Looking For Life's Limits

Thirty years ago, scientists assumed the interior of Earth was lifeless.  Now, some  scientists think there might be more biomass within Earth than on its surface.  The discovery of extremophiles-- life forms that thrive in extreme physical environments-- has changed the way we look at life.

Biologists are now trying to determine the minimum requirements in energy and nutrients for life to sustain itself deep underground on Earth.  That minimum, they believe, could then be related to possible life on other worlds, like Mars or Europa.  NASA landed the Curiosity rover in Gale crater because the crater floor is well below the surrounding plain, thus giving Curiosity some access to the Mars underground.  Because the Martian surface is constantly scoured by deadly radiation, scientists think the most likely home for Martian life would be the interior of the planet.  That brings us back to extremophiles on Earth.

Extraordinary Snapshot

After months of work by programmers to get the timing and target area precisely right, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter caught an image of Curiosity as it was descending to Mars under its huge parachutes.

MRO took the image, which clearly shows details such as the lines connecting the rover to the parachutes, from 211 miles away. That speaks volumes about the power of MRO's high resolution camera.  It also raises a question: If NASA's public technology can do that, what can classified intelligence technology do?

Curiosity On Mars

Following an amazing display of technological prowess that used an intricate sequence of critical steps to bring NASA's Curiosity rover from orbit to standing on its six wheels on the surface of Mars, the most ambitious search to date for life on the Red Planet will begin.

Curiosoty, a one-ton, nuclear-powered rover chock full of scientific instruments, is scheduled to roam Mars for two years searching for evidence that life once existed-- or perhaps still exists-- on the little world next door.

Many Americans woke up this morning to news not only of Curiosity's successful landing, but also of another mass killing, this time a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.  The two events tell of the heights educated, discipliined humans can reach, as well as the depths to which humans can fall.

NASA's Unintentioned Gamble

When NASA approved the complex, novel, risky landing approach for the Curiosity rover, it knew it was taking a huge gamble, but it didn't realize the whole Mars program might be riding on it.

Since the mission architecture was approved, the federal budget has suffered historic deficits, and NASA's budget has been cut; cuts are also projected into the future.  The agency's planetary exploration program has been especially hard hit.

So, if Curiosity crashes, so might NASA's planetary program for the foreseeable future.  Unintentded consequences can change history.

A Billion For Manned Spaceflight

NASA has awarded a total of $1.1 billion to three companies developing a manned spacecraft to help those companies complete their designs.  Final designs are due May 31, 2014.

The three companies are Boeing and SpaceX, each of which is developing a capsule, and the Sierra Nevada Corporation, which is working on the winged Dream Chaser, a cousin of the space shuttle.  Contrary to the company's name, SNC is headquartered in Louisville, Colorado.

Plans call for each of the new craft to fly manned test flights mid-decade.

Just Supposing

The main objective of Curiosity's mission to Mars is to search for life, either past or present.  What if it succeeds?  NASA is betting finding any alien life will be a game-changer, ensuring funding for future Mars operations.  That may or may not work out.

Given the financial shape of the federal government, many politicians will have a hard time increasing spending on space no matter what the reason.  The public might force that increae, but that in turn may well depend on what kind of evidence is found.  An artefact from an alien civilization would clinch the deal, as would a multicellular creature-- especially one that squirmed or squiggled.

But what about a single cell organism, or a bacterium, or simply a fossil?  Would that be enough?  The answer to that is unclear.

Martian Hot Wheels

The toy company Mattel, makers of the Hot Wheels model series, has a history with NASA that goes back to the first rover on Mars, Sojourner.  Mattel marketed a Hot Wheels version  of Sojourner that quickly sold out.  Mattel followed that success with models of other NASA spacecraft.

Now, Mattel is coming out with a Hot Wheels model of NASA's huge Curiosity rover, scheduled to land on Mars next week.

The toymaker says it will market the Curiosity model regardless of what happens on the landing attempt on Mars.