Fwd: Drill Mars

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From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: May 18, 2013 9:51:36 AM GMT-06:00
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Drill Mars

 

Drill Mars

18.05.2013 ::

 

A joint project of the European Space Agency and the Russian Space Agency involves sending the 2016 orbiter to study Mars and landing on its surface lander, and in 2018 sent to the rover. Platform for interplanetary station will create an NGO named after SA Lavochkin, and scientific equipment at the Institute of Space Research.

 

Mars. It is already known that the conditions on the red planet is far from comfortable. Too cold and dry, strong radiation. The surface is completely covered with a thin crust - regolith. Scientists believe that under this shell, or in the cracks of rocks can hide primitive microbial life. You just need to discover it.

 

"Why do interesting Mars? Well, from a very pragmatic point of view, that in the 15-16 centuries, Magellan, Columbus, Vasco da Gamma mastered the globe, looking for new continents. Age of Discovery was over, unfortunately. That's us in the 20-21 age who live in the world already has a few that look, "- says the director of the Institute of Space Research Leo Green.

 

Approach to the solution of the Red Planet, scientists are trying for a long time. Europe and Russia have decided to do it in a scientific and technical collaboration.

 

ExoMars - a joint project of Russian Federal Space Agency and the European Space Agency. Start orbiter in 2016. Then fly to Mars "first swallow" - probe - scout. Followed two years later by the same route will go interplanetary landing station.

 

"In 2018, we named Lavochkin NPO will make a very large complex platform on which our and European scientists will hang 40-50 kg of scientific instruments for the study of seismology Mars, Mars climate, winds, pressure distribution on Mars. The platform sits on the surface, which we never did. At the same time it has the task to deliver there rover "- continues to tell Leo Green.

 

Here, in the laboratory of the Institute of Space Research, led by George Managadze already are working on scientific equipment. Analogue equipment for a future interplanetary expeditions yet. But it has yet to qualify.

 

"What are we going to do? We're going to let zaburit half a meter deep. After that, remove the regolith along with the germs and then in a special unit, which will be on the board, extract, ie pull these microbes, "- says head of the laboratory diagnosis of active SRI George Managadze.

 

In December last year, the entire world was waiting for a splash from the Red Planet. American Mars Rover "Kyuriositi" found organic molecules on Mars. But a clear answer where they came from, scientists have not yet received.

 

"And all we can say U.S. experts mistake was the fact that they are now carrying costs too. Buryats only 5 cm, penetrate only 5 cm, and I want to say that it is necessary to dig deeper. This is a general term for the study of life, and for science. Dig deeper and get a result, "- George continues Managadze.

 

To take a soil sample from a depth of half a meter, Russian scientists have developed a special drill. It seems to be a small device, but easily passes through even the bricks. However, the drill only half the battle. "This facility we use for the extraction, ie separating microorganisms from the soil. After gruntozabornik we here comes a soil sample or frozen rock. Microorganisms are float and the upper liquid layer. Samples with microorganisms and the fluid supplied to the substrate, which lies at the bottom and vaporized by heat, "- says the engineer laboratory diagnosis of active SRI Anastasia Safronova.

 

This laboratory model. Mars, of course, will not fly. On a real device, all actions will be performed automatically. However, the principle is the same: remove the Martian soil using drill and analyze its composition over all the possible parameters.

 

"Here we see one sample that is loaded, and the monitor can see the range of the sample, which gives the answer to the question of what this test is. And we are confident that this device will answer the question: What are the elements of the soil on the surface of Mars, as well as whether it contains organic substances, including those that may be associated with the presence of lifeand "- explains senior laboratory diagnostic laboratories active SRI Constantine Archers.

 

If you dream a little, one can imagine the near future. Scientists on Earth get here is a spectral image. This would mean that Mars is biomass - a sign of life. So we still are not alone in the world of inanimate lights.

 

Roskosmos TV studio