Ever wonder if there's life on other planets? Think the conspiracy theorists might be onto something about aliens engineering human beings? Well, depending on what NASA finds out about Mars, you all may have some questions answered, Just today, the Mars rover Curiosity drilled its first sample out of the Gale Crater- an area that may have once been a riverbed. Here's more:
"Drilling down 2.5 inches into a patch of sedimentary bedrock, Curiosity collected the rock powder left by the drill and will analyze it using its own laboratory instruments, NASA said in a statement. This is the first time a robot has drilled to collect a Martian sample.
Images of the hole, along with a shallower test hole nearby, can be seen here .
"The most advanced planetary robot ever designed is now a fully operating analytical laboratory on Mars," said John Grunsfeld, NASA associate administrator for the agency's Science Mission Directorate.
Curiosity drilled into a rock called "John Klein," named for a Mars Science Laboratory deputy project manager who died in 2011.
In the next few days, ground controllers will command the rover's arm to process the sample by delivering bits of it to the instruments inside Curiosity.
Before the rock powder is analyzed, some will be used to scour traces of material that may have been deposited onto the hardware while the rover was still on Earth, despite thorough cleaning before launch, NASA said.
The drilling and analysis is part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Project, which is using the Curiosity rover to figure out whether an area in Mars' Gale Crater ever offered a hospitable environment for life."
Source and images.
Some of you are probably wondering: Why Mars? There are a number of reasons. It is very similar in size, composition, and distance from the Sun to Earth. All of these provided Earth with adequate sunlight and surface area for the millions of flora and fauna covered on this blog. Most importantly, Mars has ice on its surface, and water is necessary for life. The monster stories came after the fact.
That's what the Rover drilling is about: finding water. If we find water, we find what caused Mars to dry out, or perhaps even micro-organisms. The Gale Crater may It would make us not so alone in the universe, if you will.
Disclaimer: I do not endorse putting aliens in every little thing. The discovery of life on another planet could have big implications for life science as well as science fiction. If Mars once had life, we would be more compelled to save the life on this planet.
So, as cool as Earth is, keep watching the skies. If Curiosity does indeed turn up with Martian water, bacteria, or some such, you will learn of it here. Then it will only be a matter of time before the aliens take over. Whoops, this isn't a conspiracy site, but we've all seen what even the most innocent invasive species can do.
P.S.- in a twist of "They Actually Eat That," I did something exceptional today and tried rabbit.