#Issue12: New plans for MSR, Bricks for Martian Base, Monster marsquake detection & much more
With the release of #issue12, our unique newsletter 'Martian Sunday' completes one year! To celebrate its one-year anniversary, I'm releasing this month's issue earlier & circulating a feedback form to improve it.
Missions
MMX got new developer: In the 2022 Space Symposium, DLR signed an MOU to collaborate with JAXA for developing JAXA's MMX rover along with CNES.
Meanwhile, the spacecraft is undergoing tests to check whether it is communicating properly with Misasa ground station or not.
Launching Franklin in 2028…! : NASA's MEPAG team suggested to launch ExoMars 2022 rover in 2028 as the lander couldn't be ready by 2026. The 2028 launch will opt us with different trajectories, each having one major issue. One trajectory will take us to Mars in less time but arrive just one month before the dust storm season. While other trajectory will take more than two years to arrive on Mars but we'll reach six months before the dust storm season.
Also, the 2028 launch will require descent engines and Radioactive Heating Units from NASA, specific to the rover.
Will Franklin be repurposed to support MSR?: A few weeks ago, MSR team proposed a new plan to develop two landers for the mission. First lander will carry MAV while second lander will carry a “fetch rover” from ESA.
New plan has pushed the launch to 2028. If Franklin will be rescheduled to launch in 2028, then ESA-NASA will be launching two missions to Mars - ExoMars 2022 & MSR mission - at the same time. Jorge Vago, ExoMars Project Scientist expect a “quid pro quo” arrangement, combining both the missions. So, maybe Franklin can launch as “fetch rover” or maybe another possible arrangement will be done.
MSR wants your opinion: NASA is accepting public comments on scope of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the revised MSR campaign. You can submit yours via mail or online upto May 16, 2022.
Zhurong doing well in 'sandy winter' nights: Tackling harsh sandstorms in Martian winter nights, Zhurong has roved more than 1900 m (till April 24) southwards from the landing site.
“Hello, Delta!” : Finally, Percy came out of “Rapid Traverse” mode & arrived at the river Delta, a month earlier than planned. It spent a few days on examining different rock types between the edge of crater floor & river delta region.
Percy begins second science campaign: On April 18, Perseverance kicked off its second campaign, “Delta Front Campaign” from the delta junction. The rover is roving up & over the delta & will ascend the delta during its third campaign.
'Mayday, Mayday!’ calls Ingenuity: Last month, copter took three flights in the healthy state. But on May 3, it lost communication with the Percy. Martian winters and dust season has reduced its ability to recharge. Though some parts can't persevere in cold nights, team has decided to keep the heaters off all over the night.
On May 5, communication was re-established between them but Ingenuity won't take next flight for few more days.
MAVEN in collaboration with EMM: To understand Martian atmosphere well, MAVEN team has collaborated with EMM team for science data analysis.
Curiosity driving well: On Sol 3464, Curiosity cleared “Greenheugh Pediment” unit while taking various observations.
Research & Observations
Bricks for Martian Base: ISRO in collaboration with IISc, Bengaluru has prepared stronger 'space bricks' by reducing their porosity. They mixed soil simulant with guar gum fibre, urea, NiCl2 & Sporosarcina Pasteurii bacterium & poured the slurry in moulds. Within 15-20 days, bacteria will convert urea into crystals of CaCO3 through biomineralisation.
Scientists are yet to investigate the effects of Martian conditions on the brick prototype & whether the bacteria containminate the planet or not.
Extremely violent volcanic eruptions on Mars?: Nili Fossae region's bedrock is filled with ignimbrite, unusual rock type i.e olivine minerals spotted by two rovers: Percy & Spirit. The results indicate towards the similar formation of Gusev & Jezero rocks. But scientists still gonna confirm the presence of ignimbrite.
Monster quake detected: On May 4, 2022 , InSight lander detected biggest ever marsquake of magnitude 5. The team is yet to analyze it to reveal more details. Plus, the agency has scheduled a teleconference on May 17 to give an overview of the mission.
Hope discovers sinuous discrete auroras on Mars: At 130km above surface, Hope team spots long worm-like streaks of newly identified sinuous discrete aurora. Lights illuminated almost half of the planet, extending thousands of kilometres from day to night side of the planet.
Researchers have decided to re-examine the MAVEN & MEX data to know why this phenomena is occurring at such large scale.
Long scratches on Mars: Mars Express Orbiter captures part of Tantalus Fossae's giant fault system. The crater at the centre is cross cut by grabens, so likely present before Alba Mons volcano. While another crater (bottom left) is likely created more recently. Trenches are formed with two parallel faults opened up, creating a void in between. Observations suggest that these volcanic deposits belong to Amazonian period.
Dry ice moving towards South Pole: Half a billion year old dry ice is flowing towards the south pole for past 600000 years. On high slopes, dry ice flows almost 100 times faster than water ice; forming 1000 metres thick deposits.
Frost: “I'm here, no I'm there!” : Odyssey Scientists just came to know that they were looking at “dirty frost” - dry ice frost mixed with dust grains - rather than at dry ice frost. That's the reason frost is visible in some areas & not at other.
These directly vaporizing frost create pressure that loosen dust grains, causing avalanches & forming dark streaks on the surface.
Hope: More on that dust storm: On December 3, 2021 , Hope's EXI instrument captured a large “spiral dust storm” emerging in & near the Vallis Marineris with mid-winter in Southern hemisphere. Being at an altitude of 28000 km, dust storm covered much of North polar cap & has involved water ice and/or dry ice clouds. EXI took time-to-time observations to understand evolution of dust storms.
Ingenuity captures angled ridgeline: During its Flight 27, Ingenuity captured “Fortun ridge” , a sloping rocky outcrop is a boundary between two major rock units in crater floor. But tilted rock layers are uncommon here so scientists gonna compare it with angled “Artuby” ridgeline.
Imagery
On April 2, Perseverance rover captured the most detailed view of Mars' solar eclipse that lasted for 40 seconds, much shorter than Earth's solar eclipse.
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