11/2/12 1:54 PMMars Curiosity Rover Detects No Methane On Red Planet, Takes Stunning Self-Portrait | TPM Idea Lab

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Mars Curiosity Rover Detects No Methane On Red Planet,Takes Stunning Self-Portrait

CARL FRANZEN - NOVEMBER 2, 2012, 3:45 PM

NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover has been busy at work on the Red Planet,undertaking the first major analysis of Martian soil and the planet’s ultra-thinatmosphere. But it’s also had time to take some photos of the journey,specifically a new high-res, full-color self-portrait using the Mars Hand LensImager (MAHLI) camera on the end of its 7-foot-long robotic arm.

First up — the new science results: Curiosity used its Chemistry and Mineralogyinstrument (CheMin) to bombard a Martian soil sample with X-rays, performingthe most accurate mineral identification on Mars yet, discovering that the soil issimilar in composition to volcanic areas on Earth such as Mauna Kea, Hawai’i,which contains basaltic material.

The soil sample that was analyzed for this purpose was scooped up by the roverfrom an area of Mars known as “Rocknest,” for the prevalence of boulders. Thesample contained particles that were local — originating from the area itself —and global, that is, blown in from around Mars by the planet’s recurring duststorms.

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11/2/12 1:54 PMMars Curiosity Rover Detects No Methane On Red Planet, Takes Stunning Self-Portrait | TPM Idea Lab

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“The ancient rocks…suggest flowing water, while the minerals in the younger soil are consistentwith limited interaction with water,” said Indiana University geology professor David Bish, a co-investigator on the Curiosity rover’s CheMin instrument team, in a statement published byNASA on Tuesday.

Here’s a NASA image of the hole left behind from Curiosity’s scoop on the Martian surfacesnapped by Curiosity’s Mast Camera (Mastcam):

And here’s a NASA graphic showing the results of CheMin’s first soil sample analysis. Thedifferent colors correspond to the intensity of the X-rays used to analyze the soil sample, withred being the most intense:

11/2/12 1:54 PMMars Curiosity Rover Detects No Methane On Red Planet, Takes Stunning Self-Portrait | TPM Idea Lab

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On Friday, NASA held a press teleconference livestreamed online to provide an update on therover’s 23-month long mission (of which three months have already elapsed), during whichscientists also revealed the results of the first-ever search for methane gas performed within theMartian atmosphere, using the Curiosity rover’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM), specifically acomponent called the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS).

Methane gas is an organic molecule and an important potential indicator that life could haveexisted on Mars at some point during the planet’s estimated 4.6 billion year history.

“At this time we don’t have positive detection of methane on Mars,” said Sushil Atreya, a co-investigator on the Curiosity rover’s SAM instrument and a professor of atmospheric and spacescience at the University of Michigan, Ann-Arbor, during the press conference.

Based on SAM’s analysis, the gases that primarily make up the Martian atmosphere includecarbon dioxide (95.9 percent), argon (2.0 percent), nitrogen (1.9 percent), oxygen (0.14 percent)and carbon monoxide (0.06 percent). All are plotted below on the following graph published onNASA’s website Friday:

11/2/12 1:54 PMMars Curiosity Rover Detects No Methane On Red Planet, Takes Stunning Self-Portrait | TPM Idea Lab

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However, the absence of methane in any significant portions in the Red Planet’s atmospherealone does not rule out the potential for life at some point during Martian history, as methanecould have existed in larger, more Earth-like amounts previously only to have been destroyedthrough some natural processes, anything from Martian ozone to the electrical conductivity ofthe planet’s immense dust storms.

Scientists also aren’t ruling out detecting more methane on Mars as they move the rover to otherareas and continue to refine their tests.

“The search goes on,” said Michael Meyer, the lead scientist for the NASA Mars ExplorationProgram, during the press conference.

But for now, one thing is certain: The $2.5 billion rover is still fully operational and in goodshape, as was evidenced in the new, high-resolution, full color self-portrait stitched togetherfrom 55 separate images captured by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a tool that’s similarto the one carried around by human geologists here on earth, and which has been used by therover to snap close-ups of Martian rock to analyze their structure and composition. The newself-portrait is an improved version of a black-and-white self-portrait taken by the rover’snavigational cameras (Navcam) earlier on in the mission.

Here’s the full composite image, published by NASA on Wednesday:

11/2/12 1:54 PMMars Curiosity Rover Detects No Methane On Red Planet, Takes Stunning Self-Portrait | TPM Idea Lab

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TOPICS: Curiosity, Mars, Methane, NASA, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Rover, Space

CARL FRANZENCARL FRANZEN Follow Follow @carlfranzen@carlfranzen

Carl Franzen is TPM Idea Lab's tech reporter. He used to work for The Daily, AOL and TheCarl Franzen is TPM Idea Lab's tech reporter. He used to work for The Daily, AOL and TheAtlantic Wire (though not simultaneously, thankfully). He's never met a button that didn'tAtlantic Wire (though not simultaneously, thankfully). He's never met a button that didn'tneed to be pressed. He can be reached at carl@talkingpointsmemo.com.need to be pressed. He can be reached at carl@talkingpointsmemo.com.

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