Post: #1

from https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-...ery-solved

NASA will detail a major science finding from the agency’s ongoing exploration of Mars during a news briefing at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 28 at the James Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The event will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

News conference participants will be:

· Jim Green, director of planetary science at NASA Headquarters

· Michael Meyer, lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters

· Lujendra Ojha of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta

· Mary Beth Wilhelm of NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California and the Georgia Institute of Technology

· Alfred McEwen, principal investigator for the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) at the University of Arizona in Tucson

A brief question-and-answer session will take place during the event with reporters on site and by phone. Members of the public also can ask questions during the briefing using #AskNASA.

To participate in the briefing by phone, reporters must email their name, media affiliation and telephone number to Steve Cole at [email protected] by 9 a.m. EDT on Monday.

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and to view the news briefing, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information about NASA's journey to Mars:

https://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars

-end-

Maybe they found liquid water? Or sings of life?

Post: #2

Excellent news.

I cannot wait for them to finish the James Webb Telescope. The NASA website even have round-the-clock webcam showing works being done in real time on the telescope.

http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/

A couple of cool videos too.






Here is how James Webb compares to Hubble

Post: #3

Where has the intense fervor for space travel gone? When I was a child, NASA was on my mind all of the time. There was something just so surreal about space and the vastness of it. Carl Sagan said it best that we should solve our problems on Earth first, but honestly there's nothing but good that can come from exploring the last frontier of human existence.


Also, liquid water on Mars?

I would probably flip if they found organic matter. That is some groundbreaking shit.

Post: #4

(09-27-2015 11:58 AM)Aer Wrote:  Where has the intense fervor for space travel gone? When I was a child, NASA was on my mind all of the time. There was something just so surreal about space and the vastness of it. Carl Sagan said it best that we should solve our problems on Earth first, but honestly there's nothing but good that can come from exploring the last frontier of human existence.


Also, liquid water on Mars?

I would probably flip if they found organic matter. That is some groundbreaking shit.

What happened? this:



When I was a kid I was reading through Asimov and all the best sci-fi I an find. The utter disappointment I feel sometimes how all my dreams of space exploration are shattered by the utter total stupidity of what come to exist. We were so close, so fucking close to something wonderful...

Post: #5

I sure hope Jim Green doesn't wear a sexist shirt.

Post: #6

(09-27-2015 12:13 PM)Handsome Creepy Eel Wrote:  I sure hope Jim Green doesn't wear a sexist shirt.

(09-27-2015 12:09 PM)Glaucon Wrote:  What happened? this:



When I was a kid I was reading through Asimov and all the best sci-fi I an find. The utter disappointment I feel sometimes how all my dreams of space exploration are shattered by the utter total stupidity of what come to exist. We were so close, so fucking close to something wonderful...

You have a good point there.

/thread-42363.html

^^^ This thread proves it.

.

Post: #7

(09-27-2015 12:13 PM)Handsome Creepy Eel Wrote:  I sure hope Jim Green doesn't wear a sexist shirt.

They should double down, wear a 'make me a sammich, bitch' T-shirt.

Post: #8

(09-27-2015 01:34 PM)Phoenix Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 12:13 PM)Handsome Creepy Eel Wrote:  I sure hope Jim Green doesn't wear a sexist shirt.

They should double down, wear a 'make me a sammich, bitch' T-shirt.

Just add some stars and sexist depictions of pretty girls, and they're good to go.

Post: #9

(09-27-2015 11:58 AM)Aer Wrote:  Where has the intense fervor for space travel gone? When I was a child, NASA was on my mind all of the time. There was something just so surreal about space and the vastness of it. Carl Sagan said it best that we should solve our problems on Earth first, but honestly there's nothing but good that can come from exploring the last frontier of human existence.

Also, liquid water on Mars?

I would probably flip if they found organic matter. That is some groundbreaking shit.

The budget of NASA has been roughly .5-1% of the total budget since the late 70s. It peaked during the Apollo program at 4.4%.

Bottom line is we'd have to commit more money, which I have always supported. It's strange considering I think this is one area where a number of conservatives and liberals agree.

Post: #10

I believe the hierarchy of needs applies to both people and societies. If a person doesn't have their basic means met - food, shelter, etc then they won't be able to do higher level shit like philosophy or quantum physics.

Same with society. When NASA was at their zenith US society had its basic needs met to a T: stable society, families, a strong middle class, manufacturing base, growing economy, security, etc.

Now the US is on a severe decline. People can't even form relationships with each other or trust higher institutions, so how will we get together to do something grand like space exploration?

Post: #11

(09-27-2015 11:58 AM)Aer Wrote:  Where has the intense fervor for space travel gone? When I was a child, NASA was on my mind all of the time. There was something just so surreal about space and the vastness of it. Carl Sagan said it best that we should solve our problems on Earth first, but honestly there's nothing but good that can come from exploring the last frontier of human existence.


Also, liquid water on Mars?

I would probably flip if they found organic matter. That is some groundbreaking shit.

It's really sad how the allure of space exploration disappeared with the disintegration of the USSR. China and India aren't really forcing the US off their laurels to compete for the skies. If China or India put a base on the moon, or Mars, you can bet the US/EU will follow.

Unfortunately the massive distances and the lack of breakthrough technology has also sapped the confidence of the financiers of these projects. At its height NASA had 5% of the US federal budget assigned to it. NASA was a matter of national security. Now, not so much.

Post: #12

So if they colonize mars, are any women born there going to be called 'martians'? You all know what I'm thinking...

Post: #13

Indeed, it makes you wonder if American politicians were really interested in space exploration, human knowledge and evolution or if they just wanted to get there before the Russians, like a kid who doesn't want another kid to have the toy. Nowadays politicians are more interested in pouring trillions into the military industrial complex useless projects than to fund something that is actually helpful for mankind.

Post: #14

Mars data sheet anyone?

Post: #15

(09-27-2015 11:58 AM)Aer Wrote:  Where has the intense fervor for space travel gone? When I was a child, NASA was on my mind all of the time. There was something just so surreal about space and the vastness of it. Carl Sagan said it best that we should solve our problems on Earth first, but honestly there's nothing but good that can come from exploring the last frontier of human existence.


Also, liquid water on Mars?

I would probably flip if they found organic matter. That is some groundbreaking shit.

That would be incredible and the greatest find in the history of mankind (I think).

My bet is that they found liquid water under the soil or something like that.

Post: #16

My guess:

Post: #17

(09-28-2015 03:51 AM)AnonymousBosch Wrote:  My guess:

It's pictures like this that make me want to move to Mars.

Post: #18

(09-27-2015 03:48 PM)Teutatis Wrote:  Indeed, it makes you wonder if American politicians were really interested in space exploration, human knowledge and evolution or if they just wanted to get there before the Russians, like a kid who doesn't want another kid to have the toy. Nowadays politicians are more interested in pouring trillions into the military industrial complex useless projects than to fund something that is actually helpful for mankind.

I don't think it had anything to do with space exploration, but more like making better intercontinental ballistic missiles and ways to shoot them down and bomb each other.

When sputnik was first unveiled as thes first unmanned sattelite, and we knew the Soviets had nukes, and then a way to deliver them, and Kruschev seemed relatively crazy with his quotes like "we will bury you" and whatnot, it gave us incentive to start our own space program.

It was not some sort of competition to say, "let's see who can build the first base on the moon and Mars."

Post: #19

Wow. Evidence of running water in Summer months.

Post: #20

(09-27-2015 11:58 AM)Aer Wrote:  Where has the intense fervor for space travel gone? When I was a child, NASA was on my mind all of the time.

Simple answer. All the the time, money and engineering minds haven't been used to explore over the last generation or two. They have been used to blow up sandy places.

Post: #21

(09-28-2015 11:16 AM)IvanDrago Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 11:58 AM)Aer Wrote:  Where has the intense fervor for space travel gone? When I was a child, NASA was on my mind all of the time.

Simple answer. All the the time, money and engineering minds haven't been used to explore over the last generation or two. They have been used to blow up sandy places.

Also: to play at high-tech gambling.

Post: #22

Cool announcement, they confirmed water can flow on the surface of Mars in certain circumstances.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/28/us/mar...index.html

Quote:NASA scientists said Monday they believe they have confirmed that water intermittently flows on the surface of Mars, a discovery that may have ramifications in the search for past or present life on the planet.

Post: #23

This is an amazing discovery. Care should be taken to confirm it, of course.

That said, while liquid water is indeed indispensable for life as we know it, the evidence points to the liquid water on Mars containing perchlorates (in fact, the dissolved perchlorate salts are what is presumed to permit the water to remain liquid in the low-pressure Martian atmosphere). Perchlorates are strongly oxidizing chemicals often used in explosive devices. They are also quite incompatible with most organisms here on Earth.

Post: #24

(09-28-2015 11:20 AM)Handsome Creepy Eel Wrote:  

(09-28-2015 11:16 AM)IvanDrago Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 11:58 AM)Aer Wrote:  Where has the intense fervor for space travel gone? When I was a child, NASA was on my mind all of the time.

Simple answer. All the the time, money and engineering minds haven't been used to explore over the last generation or two. They have been used to blow up sandy places.

Also: to play at high-tech gambling.

don't forget sexbots and female Viagra...

Post: #25

Am I the only one who is unimpressed? We already knew there was water on Mars since 2005:

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_...north_pole

I'm not saying this isn't an important discovery, it certainly is. But the way they framed the "announcement" made everyone think they would say they found life on Mars. Let's get real, that's the only reason people paid attention to this announcement. It's NASA's version of clickbait.