Mission Mars

     It was a week of Martian discoveries by Nasa and Esa (European Space Agency).

     Nasa's Phoenix which touched down on the North Pole region of Mars on May 25,2008, has done it again----and also within a week.

     Last week an analysis of the data from this mission, had raised questions about the scientific findings of the Viking lander,which had landed on Mars, indicating that there was no life on the Red Planet. When scientists discovered that this mission--Viking--had failed to establish any biological activity, they were disappointed because one of the main goals of the flight was to detect life. But, a recent study of Phoenix data has suggested that the Viking findings may after all not have been absolutely correct.

     After this comes another discovery by Phoenix which has suggested that liquid water has interacted with the Martian surface throughout the planet's history and into the modern times. The research, according to Nasa, also provides new evidence that volcanic activity has persisted on Mars into geologically recent times, several million years ago.

     According to Nasa, although the lander is no longer operating, scientists continue to analyse data gathered from that mission. These recent findings are based upon the planet's carbon diaxide which makes about 95 per cent of the Martian atmosphere.

     Measurements were performed by an instrument on Phoenix called Evolved Gas Analyser. Nasa says that the instrument was capable of doing more accurate analysis of carbon diaxide than similar instruments on Nasa's Viking lander missions in the 1970s.

                                                           -------------------

     From Phoenix to Mars Express.  The European Space Agency's Mars Express recently found an elongated crater near Mars'equator in the eastern hemisphere. It extends approximately 380 kms by 140 kms in the north-north-east and south-south-west direction. The crater has a rim that rises upto 1800 metres above the surrounding plains while the floor of the depression lies 400-600 metres below the surroundings.

    Speculation about its origin ranges from a possible volcanic activity to impact by meteorites. Esa scientists say that the theory that it could have been formed because of an impact is gaining ground---a small body may have struck the surface at a very shallow angle.

     The crater is called ``Orcus Patera.'' Though Patera relates to deep, complex or irregularly-shaped volcanic crater, its real origin remains a matter of speculation.

                                                               --------------------

    And finally.  A  Russian mission to Mars next year is of significance to India's lunar mission.

    Moon Daily reports that Russian scientists will be carrying out tests of an unmanned lander which will fly in an umanned mission to Phobos, one of the moons of Mars.

    Why is it of importance to India? A similar lander will fly in India's second mission to the Moon, ``Chandrayaan-2,'' slated for lift off in 2013 and land on the lunar surface, possihly in the south pole region.

    The Phobos-Grunt spacecraft will land on Phobos and will return to earth with soil samples for analysis. But, the lander which will fly on Chandrayaan-2 will not be coming back to earth.

      The Phobos-Grunt mission was conceived in 1999 and was envisioned as a multi-purpose programme to Mars.

      ends