second sample 1166 00:44:24,309 --> 00:44:23,040 because as you know it's very important 1167 00:44:26,550 --> 00:44:24,319 to confirm 1168 00:44:29,030 --> 00:44:26,560 uh what you've gotten before with rock 1169 00:44:30,950 --> 00:44:29,040 nest uh you know we analyze a couple of 1170 00:44:32,550 --> 00:44:30,960 scoops and our goal here is to do a 1171 00:44:34,309 --> 00:44:32,560 couple of drill holes 1172 00:44:37,510 --> 00:44:34,319 and depending on what we find because 1173 00:44:39,349 --> 00:44:37,520 we're discovery driven uh that you know 1174 00:44:41,670 --> 00:44:39,359 if it continues to look promising we'll 1175 00:44:44,950 --> 00:44:41,680 do some more work if not uh we'll get on 1176 00:44:46,790 --> 00:44:44,960 the road and and we'll probably clean up 1177 00:44:49,589 --> 00:44:46,800 business with a few things that we pass 1178 00:44:52,550 --> 00:44:49,599 by uh to help characterize the overall 1179 00:44:55,750 --> 00:44:52,560 broad environment but uh our decision as 1180 00:44:57,990 --> 00:44:55,760 a team is to finish up here at uh john 1181 00:45:00,309 --> 00:44:58,000 klein and then hit the road to mount 1182 00:45:02,470 --> 00:45:00,319 sharp 1183 00:45:04,870 --> 00:45:02,480 okay i'm i'm probably in trouble for 1184 00:45:07,990 --> 00:45:04,880 this but i'm gonna do it anyway 1185 00:45:11,589 --> 00:45:08,000 um i'm gonna turn the mic over to the uh 1186 00:45:13,430 --> 00:45:11,599 the head of the the planetary division 1187 00:45:14,790 --> 00:45:13,440 dr jim green 1188 00:45:17,349 --> 00:45:14,800 thank you duane 1189 00:45:19,750 --> 00:45:17,359 the one question i have then based on 1190 00:45:22,390 --> 00:45:19,760 the observations and 1191 00:45:26,710 --> 00:45:22,400 what you found out today is would you 1192 00:45:29,750 --> 00:45:26,720 say that mars was habitable before 1193 00:45:35,829 --> 00:45:29,760 or about the same time as earth was in 1194 00:45:35,839 --> 00:45:39,910 that's a good question jim 1195 00:45:43,910 --> 00:45:41,990 i'm i'm not sure we'll ever really be 1196 00:45:46,230 --> 00:45:43,920 able to address that with our payload 1197 00:45:49,990 --> 00:45:46,240 but uh you know we've we've got a couple 1198 00:45:52,790 --> 00:45:50,000 of different options here for the age of 1199 00:45:55,510 --> 00:45:52,800 of you know just relative to mars how 1200 00:45:57,510 --> 00:45:55,520 old these things are and quite now quite 1201 00:46:00,390 --> 00:45:57,520 frankly they go between being as young 1202 00:46:02,150 --> 00:46:00,400 as that as that alluvial fan lobe that 1203 00:46:04,630 --> 00:46:02,160 comes down which i think would be 1204 00:46:06,870 --> 00:46:04,640 relatively young in the history of mars 1205 00:46:08,710 --> 00:46:06,880 and it could be quite old uh maybe these 1206 00:46:10,309 --> 00:46:08,720 rocks are somehow related to the base 1207 00:46:11,589 --> 00:46:10,319 amount sharp we can't rule out that 1208 00:46:13,589 --> 00:46:11,599 we're not looking at the base amount 1209 00:46:15,510 --> 00:46:13,599 sharp right now in a way 1210 00:46:17,190 --> 00:46:15,520 so we got a lot of options open before 1211 00:46:18,950 --> 00:46:17,200 us but i i think in any one of those 1212 00:46:21,030 --> 00:46:18,960 versions we're talking about older than 1213 00:46:23,030 --> 00:46:21,040 three billion years ago and we're 1214 00:46:24,550 --> 00:46:23,040 probably looking at a situation where 1215 00:46:26,470 --> 00:46:24,560 plus or minus a couple hundred million 1216 00:46:28,470 --> 00:46:26,480 years it's about the time that we start 1217 00:46:30,390 --> 00:46:28,480 seeing the first record of of life 1218 00:46:32,230 --> 00:46:30,400 preserved on earth 1219 00:46:34,470 --> 00:46:32,240 it's a great comparative planetary 1220 00:46:36,950 --> 00:46:34,480 question 1221 00:46:38,950 --> 00:46:36,960 make a good reporter jim 1222 00:46:41,190 --> 00:46:38,960 um okay let's go back to the phone lines 1223 00:46:50,870 --> 00:46:41,200 uh mark kaufman um from the washington 1224 00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:59,829 do we have mark on the phone 1225 00:46:59,839 --> 00:47:05,430 okay let's move to craig kovalt craig 1226 00:47:13,670 --> 00:47:09,670 hi this is uh greg kovals with space ref 1227 00:47:19,109 --> 00:47:16,950 the question on the clays if one of the 1228 00:47:23,270 --> 00:47:19,119 more significant findings is that you 1229 00:47:25,910 --> 00:47:23,280 had abundant water flow through the clay 1230 00:47:27,109 --> 00:47:25,920 how does that relate to me right endings 1231 00:47:28,950 --> 00:47:27,119 where 1232 00:47:32,309 --> 00:47:28,960 they have also 1233 00:47:34,870 --> 00:47:32,319 identified significant water 1234 00:47:40,309 --> 00:47:34,880 days found in martian meteor 1235 00:47:43,990 --> 00:47:42,309 water and then how does that relate to 1236 00:47:46,069 --> 00:47:44,000 martian meteorites 1237 00:47:47,349 --> 00:47:46,079 well i i think uh 1238 00:47:49,510 --> 00:47:47,359 you know the clays and martian 1239 00:47:52,549 --> 00:47:49,520 meteorites were just almost trace 1240 00:47:53,990 --> 00:47:52,559 quantities and and uh probably and the 1241 00:47:57,270 --> 00:47:54,000 martian meteorites that we've seen are 1242 00:47:58,549 --> 00:47:57,280 mostly uh purely ignorance igneous rocks 1243 00:48:00,630 --> 00:47:58,559 uh 1244 00:48:02,630 --> 00:48:00,640 the the clay's in this rock which is a 1245 00:48:06,150 --> 00:48:02,640 mudstone which was something deposited 1246 00:48:07,750 --> 00:48:06,160 in a shallow uh aqueous environment uh 1247 00:48:09,670 --> 00:48:07,760 are really a major percentage of the 1248 00:48:11,270 --> 00:48:09,680 rock and so they really represent a 1249 00:48:12,790 --> 00:48:11,280 significant process 1250 00:48:14,470 --> 00:48:12,800 and plus 1251 00:48:17,109 --> 00:48:14,480 i guess you could call meteorites the 1252 00:48:18,710 --> 00:48:17,119 ultimate what we call float rock uh it 1253 00:48:20,630 --> 00:48:18,720 came from someplace else and we don't 1254 00:48:22,790 --> 00:48:20,640 know where it came from we know where 1255 00:48:25,990 --> 00:48:22,800 this stuff came from it came from this 1256 00:48:27,270 --> 00:48:26,000 bedrock uh in yellowknife bay and so we 1257 00:48:29,349 --> 00:48:27,280 know that this 1258 00:48:32,950 --> 00:48:29,359 environment existed in yellowknife bay 1259 00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:36,630 do you have a follow-up correct 1260 00:48:42,950 --> 00:48:39,190 question is uh 1261 00:48:45,750 --> 00:48:42,960 happy uh there has been some chatter 1262 00:48:49,430 --> 00:48:45,760 which you may have a uh 1263 00:48:52,470 --> 00:48:49,440 leak in one of here chemistry 1264 00:48:56,470 --> 00:48:53,670 yeah 1265 00:48:59,190 --> 00:48:56,480 in the rock nest sample we 1266 00:49:01,349 --> 00:48:59,200 uh certainly detected 1267 00:49:04,630 --> 00:49:01,359 some vapor that was very easily 1268 00:49:07,589 --> 00:49:04,640 identifiable uh a trace amount of vapor 1269 00:49:11,510 --> 00:49:07,599 nanomoles uh the the signature of of 1270 00:49:13,510 --> 00:49:11,520 what's inside uh our wet chemistry cells 1271 00:49:15,750 --> 00:49:13,520 and so one way or another whether it was 1272 00:49:18,549 --> 00:49:15,760 through a a very small leak through one 1273 00:49:21,829 --> 00:49:18,559 of the pinch-offs or or processing a 1274 00:49:25,109 --> 00:49:21,839 little bit of that vapor is there 1275 00:49:27,750 --> 00:49:25,119 what we are doing is trying to 1276 00:49:30,549 --> 00:49:27,760 uh get smarter about how we do 1277 00:49:32,390 --> 00:49:30,559 experiments to avoid some ambiguity with 1278 00:49:34,790 --> 00:49:32,400 regard to where carbon 1279 00:49:36,870 --> 00:49:34,800 coming from our sample comes from and so 1280 00:49:38,309 --> 00:49:36,880 what we did with these rock nest samples 1281 00:49:40,950 --> 00:49:38,319 was we 1282 00:49:43,270 --> 00:49:40,960 preheated the sample and 1283 00:49:46,150 --> 00:49:43,280 let helium flow over it 1284 00:49:47,990 --> 00:49:46,160 uh something like 20 minutes and it's a 1285 00:49:49,910 --> 00:49:48,000 very clear signature of all that vapor 1286 00:49:52,230 --> 00:49:49,920 being flushed out of the system so 1287 00:49:54,470 --> 00:49:52,240 that's really a a very robust way we 1288 00:49:57,510 --> 00:49:54,480 believe of of getting around this issue 1289 00:50:00,309 --> 00:49:57,520 that uh we saw at rocknest 1290 00:50:01,589 --> 00:50:00,319 uh yeah yeah 1291 00:50:06,870 --> 00:50:01,599 next caller 1292 00:50:11,270 --> 00:50:10,069 hi can you hear me yes 1293 00:50:12,950 --> 00:50:11,280 great i was wondering if you could 1294 00:50:15,030 --> 00:50:12,960 compare this to 1295 00:50:16,630 --> 00:50:15,040 enceladus or europa or other comparative 1296 00:50:19,109 --> 00:50:16,640 potentially habitable environments is 1297 00:50:20,790 --> 00:50:19,119 this the most certain 1298 00:50:23,109 --> 00:50:20,800 habitable environment outside of earth 1299 00:50:25,750 --> 00:50:23,119 that we've seen yet or 1300 00:50:28,230 --> 00:50:25,760 the first that we are definitely sure is 1301 00:50:30,309 --> 00:50:28,240 habitable can you 1302 00:50:31,990 --> 00:50:30,319 put that in other contexts 1303 00:50:34,230 --> 00:50:32,000 yeah i'd go for it 1304 00:50:35,589 --> 00:50:34,240 i think the answer is yes uh i mean i 1305 00:50:37,510 --> 00:50:35,599 think something you know there was a 1306 00:50:39,270 --> 00:50:37,520 question earlier about what 1307 00:50:41,670 --> 00:50:39,280 what's the take-home message about this 1308 00:50:43,589 --> 00:50:41,680 and we i i think this is probably the 1309 00:50:45,829 --> 00:50:43,599 only definitively 1310 00:50:48,230 --> 00:50:45,839 habitable environment that we've 1311 00:50:49,910 --> 00:50:48,240 described and recorded uh 1312 00:50:52,150 --> 00:50:49,920 i don't know you know there are places 1313 00:50:56,230 --> 00:50:52,160 we would suggest could be habitable but 1314 00:51:01,270 --> 00:50:59,030 and again here we're poking at um 1315 00:51:03,270 --> 00:51:01,280 what happened a very very long time ago 1316 00:51:06,150 --> 00:51:03,280 you know it's not a current puddle on 1317 00:51:08,069 --> 00:51:06,160 mars mars is now cold and wet 1318 00:51:09,510 --> 00:51:08,079 and a lot of the atmosphere has escaped 1319 00:51:11,589 --> 00:51:09,520 and some of the radiation may have 1320 00:51:13,910 --> 00:51:11,599 processed samples that we're looking at 1321 00:51:17,030 --> 00:51:13,920 uh it's in some respects it's a fairly 1322 00:51:19,270 --> 00:51:17,040 harsh environment and so the focus 1323 00:51:21,349 --> 00:51:19,280 of the mission is is a lot on what 1324 00:51:22,870 --> 00:51:21,359 things looked like in the past that's 1325 00:51:24,790 --> 00:51:22,880 kind of the idea both of this mission 1326 00:51:26,309 --> 00:51:24,800 where you can get down and look at drill 1327 00:51:28,470 --> 00:51:26,319 into the rocks and do the types of 1328 00:51:30,230 --> 00:51:28,480 experiments we've described but also 1329 00:51:31,589 --> 00:51:30,240 kind of the intent of an upcoming 1330 00:51:33,750 --> 00:51:31,599 mission which is going to launch this 1331 00:51:35,910 --> 00:51:33,760 year maven which is trying to study how 1332 00:51:37,910 --> 00:51:35,920 the current atmosphere is escaping and 1333 00:51:40,390 --> 00:51:37,920 then through modeling try and get back 1334 00:51:41,910 --> 00:51:40,400 to what early mars look like so all 1335 00:51:44,549 --> 00:51:41,920 these things are part of a program and 1336 00:51:46,150 --> 00:51:44,559 they all tie together but it sure is fun 1337 00:51:49,190 --> 00:51:46,160 to dig in the dirt and try and 1338 00:51:52,150 --> 00:51:49,200 understand the ancient environment 1339 00:51:54,069 --> 00:51:52,160 i guess one way to look at this is with 1340 00:51:56,150 --> 00:51:54,079 with curiosity we've been able to take 1341 00:51:57,990 --> 00:51:56,160 this to the next level of understanding 1342 00:52:00,309 --> 00:51:58,000 whether or not mars is habitable it's 1343 00:52:02,549 --> 00:52:00,319 not just a broad brush oh yeah there's 1344 00:52:04,309 --> 00:52:02,559 water and yeah there's rocks we actually 1345 00:52:05,910 --> 00:52:04,319 know there's particular environments 1346 00:52:07,109 --> 00:52:05,920 that water was there for a significant 1347 00:52:09,109 --> 00:52:07,119 amount of time 1348 00:52:11,190 --> 00:52:09,119 that it was neutral 1349 00:52:12,230 --> 00:52:11,200 it wasn't too salty there's plenty of 1350 00:52:16,870 --> 00:52:12,240 water 1351 00:52:18,470 --> 00:52:16,880 from microorganisms to use if they were 1352 00:52:20,549 --> 00:52:18,480 there 1353 00:52:23,349 --> 00:52:20,559 and the idea that we have oxidized and 1354 00:52:26,069 --> 00:52:23,359 neutral species in this place so as we 1355 00:52:28,309 --> 00:52:26,079 look into the details it looks better 1356 00:52:29,589 --> 00:52:28,319 and and for that reason i would actually 1357 00:52:30,390 --> 00:52:29,599 agree with 1358 00:52:32,630 --> 00:52:30,400 with 1359 00:52:34,710 --> 00:52:32,640 dave and paul 1360 00:52:35,910 --> 00:52:34,720 okay we're coming up uh top of the hour 1361 00:52:37,510 --> 00:52:35,920 we're going to be wrapping up shortly i 1362 00:52:38,950 --> 00:52:37,520 want to come back here to headquarters 1363 00:52:40,230 --> 00:52:38,960 and see if there any questions in ours 1364 00:52:44,150 --> 00:52:40,240 i'll take a couple more calls on the 1365 00:52:46,710 --> 00:52:45,030 um 1366 00:52:49,349 --> 00:52:46,720 can you wait for the mic please and uh 1367 00:52:51,589 --> 00:52:49,359 give your name affiliation sorry 1368 00:52:53,670 --> 00:52:51,599 it's kitty feldy with kpcc southern 1369 00:52:55,750 --> 00:52:53,680 california public radio 1370 00:52:57,750 --> 00:52:55,760 i know discovery is the exciting part 1371 00:53:00,549 --> 00:52:57,760 you don't know what you're going to find 1372 00:53:02,870 --> 00:53:00,559 but what could you with the the 1373 00:53:04,309 --> 00:53:02,880 equipment that we have and the range 1374 00:53:05,990 --> 00:53:04,319 that you're going to have i mean what 1375 00:53:08,390 --> 00:53:06,000 are the kinds of things we could detect 1376 00:53:11,030 --> 00:53:08,400 that could even make it more 1377 00:53:14,309 --> 00:53:11,040 specific i mean what what possib what 1378 00:53:16,790 --> 00:53:14,319 could we possibly find that is much more 1379 00:53:19,270 --> 00:53:16,800 provable than what you found and and 1380 00:53:21,430 --> 00:53:19,280 told us about today as far as habitable 1381 00:53:24,150 --> 00:53:21,440 conditions or 1382 00:53:25,910 --> 00:53:24,160 finding some more clues about life on 1383 00:53:27,829 --> 00:53:25,920 mars 1384 00:53:29,750 --> 00:53:27,839 let me let me use that as a chance to to 1385 00:53:32,870 --> 00:53:29,760 go into the issue about the deliberate 1386 00:53:33,670 --> 00:53:32,880 search for organic compounds again as i 1387 00:53:35,270 --> 00:53:33,680 said 1388 00:53:36,710 --> 00:53:35,280 earlier we need this we need this 1389 00:53:38,630 --> 00:53:36,720 paradigm and it has to be a mars 1390 00:53:40,630 --> 00:53:38,640 paradigm we can start first with our 1391 00:53:42,549 --> 00:53:40,640 understanding of earth but as i already 1392 00:53:44,470 --> 00:53:42,559 said there's the three parts the thing 1393 00:53:46,630 --> 00:53:44,480 that that to me i think many of us on 1394 00:53:47,990 --> 00:53:46,640 the team that seems the most familiar 1395 00:53:50,710 --> 00:53:48,000 for this environment which is an 1396 00:53:53,109 --> 00:53:50,720 alluvial fan and possibly a lake that 1397 00:53:54,710 --> 00:53:53,119 was there that's very familiar and we 1398 00:53:57,270 --> 00:53:54,720 can think about mechanisms that would 1399 00:53:59,670 --> 00:53:57,280 have generated carbon even carbon that 1400 00:54:01,990 --> 00:53:59,680 comes from outer space 1401 00:54:04,069 --> 00:54:02,000 that would have accumulated there 1402 00:54:05,990 --> 00:54:04,079 after that it starts to get different 1403 00:54:07,990 --> 00:54:06,000 the one at the very end on earth we have 1404 00:54:09,430 --> 00:54:08,000 plate tectonics that tends to heat rocks 1405 00:54:12,470 --> 00:54:09,440 up and destroy 1406 00:54:14,870 --> 00:54:12,480 organic material on mars we don't have 1407 00:54:16,870 --> 00:54:14,880 that but we do have radiation the one in 1408 00:54:18,870 --> 00:54:16,880 the middle is going to be i think the 1409 00:54:21,589 --> 00:54:18,880 really fun one for the team this this 1410 00:54:24,470 --> 00:54:21,599 process called digenesis because on 1411 00:54:27,430 --> 00:54:24,480 earth we're used to a sort of a stable 1412 00:54:29,910 --> 00:54:27,440 of of compounds that that we know about 1413 00:54:31,910 --> 00:54:29,920 that can that can cause oxidation of 1414 00:54:33,670 --> 00:54:31,920 organic compounds on mars we've got a 1415 00:54:36,510 --> 00:54:33,680 new cast of characters some of which now 1416 00:54:39,030 --> 00:54:36,520 are becoming familiar uh things like 1417 00:54:41,109 --> 00:54:39,040 perchlorates uh there could be other 1418 00:54:43,670 --> 00:54:41,119 things there as well that that that paul 1419 00:54:45,030 --> 00:54:43,680 and and and and dave will eventually 1420 00:54:47,270 --> 00:54:45,040 tease out with their instruments that 1421 00:54:48,789 --> 00:54:47,280 might be present there trace quantities 1422 00:54:51,270 --> 00:54:48,799 and the question is when you put those 1423 00:54:53,589 --> 00:54:51,280 things in water and you add organics how 1424 00:54:55,910 --> 00:54:53,599 do they react in a way that might break 1425 00:54:58,150 --> 00:54:55,920 them down how fast does it occur how 1426 00:55:00,150 --> 00:54:58,160 aggressive is the reaction and and i 1427 00:55:02,069 --> 00:55:00,160 think that's what i mean by comparative 1428 00:55:04,549 --> 00:55:02,079 planetary habitability we can begin to 1429 00:55:05,510 --> 00:55:04,559 start to play that game now 1430 00:55:06,950 --> 00:55:05,520 okay we're going to take one more 1431 00:55:09,829 --> 00:55:06,960 question from the phone line and then 1432 00:55:11,349 --> 00:55:09,839 i'm going to um invite dr grensfeld to 1433 00:55:13,589 --> 00:55:11,359 come up for some potting words and then 1434 00:55:15,670 --> 00:55:13,599 i will uh conclude the briefing and i 1435 00:55:18,870 --> 00:55:15,680 believe we have sky and telescope 1436 00:55:20,950 --> 00:55:18,880 camille are you on the phone line 1437 00:55:24,069 --> 00:55:20,960 yes hi i'd 1438 00:55:26,710 --> 00:55:24,079 be a bit of a long shot but 1439 00:55:29,349 --> 00:55:26,720 in december there was discussions 1440 00:55:32,150 --> 00:55:29,359 i actually be 1441 00:55:34,630 --> 00:55:32,160 dust mound and and not creative 1442 00:55:36,549 --> 00:55:34,640 as far as 1443 00:55:37,750 --> 00:55:36,559 goes this 1444 00:55:38,870 --> 00:55:37,760 sign of 1445 00:55:41,829 --> 00:55:38,880 relate 1446 00:55:43,430 --> 00:55:41,839 is it does it have any effect on 1447 00:55:45,589 --> 00:55:43,440 communities 1448 00:55:48,390 --> 00:55:45,599 uh camille could you please talk uh 1449 00:55:49,829 --> 00:55:48,400 repeat the question you're kind of 1450 00:55:52,549 --> 00:55:49,839 going in and out on here let's try that 1451 00:55:55,829 --> 00:55:52,559 again can you repeat the question 1452 00:55:58,150 --> 00:55:55,839 sure let me try my hand 1453 00:55:58,950 --> 00:55:58,160 is that better yes 1454 00:56:02,549 --> 00:55:58,960 okay 1455 00:56:04,710 --> 00:56:02,559 um at the agu in december there was 1456 00:56:06,789 --> 00:56:04,720 discussion that 1457 00:56:11,030 --> 00:56:06,799 mount sharp might be this sort of mound 1458 00:56:12,870 --> 00:56:11,040 of dust and it might not be from 1459 00:56:17,349 --> 00:56:12,880 water eroding 1460 00:56:20,309 --> 00:56:17,359 as far as the scale goes this former 1461 00:56:21,910 --> 00:56:20,319 lake bed is it a large enough scale that 1462 00:56:26,230 --> 00:56:21,920 we can say 1463 00:56:30,630 --> 00:56:26,240 how marc job was built or is this pretty 1464 00:56:35,349 --> 00:56:32,549 uh i'll i'll let the others chime in 1465 00:56:37,190 --> 00:56:35,359 here but uh we have 1466 00:56:38,630 --> 00:56:37,200 we're actually not quite sure how mount 1467 00:56:39,910 --> 00:56:38,640 sharp was built 1468 00:56:42,390 --> 00:56:39,920 and so 1469 00:56:44,390 --> 00:56:42,400 the real evidence of how that happened 1470 00:56:47,030 --> 00:56:44,400 is in amount sharp 1471 00:56:49,589 --> 00:56:47,040 and so what we're seeing now is what's 1472 00:56:51,990 --> 00:56:49,599 at the base and what may have 1473 00:56:54,549 --> 00:56:52,000 not necessarily pre-existed but happened 1474 00:56:56,710 --> 00:56:54,559 uh at the same time or even later uh 1475 00:57:00,950 --> 00:56:56,720 looking here we are at the yellowknife 1476 00:57:03,349 --> 00:57:00,960 bay but how mount sharp was formed 1477 00:57:05,829 --> 00:57:03,359 we had to go to mount sharp to see those 1478 00:57:07,990 --> 00:57:05,839 layers to sort that out 1479 00:57:10,150 --> 00:57:08,000 yeah i agree with michael completely 1480 00:57:11,910 --> 00:57:10,160 and just give you a heads up 1481 00:57:13,829 --> 00:57:11,920 that when we start driving a mount sharp 1482 00:57:15,670 --> 00:57:13,839 and you see us dragging our feet as as 1483 00:57:17,430 --> 00:57:15,680 we go along there and stopping to look 1484 00:57:19,750 --> 00:57:17,440 at a few things that's because we'll be 1485 00:57:21,829 --> 00:57:19,760 trying to figure out how the rocks we're 1486 00:57:23,430 --> 00:57:21,839 at now at yellowknife bay relate to 1487 00:57:25,510 --> 00:57:23,440 mount sharp that's how we get the 1488 00:57:27,750 --> 00:57:25,520 relative age of all this stuff 1489 00:57:29,030 --> 00:57:27,760 yeah good point 1490 00:57:31,510 --> 00:57:29,040 okay so 1491 00:57:32,950 --> 00:57:31,520 before dr gronstal comes up i am going 1492 00:57:34,309 --> 00:57:32,960 to take one question going back to the 1493 00:57:38,829 --> 00:57:34,319 west coast of the jet propulsion 1494 00:57:43,990 --> 00:57:41,910 jpl yeah this is uh nbcla john this 1495 00:57:46,789 --> 00:57:44,000 question is for you back in november you 1496 00:57:48,309 --> 00:57:46,799 said uh that uh there was gonna be the 1497 00:57:51,109 --> 00:57:48,319 news was gonna be one for the history 1498 00:57:56,390 --> 00:57:51,119 books did you know now what or then what 1499 00:58:01,109 --> 00:57:58,150 well i i can tell you i feel better 1500 00:58:05,910 --> 00:58:03,510 you know you you do uh when that kind of 1501 00:58:08,549 --> 00:58:05,920 a thing you do need to sort of annie up 1502 00:58:11,190 --> 00:58:08,559 uh you know i i i think you know 1503 00:58:14,230 --> 00:58:11,200 basically again the that that expression 1504 00:58:16,950 --> 00:58:14,240 at that time was just simply looking at 1505 00:58:18,549 --> 00:58:16,960 uh the second run coming out of sam and 1506 00:58:20,710 --> 00:58:18,559 realizing that the instrument did a 1507 00:58:23,510 --> 00:58:20,720 replicate of what it did the the first 1508 00:58:25,589 --> 00:58:23,520 time and that if you ever got it into 1509 00:58:28,309 --> 00:58:25,599 the right place this would all pay off 1510 00:58:30,309 --> 00:58:28,319 really well and and so it it's just 1511 00:58:31,990 --> 00:58:30,319 having confidence in the science team to 1512 00:58:33,829 --> 00:58:32,000 to get the mapping and provide the 1513 00:58:35,510 --> 00:58:33,839 direction of where to go 1514 00:58:37,430 --> 00:58:35,520 and uh it seems like that's what's 1515 00:58:40,470 --> 00:58:37,440 happened and and i i certainly feel 1516 00:58:44,230 --> 00:58:42,630 okay my uh my my director's saying we 1517 00:58:45,990 --> 00:58:44,240 still have a few more calls so if you 1518 00:58:47,589 --> 00:58:46,000 guys don't mind we may need to go over 1519 00:58:48,390 --> 00:58:47,599 just for a few minutes there's a lot of 1520 00:58:50,390 --> 00:58:48,400 uh 1521 00:58:52,710 --> 00:58:50,400 excitement interesting questions from 1522 00:58:53,990 --> 00:58:52,720 folks uh not only in the media calls 1523 00:58:55,430 --> 00:58:54,000 been on the social media front so we're 1524 00:58:59,030 --> 00:58:55,440 going to go to alicia 1525 00:59:01,349 --> 00:58:59,040 chang associated press alicia 1526 00:59:03,030 --> 00:59:01,359 hi thanks for taking my question um 1527 00:59:05,190 --> 00:59:03,040 for john gratinger um you know i'm 1528 00:59:07,670 --> 00:59:05,200 wondering how you can declare this about 1529 00:59:10,150 --> 00:59:07,680 a habitable environment without a strong 1530 00:59:12,230 --> 00:59:10,160 organic signal 1531 00:59:13,910 --> 00:59:12,240 uh thanks alicia that that 1532 00:59:15,910 --> 00:59:13,920 also gives me a chance to elaborate on 1533 00:59:18,870 --> 00:59:15,920 something that i i mentioned before but 1534 00:59:21,829 --> 00:59:18,880 i i think it's often an easily confused 1535 00:59:23,910 --> 00:59:21,839 you don't have to have organic carbon 1536 00:59:26,069 --> 00:59:23,920 present uh 1537 00:59:28,390 --> 00:59:26,079 in a in a geological environment that's 1538 00:59:31,109 --> 00:59:28,400 habitable in order to have microbial 1539 00:59:34,150 --> 00:59:31,119 metabolism to occur for example almost 1540 00:59:37,270 --> 00:59:34,160 all prokaryotic organisms they don't use 1541 00:59:39,109 --> 00:59:37,280 organics to to metabolize uh they 1542 00:59:40,870 --> 00:59:39,119 actually use inorganic compounds there 1543 00:59:44,390 --> 00:59:40,880 does need to be a source of carbon there 1544 00:59:46,069 --> 00:59:44,400 somewhere uh but if it's just co2 you 1545 00:59:47,750 --> 00:59:46,079 can have you know it's it's a 1546 00:59:49,990 --> 00:59:47,760 complicated word here but a chemo 1547 00:59:52,789 --> 00:59:50,000 lithoautotrophic organism that literally 1548 00:59:56,630 --> 00:59:52,799 lives on rocks it feeds on rocks 1549 00:59:58,470 --> 00:59:56,640 uh add that co2 there and and they will 1550 01:00:00,789 --> 00:59:58,480 metabolize and generate organic 1551 01:00:03,430 --> 01:00:00,799 compounds based on that that uh that 1552 01:00:05,670 --> 01:00:03,440 carbon so the fact that that paul is 1553 01:00:07,670 --> 01:00:05,680 able to show in the sam that that co2 1554 01:00:09,589 --> 01:00:07,680 spike that's what we're really excited 1555 01:00:12,470 --> 01:00:09,599 about there because then that gives us 1556 01:00:14,150 --> 01:00:12,480 our our sort of desiderata of the key 1557 01:00:17,510 --> 01:00:14,160 elements that are the building blocks 1558 01:00:18,549 --> 01:00:17,520 for life hydrogen oxygen phosphorus 1559 01:00:22,309 --> 01:00:18,559 sulfur 1560 01:00:25,190 --> 01:00:22,319 uh and and then of course uh nitrogen uh 1561 01:00:27,510 --> 01:00:25,200 and then also uh carbon and it can it 1562 01:00:29,670 --> 01:00:27,520 can be inorganic for to be utilized by a 1563 01:00:31,270 --> 01:00:29,680 microbe 1564 01:00:33,109 --> 01:00:31,280 and let me just make an announcement uh 1565 01:00:35,270 --> 01:00:33,119 we're going to take a few more questions 1566 01:00:37,750 --> 01:00:35,280 and uh these gentlemen will be available 1567 01:00:40,230 --> 01:00:37,760 following the briefing for the media who 1568 01:00:42,789 --> 01:00:40,240 want to uh have one-on-ones so just call 1569 01:00:44,470 --> 01:00:42,799 my office or the jpl jpl office and we 1570 01:00:46,630 --> 01:00:44,480 will get these folks to answer some of 1571 01:00:48,549 --> 01:00:46,640 your questions the media that i will 1572 01:00:51,589 --> 01:00:48,559 call on please limit 1573 01:00:53,190 --> 01:00:51,599 uh to one question so i can uh 1574 01:00:56,069 --> 01:00:53,200 hopefully get us out in the next five 1575 01:00:58,870 --> 01:00:56,079 minutes so uh next up is ken kramer 1576 01:01:01,030 --> 01:00:58,880 space flight magazine 1577 01:01:03,190 --> 01:01:01,040 hi thanks for taking my question and uh 1578 01:01:05,030 --> 01:01:03,200 really great results um i'd like to 1579 01:01:07,190 --> 01:01:05,040 follow up on something john john just 1580 01:01:08,870 --> 01:01:07,200 said i'm interested to know uh 1581 01:01:11,750 --> 01:01:08,880 maybe even from from 1582 01:01:15,190 --> 01:01:11,760 paul mahaffey about the sam run did you 1583 01:01:17,910 --> 01:01:15,200 see any nitrogen or phosphorus or 1584 01:01:19,270 --> 01:01:17,920 orobutanes and can you talk about what 1585 01:01:22,710 --> 01:01:19,280 was the weight percent level of the 1586 01:01:26,549 --> 01:01:24,549 so i think the the weight percent of the 1587 01:01:28,230 --> 01:01:26,559 phallosilicates is best answered by 1588 01:01:29,510 --> 01:01:28,240 chemin and and you gave a number for 1589 01:01:31,910 --> 01:01:29,520 that of 1590 01:01:34,950 --> 01:01:31,920 20 20 to 38 percent 1591 01:01:38,710 --> 01:01:34,960 and uh did we see nitrogen compounds we 1592 01:01:42,309 --> 01:01:38,720 we certainly are in our trace uh gases 1593 01:01:44,230 --> 01:01:42,319 looking for those uh it's it's uh seems 1594 01:01:46,950 --> 01:01:44,240 that we have some nitrogen oxides uh 1595 01:01:49,910 --> 01:01:46,960 coming up uh we're looking at compounds 1596 01:01:51,270 --> 01:01:49,920 like hcn and so on uh deconvoluting 1597 01:01:53,589 --> 01:01:51,280 those spectra 1598 01:01:55,990 --> 01:01:53,599 requires work and so we're we're working 1599 01:01:58,069 --> 01:01:56,000 away on that but uh it sure looks like 1600 01:01:59,990 --> 01:01:58,079 we have nitrogen compounds there in 1601 01:02:01,910 --> 01:02:00,000 terms of phosphorus we haven't seen any 1602 01:02:03,750 --> 01:02:01,920 but that really is an ap excess result 1603 01:02:04,870 --> 01:02:03,760 they they see phosphorus in their 1604 01:02:08,230 --> 01:02:04,880 compounds 1605 01:02:11,109 --> 01:02:08,240 very interestingly we see a fair bit of 1606 01:02:12,950 --> 01:02:11,119 hydrogen chloride coming up into our 1607 01:02:14,950 --> 01:02:12,960 into our lines and so 1608 01:02:17,029 --> 01:02:14,960 the chlorine is not just producing these 1609 01:02:20,230 --> 01:02:17,039 trace 1610 01:02:22,630 --> 01:02:20,240 chloromethane compounds but is also 1611 01:02:25,990 --> 01:02:22,640 producing hydrochloric acid 1612 01:02:29,029 --> 01:02:27,349 next up 1613 01:02:30,789 --> 01:02:29,039 peter spots christian science monitor 1614 01:02:32,230 --> 01:02:30,799 peter 1615 01:02:35,190 --> 01:02:32,240 well thank you very much for extending 1616 01:02:37,750 --> 01:02:35,200 this um the one question i have 1617 01:02:39,910 --> 01:02:37,760 for john i think it is uh earlier in in 1618 01:02:41,829 --> 01:02:39,920 this series of briefings since the 1619 01:02:44,470 --> 01:02:41,839 landing you mentioned that there were 1620 01:02:46,470 --> 01:02:44,480 some tests you would have to perform uh 1621 01:02:47,910 --> 01:02:46,480 once you did find organics to see if 1622 01:02:48,950 --> 01:02:47,920 they were home grown or came from 1623 01:02:51,750 --> 01:02:48,960 elsewhere i wonder if you could 1624 01:02:54,470 --> 01:02:51,760 recapitulate that a bit 1625 01:02:56,230 --> 01:02:54,480 uh yeah uh i'll i'll just answer quickly 1626 01:02:59,190 --> 01:02:56,240 and then see if paul wants to add 1627 01:03:01,029 --> 01:02:59,200 further to that but uh as paul outlined 1628 01:03:04,150 --> 01:03:01,039 uh you know we're not done yet here we 1629 01:03:06,069 --> 01:03:04,160 want to do some more runs uh to to 1630 01:03:07,510 --> 01:03:06,079 enhance the the signal that that he's 1631 01:03:09,910 --> 01:03:07,520 seeing in sam 1632 01:03:12,390 --> 01:03:09,920 uh but after that if we got a positive 1633 01:03:13,750 --> 01:03:12,400 detection that was reinforced and and we 1634 01:03:16,150 --> 01:03:13,760 know that the 1635 01:03:17,910 --> 01:03:16,160 if there's an organic compound that's 1636 01:03:20,230 --> 01:03:17,920 not coming from the instrument and it's 1637 01:03:21,829 --> 01:03:20,240 not coming from the rover then we can 1638 01:03:24,150 --> 01:03:21,839 feel confident that it does come from 1639 01:03:26,710 --> 01:03:24,160 mars then we got two options there the 1640 01:03:29,109 --> 01:03:26,720 one is is that you know there's this all 1641 01:03:31,829 --> 01:03:29,119 there's this sort of never-ending 1642 01:03:34,309 --> 01:03:31,839 rain of of cosmic debris that occurs on 1643 01:03:36,390 --> 01:03:34,319 the surface of the planet and so it 1644 01:03:38,870 --> 01:03:36,400 could be that we're detecting that and 1645 01:03:41,750 --> 01:03:38,880 then it could be that it is actually 1646 01:03:44,390 --> 01:03:41,760 being manufactured on mars and then you 1647 01:03:46,309 --> 01:03:44,400 have to bifurcate again to in order to 1648 01:03:49,349 --> 01:03:46,319 show that the organic that you're seeing 1649 01:03:51,349 --> 01:03:49,359 wasn't manufactured by some inorganic 1650 01:03:52,390 --> 01:03:51,359 process for example in a hydrothermal 1651 01:03:55,270 --> 01:03:52,400 environment 1652 01:03:57,109 --> 01:03:55,280 uh and and then if you can discount that 1653 01:03:59,670 --> 01:03:57,119 then maybe you've got something that 1654 01:04:01,829 --> 01:03:59,680 that could be a trace of a buy signature 1655 01:04:04,069 --> 01:04:01,839 but that's a that's a long row for us to 1656 01:04:06,069 --> 01:04:04,079 hoe there 1657 01:04:08,789 --> 01:04:06,079 our last question is going to be from 1658 01:04:13,670 --> 01:04:08,799 mark kaufman from the washington post 1659 01:04:16,390 --> 01:04:14,710 all right 1660 01:04:18,950 --> 01:04:16,400 okay thank you very much thank you very 1661 01:04:22,789 --> 01:04:18,960 much every single question um 1662 01:04:28,069 --> 01:04:24,789 has talked about 1663 01:04:29,589 --> 01:04:28,079 yellowknife bay as being aqueous and and 1664 01:04:32,470 --> 01:04:29,599 references to 1665 01:04:34,230 --> 01:04:32,480 possibly a a lake 1666 01:04:35,990 --> 01:04:34,240 could you could anyone be more specific 1667 01:04:38,230 --> 01:04:36,000 i mean would it be accurate to say that 1668 01:04:41,029 --> 01:04:38,240 at this point you believe that this 1669 01:04:46,309 --> 01:04:41,039 was a lake or something like a lake and 1670 01:04:51,190 --> 01:04:49,029 i i think mark uh you'll continue to see 1671 01:04:51,990 --> 01:04:51,200 us hum and haw about that one 1672 01:04:52,829 --> 01:04:52,000 uh 1673 01:04:55,589 --> 01:04:52,839 you know 1674 01:04:57,910 --> 01:04:55,599 the there's obviously this unit uh 1675 01:05:00,470 --> 01:04:57,920 called the sheep bed and and the 1676 01:05:01,670 --> 01:05:00,480 geologists can can map this around and 1677 01:05:04,230 --> 01:05:01,680 and see that it extends around 1678 01:05:06,309 --> 01:05:04,240 yellowknife bay and that it projects 1679 01:05:07,190 --> 01:05:06,319 under what we call the gillespie unit 1680 01:05:09,349 --> 01:05:07,200 and so 1681 01:05:11,029 --> 01:05:09,359 it extends underneath the outcrop to 1682 01:05:12,870 --> 01:05:11,039 some unknown distance 1683 01:05:14,789 --> 01:05:12,880 so you know just looking around the bay 1684 01:05:17,029 --> 01:05:14,799 that's that's sort of a minimum 1685 01:05:18,470 --> 01:05:17,039 and uh but the real question is you know 1686 01:05:21,510 --> 01:05:18,480 if this was a lake 1687 01:05:23,349 --> 01:05:21,520 how long how deep uh you know what what 1688 01:05:24,870 --> 01:05:23,359 was it like the hydrology and that's a 1689 01:05:26,150 --> 01:05:24,880 much much harder thing for us to 1690 01:05:28,870 --> 01:05:26,160 reconstruct 1691 01:05:31,510 --> 01:05:28,880 uh so i i think it's safest for at this 1692 01:05:33,430 --> 01:05:31,520 point to just say that uh we we see 1693 01:05:35,029 --> 01:05:33,440 something that's fine-grained it could 1694 01:05:37,750 --> 01:05:35,039 have been the material that was eroded 1695 01:05:38,630 --> 01:05:37,760 from the crater rim that accumulated 1696 01:05:42,549 --> 01:05:38,640 uh 1697 01:05:43,510 --> 01:05:42,559 pool 1698 01:05:45,109 --> 01:05:43,520 uh 1699 01:05:47,750 --> 01:05:45,119 but we don't have to go much further 1700 01:05:51,589 --> 01:05:47,760 than that and uh and and we'll just have 1701 01:05:53,589 --> 01:05:51,599 to see we can still collect more data 1702 01:05:55,670 --> 01:05:53,599 okay now i'd like to invite dr 1703 01:06:05,430 --> 01:05:55,680 grimsville up for some remarks and then 1704 01:06:08,870 --> 01:06:07,430 well gentlemen thanks very much for that 1705 01:06:09,670 --> 01:06:08,880 that description 1706 01:06:11,829 --> 01:06:09,680 uh 1707 01:06:13,430 --> 01:06:11,839 first of all congratulations i mean 1708 01:06:15,349 --> 01:06:13,440 really incredible and i know it's been 1709 01:06:18,309 --> 01:06:15,359 you know years of hard work to get this 1710 01:06:19,910 --> 01:06:18,319 far i used to uh to hike around as a 1711 01:06:22,069 --> 01:06:19,920 young boy with a rock hammer and a 1712 01:06:23,829 --> 01:06:22,079 collection bag here on earth trying to 1713 01:06:25,910 --> 01:06:23,839 find interesting samples and i have 1714 01:06:27,990 --> 01:06:25,920 boxes of of rocks 1715 01:06:31,270 --> 01:06:28,000 uh you know i was always on the quest 1716 01:06:33,109 --> 01:06:31,280 for fossils very hard to find on earth 1717 01:06:34,390 --> 01:06:33,119 you know even if you know you know where 1718 01:06:35,750 --> 01:06:34,400 to look for them 1719 01:06:37,910 --> 01:06:35,760 but you know this has just been an 1720 01:06:39,910 --> 01:06:37,920 incredible adventure uh just to get to 1721 01:06:41,829 --> 01:06:39,920 this point and so early in the mission 1722 01:06:43,029 --> 01:06:41,839 uh that that you must all be very happy 1723 01:06:44,870 --> 01:06:43,039 you know someone asked well how do you 1724 01:06:46,470 --> 01:06:44,880 feel just sitting in the audience here i 1725 01:06:49,029 --> 01:06:46,480 feel giddy 1726 01:06:49,829 --> 01:06:49,039 because i have an image now 1727 01:06:52,630 --> 01:06:49,839 of 1728 01:06:53,670 --> 01:06:52,640 you know possibly a lake a freshwater 1729 01:06:55,190 --> 01:06:53,680 lake 1730 01:06:57,510 --> 01:06:55,200 on a mars with probably a thicker 1731 01:07:00,549 --> 01:06:57,520 atmosphere maybe a snowcap mount sharp i 1732 01:07:02,789 --> 01:07:00,559 mean who knows and so now we have 1733 01:07:05,029 --> 01:07:02,799 the food to imagine a very different 1734 01:07:07,670 --> 01:07:05,039 mars than the one that you see behind us 1735 01:07:10,069 --> 01:07:07,680 now the modern mars the martin gale 1736 01:07:11,430 --> 01:07:10,079 crater which is a very dry foreboding 1737 01:07:13,349 --> 01:07:11,440 place 1738 01:07:15,670 --> 01:07:13,359 having said that though and looking at 1739 01:07:17,990 --> 01:07:15,680 the image and thinking about the work 1740 01:07:20,789 --> 01:07:18,000 that you're doing with curiosity on mars 1741 01:07:22,470 --> 01:07:20,799 uh it makes me want to go 1742 01:07:24,309 --> 01:07:22,480 and so let me just ask you i mean how 1743 01:07:26,549 --> 01:07:24,319 many of you now would like to go to mars 1744 01:07:27,589 --> 01:07:26,559 and be able to go with a rock hammer and 1745 01:07:28,950 --> 01:07:27,599 maybe a little more modern 1746 01:07:33,029 --> 01:07:28,960 instrumentation 1747 01:07:34,549 --> 01:07:33,039 uh so well at least one hand goes up 1748 01:07:37,109 --> 01:07:34,559 just just make the 1749 01:07:39,510 --> 01:07:37,119 the trip short between here and there 1750 01:07:40,870 --> 01:07:39,520 okay i'll go john so you can get me back 1751 01:07:43,190 --> 01:07:40,880 yeah well i think that's a critical 1752 01:07:44,630 --> 01:07:43,200 element absolutely and in fact we we are 1753 01:07:46,950 --> 01:07:44,640 going you know i mean the fact is that 1754 01:07:49,750 --> 01:07:46,960 we are on mars we're exploring mars with 1755 01:07:51,829 --> 01:07:49,760 curiosity we still have uh opportunity 1756 01:07:54,230 --> 01:07:51,839 roving mars reconnaissance orbiter 1757 01:07:57,109 --> 01:07:54,240 odyssey uh collaboration with with east 1758 01:07:59,589 --> 01:07:57,119 on mars express we have maven on the way 1759 01:08:01,589 --> 01:07:59,599 hopefully this year that's the plan uh 1760 01:08:02,710 --> 01:08:01,599 to orbit mars we have insight planning 1761 01:08:05,510 --> 01:08:02,720 to land 1762 01:08:07,589 --> 01:08:05,520 uh in mid-decade we are participating 1763 01:08:09,990 --> 01:08:07,599 with esa on their exomars program and 1764 01:08:13,029 --> 01:08:10,000 then as michael myers said we're working 1765 01:08:15,190 --> 01:08:13,039 on a mars 2020 rover kind of the cousin 1766 01:08:16,630 --> 01:08:15,200 of curiosity and i think it's the 1767 01:08:18,149 --> 01:08:16,640 questions that you're answering today 1768 01:08:20,630 --> 01:08:18,159 and you know i mean this is a pretty big 1769 01:08:22,229 --> 01:08:20,640 one is did mars i mean this is a huge 1770 01:08:24,789 --> 01:08:22,239 science question a planetary science 1771 01:08:26,309 --> 01:08:24,799 question did mars ever have a habitable 1772 01:08:28,149 --> 01:08:26,319 environment and we now have an answer i 1773 01:08:29,510 --> 01:08:28,159 think that's incredible and we'll be 1774 01:08:32,390 --> 01:08:29,520 able to follow that up with what we do 1775 01:08:34,309 --> 01:08:32,400 on on a rover later in this decade 1776 01:08:35,349 --> 01:08:34,319 in and 2020. i think that's pretty 1777 01:08:37,510 --> 01:08:35,359 exciting 1778 01:08:39,189 --> 01:08:37,520 so with that i just want to give you my 1779 01:08:41,110 --> 01:08:39,199 thanks for all the hard work and and 1780 01:08:43,990 --> 01:08:41,120 keep it up i'm sure there's a lot more 1781 01:08:51,590 --> 01:08:44,000 surprises that mars has for us as we we 1782 01:08:55,349 --> 01:08:52,950 okay ladies and gentlemen that will do 1783 01:08:57,189 --> 01:08:55,359 it for us i want to thank you for uh 1784 01:09:00,630 --> 01:08:57,199 staying with us a little longer uh 1785 01:09:02,470 --> 01:09:00,640 congratulations to the team and again uh 1786 01:09:04,829 --> 01:09:02,480 keep the conversation going it is going 1787 01:09:07,669 --> 01:09:04,839 on twitter and social media 1788 01:09:09,910 --> 01:09:07,679 www.nasa.gov mars for the latest results 1789 01:09:11,510 --> 01:09:09,920 and if you need to talk the media that 1790 01:09:13,990 --> 01:09:11,520 did not get a chance to ask questions or 1791 01:09:17,269 --> 01:09:14,000 would like interviews please contact my 1792 01:09:19,990 --> 01:09:17,279 office headquarters jpl aims public 1793 01:09:21,990 --> 01:09:20,000 affairs and guarded public affairs it's 1794 01:09:25,110 --> 01:09:22,000 a big family here with uh incredible