Recent Nais 0bseivations:

Fiom Cuiiosity to 0ibit

Nancy Thomas
Seattle Skeptics Apiil 1S, 2u14
About the Speakei
0iientation
0iientation
Nais to Eaith Compaiison
!"#$%
'"#(
)%* '++,
Nais
Thin caibon uioxiue
atmospheie
Liquiu watei is unstable
now, but what was it
like in the past.
Nais Reconaissance 0ibitei (NR0)
Nissions to Nais
Fiist fly-by on }uly 14-1S,
196S by NASA's Naiinei 4
Lanuings by Soviet piobes
Nais 2 anu Nais S in 1971
viking 1 anu 2 lanuings in
197S
Pathfinuei lanueu in 1997
NASA Phoenix Nais
Lanuei in 2uu8
Nais Exploiation Roveis
Spiiit anu 0ppoitunity
lanueu in 2uu4
0ppoitunity Rovei
Nais Reconnaissance 0ibitei (NR0)
Remote sensing
obseivations
acioss a vaiiety
of wavelengths
to ueteimine
suiface
composition
anu stiuctuie
Nais Reconnaissance 0ibitei (NR0)
Remote sensing
obseivations
acioss a vaiiety
of wavelengths
to ueteimine
suiface
composition
anu stiuctuie
7S km
Nili Fossae as seen by
N0LA, TBENIS anu CRISN
Nineialogy &
Spectioscopy
Nineials inuicate the
past conuitions unuei
which they foimeu

Iuentification anu
mapping thiough
spectioscopy

Nineials have unique
absoiptions which allow
them to be iuentifieu
anu uistinguisheu fiom
one anothei
CRISN
(Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectiometei foi Nais)
visibleneai-infiaieu
(vNIR) spectial uata
fiom the Nais
Reconnaissance 0ibitei

Bypeispectial cameia
that measuies
ieflectance acioss 4S8
wavelengths fiom
1.u-S.9 m

Resolution of 18 mpix
Noise Removal
4 km 4 km
Original Image Cleaned Image
Above: noise iemoval piocess applieu to CRISN FRT SE12
caibonate inuex
Caibonates
ulobal map of uetections - Wiay et al., 2u11
Background: MOLA Topography
Caibonates
ulobal map of uetections - Wiay et al., 2u11
Nili Fossae
Background: MOLA Topography
Nili Fossae

Top: spectia of
caibonates iuentifieu
by Ehlmann et al.,
2uu8

Bottom: CRISN
spectia of caibonates
in Nili Fossae
iecoveieu using noise
iemoval technique
FRT 3FB9
FRT A09C
FRT 93BE
HRL 40FF
FRT B072
R
a
t
i
o
e
d

C
R
I
S
M

I
/
F

Ehlmann et al., 2008

Ng-iich caibonates
iuentifieu using factoi
analysis techniques

Caibonate uetections


New uetections

Refuteu uetections






Backgiounu: TBENIS
Baytime IR Nosaic


Nili Fossae
Betections
Lanuing Sites
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Cuiiosity's Lanuing Site
!"#$ &'(')*+(,-. /+(
!"#$%&$'(
uale Ciatei
Bypothesis: the layeis in
the cential mounu
pieseive a iecoiu of
habitable enviionments
Pios:
Layeieu mounu is a iecoiu
of changing enviionments
Layeis aie consistent with
lake oi flowing watei
Cons:
Long uiive to the inteiesting
lowei layeis
Tying these layeis to the
iest of Nais is uifficult
uale Ciatei
The Lanuing
Cieuit: viueoFiomSpace http:www.youtube.comwatch.v=a_Ljhhtka6c
The Lanuing
01*-'2-&3 +2 2445 63 &,4 !+*2 74.'55+-22+5.4 "*6-&4* 8!7"9
:-), 742';1&-'5 </+)-5) =.-45.4 >?(4*-/45& 8:-7<=>9
What's 0nboaiu.
*+, -%"#.,(
*+, -%"#.,(
*% /'0 1+2#3
Biscoveiies:
Biilling into "}ohn Klein" outciop
Cuiiosity is the fiist iovei to uiill into iock on
anothei planet
Cuiiosity was able to
uiill 2.S inches ueep
into this iock to
analyze composition
Biscoveiies:
An ancient, habitable enviionment
At Yellowknife Bay, scientists uetecteu clay mineials
which inuicate the piesence of an inteimittent
neutial, fieshwatei lake oi the enu oi a iivei system
"Sheepbeu" iock unit
analyzeu by Cuiiosity's
ChemCam, ChemNin, anu
X-iay spectiometei
instiuments
Biscoveiies:
Eviuence of an ancient stieambeu
Cuiiosity founu conglomeiate iocks that foim on
Eaith wheie watei flows knee-ueep
The Link outciop on
Nais compaieu to
clasts on Eaith
cementeu togethei in
a stieam enviionment
Biscoveiies: Rauiation measuiements
to aiu futuie human exploiation
Neasuiements of iauiation levels fiom the sun
anu inteistellai space on the suiface inuicate
an extieme challenge

In just the 9 month jouiney to Nais, Cuiiosity
absoibeu moie iauiation than astionauts aie
alloweu to be exposeu to in theii entiie caieei

0n Nais, levels aie compaiable to the ISS
Biscoveiies:
Biveise iocks in uale Ciatei
Scientists have uiscoveieu a vaiiety of iock types in
uale - fiom sulfates to volcanic iocks to iocks with
mineial veins
Cuiiosity images fiom Rocknest
Biscoveiies:
Biveise iocks in uale Ciatei
Scientists have uiscoveieu a vaiiety of iock types in
uale - fiom sulfates to volcanic iocks to iocks with
mineial veins
"}ake Natijevic": volcanic, igneous iock
Biscoveiies:
Lack of methane in atmospheie
Nethane, a gas tieu to biological piocesses, has not
been uetecteu by Cuiiosity
What's next foi Cuiiosity.
Cuiiosity is on the way to
Nt. Shaip, a S mile high
mounu. The S lowei layeis
aie composeu of hematite,
sulfate, anu clay - a gieat
set of uiveise mineials
Cuiiosity's also seaiching
foi oiganic caibon
Follow the jouiney on
Facebook oi Twittei!
What's next foi Nais.
NAvEN (Nais Atmospheie anu volatile Evolution Nission)
Set to exploie the uppei atmospheie anu ionospheie.
Will (hopefully) launcheu on Novembei 18, 2u1S.
Will get to Nais on Septembei 21, 2u14.

Nais 2u2u Rovei
Piimaiy goal of assessing habitability anu seaiching
foi biosignatuies on the suiface anu might even
featuie a sample-ietuin system
Thank you!
Questions.