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A
New Way to Explore
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| The
Valles Marineris, Mars's version of the Grand Canyon,
shown here in comparison to the U.S. |
Man-made
gadgets have been sending information back to Earth since
1965, when the Mariner 4 spacecraft collected the first close-up
photographs of Mars. In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder robotic
rover picked its way across the Martian landscape, transmitting
images to the fixated public via the Internet.
But
while orbiters like Mariner and its descendants provide global
coverage, it comes at limited resolution. Rovers, conversely,
gather a great deal of information from a relatively small
area.
"Planes
bridge the gap," says geologist Wendy Calvin. "They are the
ideal compromise."
Calvin
is particularly interested in unlocking the secrets of 1,500-kilometer-longValles
Marineris. "It' s a big, complicated place," says Calvin.
"It shows complicated historical layers, similar to the Grand
Canyon."
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"The safest bet is to get all the data off before the
glider lands," says Miralles. "At 100 meter per second,
I'm using the term 'land' rather loosely."
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But,
unlike the Grand Canyon, Valles Marineris' origins remain
unknown. Without getting a good look inside the rift, geologists
can't say what those layers are made of or how they got there.
The
gliders' tiny cameras could send back this type of information,
from which scientists could deduce much about Mars' history
and geologic evolution. The data may also settle once and
for all whether liquid water ever flowed on the surface of
Mars.
"New pictures have re-opened a lot of old debates," says Calvin.
"We need help interpreting them."
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 Photo:
NASA/ JPL
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