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CNA: Life On Mars? Maybe Not: NASA


Vulcann
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From CNA:

 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp...1238785/1/.html

 

Life on Mars? Maybe not: NASA

Posted: 22 November 2012 0755 hrs

 

post-5981-1353549466_thumb.jpg

In this photo provided by NASA's JPL, this is one of the first images taken by NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars on August 6 (AP Photo/NASA/JPL-Caltech)

 

WASHINGTON: NASA downplayed Wednesday talk of a major discovery by its Martian rover after remarks by the mission chief raised hopes it may have unearthed evidence life once existed on the Red Planet.

 

Excitement is building over soon-to-be-released results from NASA's Curiosity rover, which is three months into a two-year mission to determine if Mars has ever been capable of supporting microbial life.

 

Its Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instruments have been sending back information as it hunts for compounds such as methane, as well as hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, that would mean life could once have existed there.

 

In an interview with US broadcaster National Public Radio, aired Tuesday, lead mission investigator John Grotzinger hinted at something major but said there would be no announcement for several weeks.

 

"We're getting data from SAM," he said. "This data is gonna be one for the history books. It's looking really good."

 

A spokesman for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managing the project, appeared to pour cold water Wednesday on the hopes of space enthusiasts looking forward to an earth-shattering discovery.

 

"John was delighted about the quality and range of information coming in from SAM during the day a reporter happened to be sitting in John's office last week. He has been similarly delighted by results at other points during the mission so far," spokesman Guy Webster told AFP.

 

"The scientists want to gain confidence in the findings before taking them outside of the science team. As for history books, the whole mission is for the history books," Webster said.

 

Scientists do not expect Curiosity to find aliens or living creatures but they hope to use it to analyze soil and rocks for signs the building blocks of life are present and may have supported life in the past.

 

The $2.5 billion Curiosity rover -- which landed in Gale Crater on the Red Planet on August 6 -- also aims to study the Martian environment to prepare for a possible human mission there in the coming years.

 

US President Barack Obama has vowed to send humans to the planet by 2030.

 

- AFP/fa

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After reading this, can't help but thinking of a conspiracy theory machiam the plot from the blockbuster Transformers: Dark of the Moon...

 

[laugh][laugh] [laugh]

 

Kena poisoned by too many Hollywood shows I guess [;)]

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For those who didn't watch and do not intend to watch, below is a short description of part of the movie's plot from wiki:

 

"In 1961, the Ark, a Cybertronian spacecraft carrying an invention capable of ending the war between the benevolent Autobots and the malevolent Decepticons, crash lands on the dark side of Earth's Moon. The crash is detected on Earth by NASA, and President John F. Kennedy authorizes a mission to put a man on the Moon as a cover for investigating the craft. In 1969, the crew of Apollo 11 lands on the Moon."

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers:_Dark_of_the_Moon

 

transformers_dark_of_the_moon.jpg

Source: http://www.portemaus.com/2011/06/summer-pr...ansformers.html

 

[wave] [wave]

 

 

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looks like rough sands at ECP [laugh]

so if there is evidence that life was once there, then next would be.. ?

 

Next step?

 

Knowing throughout history the greedy nature of humans with the eternal quest for more resources...

 

COMMAND & CONQUER!!!!

 

[laugh] [laugh]

Edited by Vulcann
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Next step?

 

Knowing throughout history the greedy nature of humans with the eternal quest for more resources...

 

COMMAND & CONQUER!!!!

 

[laugh] [laugh]

 

oo... :blink:

2030

big big signage

Mars, property of US of A

[laugh]

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oo... :blink:

2030

big big signage

Mars, property of US of A

[laugh]

 

[laugh] [laugh]

 

But on a serious note.

 

Do you think folks like Russkies and the late-starting Chinese together with the Yankees does their space explorations purely for mankind?

 

Think again bro [;)]

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then Singapore must join the space race...

we need to re/claim more land for more BTO.

sorry i no seriyous.. [laugh]

 

How do you now we are not? [lipsrsealed] [lipsrsealed] [lipsrsealed]

 

[laugh] [laugh]

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How do you now we are not? [lipsrsealed]

[laugh] [laugh]

 

ooo.. [sly]

better see around in case any tall building is actually a launch tower..

though highly unlikely.. [thumbsup]

hahaha [laugh]

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I still think not possible to send human by 2030.. need at least 2070 .. when fusion engery is finally stabilize..

 

Agree.

 

We will eventually but not now.

 

Technology aside, the other main obstacle to space exploration is the massive distance to other planets.

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2.5billion can feed how many hungry people?

go up there for fu(k?? so wat it support life last time?

all the space mission = waste $ & time.

 

Maybe they know something we don't

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