Images From 2nd Mars Rover Show 'Bizarre Alien Landscape'
By KENNETH CHANG
PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 24 — In a night of unmitigated success, NASA landed a second rover on Mars late Saturday, and within hours, the rover, Opportunity, sent back stunning photographs of an alien landscape unlike any other, on Earth or on Mars.
And earlier in the day, mission managers reported significant progress in fixing the first rover, Spirit, which has been malfunctioning since Wednesday.
With each new image from Opportunity beamed back to Earth came more oohs and aahs. Dr. Steve Squyres, the principal scientist, said, "I will attempt no science analysis, because it looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I’ve got no words for this."
Another new, indescribable vista brought more amazement. "Holy smokes," Dr. Squyres said. "I’m just blown away by this."
The grayish brown soils seem to have a pebbly texture, but in areas scraped by the air bags that cushioned the rover’s landing, the surface is a vivid reddish color and smooth, almost like talcum powder. In one place, Dr. Squyres spotted the impression of a seam of one of the air bags.
The photographs also show ripples, perhaps windblown, and not far in the distance, some large rock slabs jut out the first exposed bedrock seen on Mars. From the images, Dr. Squyres guessed that Opportunity might have ended up in a shallow crater.
"I am flabbergasted," Dr. Sqyres said. "I am astonished. I am blown away. Opportunity has touched down in a bizarre alien landscape."
Dr. Larry Soderblum of the U.S. Geological Survey, one of the project scientists called the site "Martian paydirt."
Peter Theisinger, the project manager for the rovers, summed up the long night simply: "We done good." ...
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/25/science/space/25MARS.html?hp>
Carl
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