Nov. 21, 2008 -- NASA's next Mars rover will stake out new ground, bypassing the ancient ocean bed uncovered by one of the agency's current roving robots and head instead toward a potentially richer scientific lode at one of four candidate landing sites. "All the sites are great," said David Blake, a lead scientist for one of the instruments on Mars Science Lab, a six-wheeled spacecraft slated for launch next fall. "I wouldn't be dissatisfied with any place that we went," he said. Blake heads a team that will be using X-rays to identify minerals in Martian rocks and soils. One of the mission's prime goals is to assess at least one region on Mars as a potential habitable for life, either past or present. Related Content: Discovery Space: Top 10 Sites on Mars Irene Klotz's blog: Free Space How Stuff Works: The Mars Rovers Scientists this week narrowed down the list of potential landing sites to four, eliminating the Meridiani Planum region of Mars where the rover Opportunity has been scouting for signs of past water since January 2004. One of its first discoveries was evidence of a past shallow, salty ocean. "I think most of the (science) community has kind of evolved into being very interested in studying clays," Blake told Discovery News. Clays have been found on several locations on Mars with orbiting spacecraft, including Europe's Mars Express and NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. More NewsMouse Cloned From Long-Frozen CellResearchers create a mouse from a long-frozen cell. Will the mammoth be next?'Bubble' Could Protect AstronautsScientists say a "bubble" around a Mars-bound spaceship could protect astronauts.Big Reduction of Snowmobiles in Yellowstone ProposedA new plan would cut snowmobile use by 40 percent in Yellowstone.Microbes: Fuel of the Future?A reddish South American microbe is literally breathing fuel, say scientists.DNA Links Remains to Steve FossetDNA tests on two bones found in California confirm they are those of Steve Fossett.Women Carry More Bacteria Than MenSome bacteria prefer women, suggests a new study. But why?Ancient 'Water Monster' Facing ExtinctionA foot-long salamander that was a key part of Aztec legend is threatened by extinction.Grand Canyon's Youth ConfirmedThe Grand Canyon is millions of years younger than previously thought, argue geologists.My Take: E-Voting Not User FriendlyOpinion: Electronic voting machines don't always capture the intent of voters.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.At 40, Brain and Body SlowThe part of the brain in charge of motion starts a gradual slide in middle age.Spiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates. |
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