Potential Landing Sites for EU Mars Rover Selected

kfz versicherung writes "In 2013 the European Space Agency will launch its mission to Mars - ExoMars. The multi-million-euro mission calls for a rover weighing just over 200kg that can trundle over the martian soil in search of past and present life. Now prime landing spots have been selected. The list includes two sites at Meridiani Planum, the flat expanse near Mars' equator where Nasa's Opportunity found possible evidence for an ancient sea. Early in Earth's history, all the primordial biochemistry took place in phyllosilicates, some kind of mineral that is a good matrix for preserving organic matter. Scientists are guessing that a similar site is the best place to start looking for fossil life on the Red Planet."

Comments

Re:why not lots of rovers ?

[ncohafmuta]

Aren't we doing this already? The rover thing. Did I just enter a time warp?
Personally, i could care less about these rovers. It's a planet with red dirt. And, oh yeah, more red dirt. An ancient sea? big whoop. find a sea that's still there and maybe you'll have something. Find some aliens (which no doubt have to be hiding pretty darn well) because, well, again, all i've seen is dirt, and maybe you'll have something.
Odds are though, it's a waste of money.
Is there life out there, well, statistics suggest that with the number of stars and planets out there, one is bound to be in a proximity to a sun to support life. Wanna do something worthwile, how about perfectly super-fast space travel or super-telescopes. Mars is small potatoes and old news.

P.S. Hundreds of millions for 'coolness'? Please..how about we build a few kick ass schools and hospitals with that money.

-Tony

FrisT Spsot

[Anonymous Coward]

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