NASA Rover Finds Convincing Evidence of Water on Ancient Mars - Polidicks

[QUOTE=TehMentos;33633053]So now we can definitely say that there has been water on Mars ?[/QUOTE] *Liquid Water [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Mars_NPArea-PIA00161_modest.jpg/600px-Mars_NPArea-PIA00161_modest.jpg[/img]

Frozen carbon dioxide, yo

You know what NASA needs to make? A Mars rover management game/simulator. Moonbase Alpha is hilarious fun and all, but I would play the [i]shit[/i] out of a game where I managed a rover from earth as long as I could keep it running.

[QUOTE=salty peanut v2;33633840]only facepunch users could get emotional about a malfunctioned robot on another freaking planet[/QUOTE] have you no compassion for your fellow robot!?!

[QUOTE=DarkMonkey;33638459]You know what NASA needs to make? A Mars rover management game/simulator. Moonbase Alpha is hilarious fun and all, but I would play the [i]shit[/i] out of a game where I managed a rover from earth as long as I could keep it running.[/QUOTE] Only if it was voiced by Microsoft Sam.

[QUOTE=Dark-Energy;33634143][img]http://oi53.tinypic.com/34qqu5h.jpg[/img] Couldn't resist.[/QUOTE] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A3XGzkcDUA[/media] You can see it dragging its dead wheel along for quite awhile. The little guy put up a good fight.

So what does this mean for colonization efforts? Obviously we're a while away from that, but once we do finally look into manned missions, how much will we have to adjust our plans for long-term living?

[QUOTE=Cone;33638599]So what does this mean for colonization efforts? Obviously we're a while away from that, but once we do finally look into manned missions, how much will we have to adjust our plans for long-term living?[/QUOTE] I don't think this changes anything in that respect. This just proves that there [i]was[/i] water, not that there [i]is[/i] water.

isn't some of that ice hydrogen on the poles?

I just want to know why people put so much time and money on something so trivial

By that rate, Curiosity won't have to do a thing when it finally lands there :v:

[QUOTE=rosthouse;33638892]By that rate, Curiosity won't have to do a thing when it finally lands there :v:[/QUOTE] Why yes, Curiosity will be looking at radiation levels, but you're sorta right :v:

[QUOTE=Frisk;33634538]Sandstorm? More like snowstorm.[/QUOTE] snow kind of requires something we still need to find on mars

[QUOTE=krazipanda;33638888]I just want to know why people put so much time and money on something so trivial[/QUOTE] Can't tell if... nah, probably trolling.

Think of it as prospecting for terraforming viability. Also if there is still water on the planet, it can be used to make Oxygen and Hydrogen fuel, as well as being water. Critical for a base or colony.

[QUOTE=NorthernFall;33637325]Frozen carbon dioxide, yo[/QUOTE] There's actually enough ice on Mars to submerge Mars completely under 11 metres of liquid water, assuming all ice is melted. [editline]9th December 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=XanaToast.;33638868]isn't some of that [B]ice hydrogen[/B] on the poles?[/QUOTE] Hydrogen freezes at 15K (that's at 101300 Pa but still, won't be much different on Mars). The coldest Mars gets is around 185K. Quite a difference.

[QUOTE=Murkat;33638925]snow kind of requires something we still need to find on mars[/QUOTE] Actually it [b]DOES[/b] snow on Mars, but it's high up in the atmosphere and never reaches the surface. I don't remember if the snow is like the kind we have here, as in made of water, or if it's something else. It's still snow though.

Now all we need is alien skeletons

I think it used to be a living planet and all, then something happened, and it lost it's atmosphere. Then, nothing stopped the radiation and heat. The water evaporated into space, nothing could survive because the radiation fucked up their DNA and RNA and the atmosphere couldn't hold the heat. So it just lost everything. Everything got covered in layers of rock and sand over the period of a couple hundred million years to a billion years.

[QUOTE=joost1120;33644198]I think it used to be a living planet and all, then something happened, and it lost it's atmosphere. Then, nothing stopped the radiation and heat. The water evaporated into space, nothing could survive because the radiation fucked up their DNA and RNA and the atmosphere couldn't hold the heat. So it just lost everything. Everything got covered in layers of rock and sand over the period of a couple hundred million years to a billion years.[/QUOTE] We even know what happened. Mars lost one of its moons and therefore it's magnetic field and now it's unshielded against sun winds and the sun slowly carries the atmosphere out into space.

[QUOTE=OvB;33638511][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A3XGzkcDUA[/media] You can see it dragging its dead wheel along for quite awhile. The little guy put up a good fight.[/QUOTE] I seriously hope that it's eventually rescued Maybe Curiosity and Opportunity spot it somewhere on the Martian soil during their mission?

[QUOTE=Sgt. Lulz;33646161]I seriously hope that it's eventually rescued Maybe Curiosity and Opportunity spot it somewhere on the Martian soil during their mission?[/QUOTE] As far as I know, neither Curiosity nor Opportunity will ever be anywhere near Spirit.

Sad truth is that they aren't going to make a mission just to "rescue" Spirit. It'll stay there for the rest of the time. [editline]9th December 2011[/editline] perhaps when mars is colonized? Who knows.. [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Robber;33645752]We even know what happened. Mars lost one of its moons and therefore it's magnetic field and now it's unshielded against sun winds and the sun slowly carries the atmosphere out into space.[/QUOTE] Time to start making a moon then :v:

[QUOTE=krazipanda;33638888]I just want to know why people put so much time and money on something so trivial[/QUOTE] It's well accepted that if humanity is unable to expand beyond our home planet, we will not survive for long (on a cosmic scale, anyway). We're already starting to see potential problems such as overcrowding and food shortages; imagine what will happen if our population continues to grow. [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=-Xemit-;33646641]How can one loose their moon? Sorry, I just can't imagine that.[/QUOTE] A large enough asteroid would do the job.