Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP)

Seminar Detail

The Mars Exploration Rover Mission

Presenter: Dave Des Marais

November 9, 2004 02:30 PM Pacific

The rovers Spirit and Opportunity are robotic field geologists that investigate the crustal composition, environmental history, and potential habitability of Mars. The Gusev Crater and Terra Meridiani landing sites were selected to "follow the water" that might have shaped their landscapes and mineralogy. At Gusev Crater, the Spirit rover observed evidence of liquid water in fractures and cavities in rocks near the landing site, in salty horizons in the soil, and in extensively altered rocks in the Columbia Hills. At Meridiani Planum, Opportunity discovered sulfate-rich bedrock, sedimentary laminations, hematite concretions, and bedrock dissolution features that indicate the former presence of abundant liquid water. The MER rovers have shown that both sites had the potential to sustain life sometime in the past.

Participation Instructions

http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/seminars/instructions.cfm