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Experts Scout Next Mars Landing Site

Irene Klotz, Discovery News

Photos

A Geologic Wonderland

Oct. 26, 2007 -- Scientists are hoping to find a sweet spot between safety and mind-blowing science to land NASA's next Mars rover.

The goal of this week's meeting in Pasadena, Calif., is to whittle down the list of about 50 candidate landing sites for the Mars Science Laboratory to five top contenders.

While some researchers are eager to return Meridiani Planum for detailed studies of the rover Opportunity's discovery of an ancient shallow sea, other teams are pushing for a landing site filled with clay, which could preserve signs of any past water better than most materials.

"The science community wants to go somewhere where we can evaluate the past habitability," said John Grant, a geologist who heads the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies. "Everybody's got a chance to make their case."

Mars Science Lab, slated for launch in 2009, is designed to determine if the environment at the landing site could have supported life.

"It's not looking for life," said Grant. "We want to understand enough about the place to understand if it could have been habitable."

The laboratory will have a much greater range than the twin rovers Opportunity and Spirit, which are in their third years exploring Mars.