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	• Science Desk >> ATW -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mars “As most of us earthlings know, water is absolutely crucial for life on Earth, whether you are a fish, a plant, or a human. Well what about other planets like Mars? Recent finds by NASA’s Mars robotic rover named ‘Opportunity’ conclude that rocks in the area it is currently exploring, called the Meridiani Planum were at one time covered in water. We now have the first clues in detecting if Mars could once sustain life forms. But how did Scientist’s come to the conclusion that Mars once had water…well, it’s a pretty complicated answer, but one of those clues lies in sedimentation.” “You see, if I take a bunch of sand of mixed sizes, mix it in water, and let it settle…” “Eventually, it settles in order of size…larger on the bottom, smaller on top. We call this sedimentation…it is a process similar to this that was noticed in a rock outcrop on Mars. Water once flowed through these rocks, which changed their texture and their chemistry. Rocks are made up of building blocks known as minerals, each of which tells the story of how it came to be a part of any given rock.” “The twin rovers ‘Opportunity’ and ‘Spirit’ which landed on Mars in January will act as robotic field geologists, exploring rocks and soil to determine the role water might have played in Mars past. Each rover is equipped with a package of science instruments as well as a robotic arm with tools on the end that can cut into, analyze and then photograph rock specimens. Scientist’s here on earth will receive satellite transmissions from the twin rovers and examine it’s findings.” “So, why DO we care about whether there was water and life on Mars, well, look at it this way, if there was water and life and it is gone now, wouldn’t it be nice to understand what went wrong there…before it goes wrong here?” “You can learn more about Mars and the twin rovers at the ATW website at ATWONLINE.ORG, And that’s it from the Science Desk!” More Information Jet Propulsion Laboratory Homepage http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ Mars exploration rover mission website http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html NASA's Mars exploration program website http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/ Kids Mars exploration website http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/funzone_flash.html NASA's Homepage http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html © 2004 WXXI-TV/ Assignment: The World. All Rights Reserved.