Mars & Beyond

[Curiosity hi-res photo of the Gale Crater: Image courtesy: NASA]

Let me start off by saying how much I'm loving the attention the latest Mars mission is getting. Ever since NASA released it 7 minutes of terror video in the build up to final weeks of Curiosity's landing, the news & social media has been buzzing about it.

And now that Curiosity is on the ground on Mars, the possibilities seem endless. If the space enthusiasts among you recall, it is very much like the first few weeks of Spirit & Opportunity. We are getting newer photographs of the surface of another world: so much like ours, and yet so different. So what is different about the Curiosity mission then? First off, the rover is much bigger & has a lot more gadgets on-board. Its a mobile Science Lab, that will analyze rocks on Mars. There were limitations to what the previous rovers could do, and Curiosity will now fill the gaps. It has landed within the Gale crater, and will continue to drive to its rim, using its powerful lasers to cut off sedimentary rock from multiple layers along the sides of the mountain. Scientists hope to find glimpses of the history of Mars in these layers, much like we do on Earth. Curiosity is on its own for the most part, roaming the lifeless planet, picking up rocks & studying them, as long as its solar-powered batteries hold up.

NASA has already gone ahead and decided on its next mission. They will be sending another space-craft to Mars in 2016, aimed at drilling through the surface to learn about its core. It won a vote over two other missions: one, to explore the methane lakes on Titan, and another to land on a comet. Personally, I feel disappointed that NASA is down to picking & choosing missions. I'm not exactly sure its a direct result of budget cuts, or just a logistical problem of doing several missions simultaneously. I do suspect the budget cuts have a large part to play in this. I would personally be thrilled at the prospect of an actual mission to Titan in the future. Along with Europa, it is one of the two potential places to look for the possibility of life within our solar system.

Is there any help for NASA? Private companies have come forward for low orbit launches, but long-term missions need government help. Other countries like India & China are taking positive steps for this. India is preparing for the Chandrayaan-2 mission that will involve landing a rover. China is planning an orbital mission to Mars some time in the next decade. Its clear that NASA continues to remain the one best equipped to expand the frontier of space travel. Here's hoping the powers that be can take notice of the interest the Curiosity mission is generating and spare a penny for NASA.