Mars could be a viable micro world - The País.com (Spain)

robot Curiosity on Mars is in the right place and with the right tools to find what scientists are looking for: evidence that the neighboring planet could be suitable for once in their life history. In the Gale crater that NASA vehicle down in August last year there is an area that, by its physical and chemical characteristics, have been a lake low salinity, relatively neutral pH, the presence of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen , sulfur, nitrogen and phosphorus. They are ingredients which make the place, named Yellowknife Bay, a theoretically can harbor microorganisms such as those found in caves and vents in the earth environment. It was about 4,000 million years ago and the conditions for a form of biosphere could persist hundreds or even tens of thousands of years, say John Grotzinger (scientific leader of the mission of Curiosity ) and colleagues.

“Importantly, we did not find signs of life on Mars remote, what we discovered is that the Gale crater could have a lake on its surface, at least once in the past, that may have been favorable for microbial life, billions of years ago. And this is a huge step forward in the exploration of Mars, “says Sanjeev Gupta, a researcher at Imperial College London and one of the scientists Curiosity . These results of the latest mission by NASA in the Martian soil were developed last March, and now, after detailed analysis of all the data, published in the journal Science in six articles covering all technical aspects of the investigation. In addition, team members today presented this work at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union, held in San Francisco.

Lake Yellowknife freshwater might have elements that are key to biological activity, which provide perfect conditions for simple life forms like chemolithoautotrophs microorganisms that derive energy from oxidation of inorganic compounds, reports the Imperial College. And it was not the result of occasional flooding, but these waters should be sustained for a long time living environment with conditions suitable for a wide range of prokaryotic organisms, says Grotzinger team. Moreover, this geological formation may be a small part of the rocks of a lacustrine environment flluvial extending underground.

Curiosity , a Jet Propulsion Lboratory Mission (Pasadena, California) is not as right place to find what you want happen. The scientists chose as the destination for your RV laboratory Gale Crater near the Martian Ecuador, from data obtained from the area scout ships orbiting neighboring planet. Had been identified in that area pointing geological features shaped by past water environments. And they were right researchers were based on previous remote scans. The main objective of the robot is Mount Sharp crater center (about 154 kilometers in diameter), specifically the foothills of the elevation of stratified rocks. “The stratigraphy, mineralogy and soil have been well studied from orbit,” Grotzinger state (California Institute of Technology) and colleagues in the first article of Science .

But

geological features found in the vicinity of the landing site (baptized Bradbury) Curiosity that scientists did delay the trip to the base of the mountain to take their time in various parts of Yellowknife Bay. The robot ran 445 meters (and down 18) between Bradbury and Yellowknife.

Curiosity

were sent orders that applied in this field full battery of tests and survey instruments having. Thus, it has chemical and mineralogical analysis, has taken photomicrographs of rocks and has even drilled into the ground by taking samples of gray fine-grained sediments that are formed over time, from clay or mud.

One of six papers presented now Science collects radiation measurements taken by the Curiosity for the trip from Earth to Mars and there, on the floor, for 300 days. “Exposure to radiation on the surface of Mars is much stronger than at the surface pro two reasons: Mars lacks a global magnetic field to deflect charged particles [like Earth] and the atmosphere of Mars is much fainter (less than 1% of Earth’s), so it provides little protection against high energy particles impinging on the top of the atmosphere, “explained Science Donald M. Hassler and colleagues Curiosity computer.

This type of radiation measurements are important both to estimate the chances that any life would get ahead there to know the risk that they would astronauts travel to the neighboring planet. According to data presented at the American Geophysical Union, the radiation measured in the Martian soil between August 2012 and June 2013 has been of0, 67 millisievert average (excluding major solar tomentas), while exposure to radiation in a normal chest radiograph is 0.02 milisievert.Teniendo into account the radiation measured by the instruments Curiosity during the trip, the total dose that astronauts would receive on a mission to Mars would be a few thousand millisievert.

“If Martian life exists, or existed in the past, it is reasonable to assume that this or was based on organic molecules and would therefore be the same vulnerability to radiation of energetic particles”, remind researchers.