Mars Express Confirms Water on Mars

jki writes "So, finally: Through the initial mapping of the South polar cap on 18 January, OMEGA, the combined camera and infrared spectrometer, has already revealed the presence of water ice and carbon dioxide ice. This information was confirmed by the PFS, a new high-resolution spectrometer of unprecedented accuracy. The first PFS data also show that the carbon oxide distribution is different in the northern and southern hemispheres of Mars. The MaRS instrument, a sophisticated radio transmitter and receiver, emitted a first signal successfully on 21 January that was received on Earth through a 70- metre antenna in Australia after it was reflected and scattered from the surface of Mars. This new measurement technique allows the detection of the chemical composition of the Mars atmosphere, ionosphere and surface." On another note, NASA has gotten some sort of signal from Spirit, but it's still not fully functional.

Comments

Europe

[Tirel]

Europe can be proud of this mission: Mars Express is an enormous success for the European Space Programme.

Re:Europe

[Ateryx]

It is a sucess for the Euro Space Programme, although I haven't seen anyone note yet that in 2002 NASA discovered the exact same.

Re:Europe

[Jugalator]

... and now you're just as aggressively generalizing and attacking Europe. *sigh* Try to show some class and not yourself fall down to the levels of those you're attacking (or your impression of them).

All I can see is that they're very excited, happy and proud by the results, as they should be. These feelings are all positive ones and a sign that they're dedicated to the work they do. I seem to recall NASA engineers crying in joy when the Spirit sent back its first signals. I understand them, and I understand why ESA is very relieved by these achievements. They need all the success and publicity they can get, just like NASA, since space organizations like these are constantly fighting to not have their fundings lowered.

Re:Europe

[canthusus]

It's not like the press release didn't rub everyone's faces in the fact it's European.

Why does every press release have to mention how they are doing it "better" than we Americans are.

Err, the only mention of Europe in the press release was the very last paragraph.. "Mrs Edelgard Bulmahn, German Minister for Research and Education, who is also chair of the ESA Council at ministerial level, said at the press conference: "Europe can be proud of this mission: Mars Express is an enormous success for the European space programme."

We are looking at the same press release, right? Because that quote doesn't seem to justify your assertion that ESA has a serious case of American Wang Envy

There is a place for Europe and the US and [insert name of country here] in space exploration. And justification in each country being proud of its successes, and congratulating the others on their successes.

If Mrs Bulmahn's comments offended you that much, then I apologise on her behalf, and on the behalf of The whole damn socialist European Union

Re:Europe

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe I'm wrong, but are you referring to Mars Odyssee? That was in 2001. And it confirmed hydrogen in the southern polar cap. With all probability this equated to water So confirming water vapor is hardly "the exact same".
Not to mention the 2m resolution stereoscopic mapping of the whole planet.

Re:Europe

[brinch]

It is very sad to see, that the results of the current space exploration are always met by childish discussions of which space agency is better and more succesful.

I am quite sure that the the Mars Express team was very aware of the existing discoveries when they designed the instruments and that they by no means intend to steal the credit for the achievements of others.

However, when it comes to please the politicians who pays for the party, it can be necessary to wrap the results in glittering paper. Just try to watch CNN tomorrow night...

Re:Europe

[Haeleth]

I haven't seen anyone note yet that in 2002 NASA discovered the exact same.

No, they didn't. They demonstrated that it was very likely that water was present; the press at the time obviously played that up as "we've found water", but it was not proven. As recently as two or three months ago I remember reading articles about how what they found might not actually be water at all.

What the European mission has now done is proven beyond reasonable doubt that the hydrogen Nasa found is, as we thought, contained in water.

This is not pointless duplication of effort - it's a perfect example of two space agencies producing complementary work and building on each others' successes to further human knowledge.

And it's a crying shame that idiots in America and Europe alike - I'm speaking in general terms, not at you specifically - feel compelled to put down the other side's efforts and hype up their own.

This is science, not sport - everyone's on the same side here.

Re:Europe

[Haeleth]

Seriously though, it's a pity that Beagle seems to have been lost for good. Mars Express may have proved the existance of water but Beagle would have been able to prove the existance of life.

Let's keep our finger's crossed that it eventually is found safe and sound and is still able to carry out its mission.

I think frankly we're going to have to give up on Beagle. It's a pity, but at least it's not a terribly expensive loss. It would be a greater setback if something turns out to be seriously wrong with Spirit as well, or if Opportunity doesn't land safely; I hope I speak for the majority of Europeans when I say I hope the American landers are both able to carry out their missions successfully.

Re:Europe

[Anonymous Coward]

Lotta people seem to think science is a competitive sport these days. Its nice to see space agencies working together. Space is too big too be handled alone and its in everyones mutual interest to find another planet capable of sustaining life. If Mars has water it might not be up for the job, but it could be a great launching point for other missions further out. Spose it all depends how much water and if they can build the machine they did in "The Core" haha. Seriously, has anyone speculated if Mars ever had a molten core, if so, why would it stop and freeze over?

Is this really news?

[loconet]

Correct me if im wrong but didnt we already know there was frozen Water in mars? Isn't what we're looking for liquid water or the indication that there was once liquid water? Is this frozen water in a melted state somewhere else in the planet ..that would be interesting?

Re:heh

[AKAImBatman]

Terraforming?! Do you know what this means? It means that we now have rocket fuel, air, and drinkable water all for the taking! The primary equipment necessary is one nuclear power plant! That just leaves the problem of rockets that are still in one piece by the time they make it to Mars.

Segway into GCNR rockets. They can be used for space travel, and landing and taking off. We could even build CO2 breathing "flyers" for easy transport from orbit to the surface and back. If NASA can, they should start work on the proper engines immediately! WhooHoo!!!

Re:heh

[Anonymous Coward]

Segway into GCNR rockets

"Segway" is a brand-named personal transporter, you mean "segue".

Re:Landers

[MellowTigger]

I don't think the parent question was intended to be funny. I think it's a serious question. I will rephrase:

These new probe imagers have impressive resolution. Any chance that they can be used to identify lost landers and determine what happened to them? It might be useful to somebody to know if a lander ended up in one big piece or thousands of smaller pieces.

Re:Scientific point of view

[tobe]

I'd actually argue that as long as 5-10% of science funding goes towards feeding the public fantastic 'revelations' then the absolute size of the other 90% is far more likely to become and stay large.

Giving the public something to capture their imaginations is a far lesser crime than allowing the majority of science resource in this day and age (admittedly not public money) to be frittered away on 'curing' dandruff, limp hair and stubborn stains.

Centralised, organised world research council. NOW !!

Re:Contact w/ Spirit

[tobe]

Why is it bad news for the brits.. it's good news for everyone. Science is not a competitive pursuit.. it's a collaborative one.

All these technogeeks all this hostility

[gelfling]

It's kind of sad really all these nerds who pretty much owe their lives, livelihoods and amusement to advanced technology constantly pooh poohing this great science going on.

Ah well - the confluence of indifference, stupidity and radical Libertarian 'prices of everything'.

See If NASA promised that Mars science would guarantee the slashnerds could share illegal music for free forever I'm pretty sure those damn Trekkie buffoons could get behind it.

Live long and eat Cheetos, fat goofy weird comicbook store guy.

Re: How would it react to wind?

[thedillybar]

I wouldn't worry about it flipping.

That's why you're not an engineer for NASA. You worry about the little things or you stand on the sideline and watch.

Just out of curiousity...

[NeuroManson]

Would the recent solar eruption have anything to do with Spirit's shutdown? No matter the data speed involved in the transmission, a solar flare and multiple sunspots would generate quite a bit of noise. Especially when you take into account that Mars doesn't have much of, if any magnetosphere to deflect ionizing particles.

Re:JPL has an update: 20min data session rcat 0830

[Jugalator]

That's more good news then. :-)

Let's just hope the good news in it transmitting telemetry data doesn't mean bad news in what the telemetry data shows. :-/

Regardless what, I'm starting to get ready for the Opportunity landing party to be held at #maestro on irc.freenode.net :-D

Re:Don't know 10 bps

[Anonymous Coward]

He already said it doesn't go straight down.
A hole can be 10km deep while only being 8km beneath the crust.

Re:heh

[sgage]

"Hillary's, "Because it's there."

But Hillary did not ask for (at least) tens of billions of tax dollars to accomplish his explorations.

- Steve

Re:heh

[Sivaram_Velauthapill]

I realize that you are a capitalist and that everything should be driven by profits in your world. But the fact of the matter is that the vast majority of scientific research generates ZERO profits--at least in the short term. With your attitude, should we eliminate all theoretical physics (eg. studying the origin of universe, black holes, etc), social science (hardly any money to be made here), biology (why waste time studying animals?), history (who cares), etc.

Knowledge is not a profit-generating instrument. Capitalists have a hard time understanding this. Unfortunately, I have a feeling you just never will realize it...

Sivaram Velauthapillai