Proposed Research Plan Perchlorate Salt Effect on Rock Weathering on Mars at Phoenix Landing Site
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چکیده
The Phoenix Mission was the first to land in the polar regions on Mars. The mission revealed three surprising results: (1) The surface at the landing site had a very low concentration of large size rocks, (2) The unexpectedly sticky nature of the soil prevented it initially from falling through one of the instrument’s screens as planned, (3) Perchlorate salt was found at a high concentration (~1%) in Martian soil. Further study could prove that the three results are related. The scientific results of the Phoenix mission motivate a return to that site with a mission capable of drilling into the ice-cemented ground. To design a mission we must understand the engineering properties of the soil, salt, ice and rock environment.
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Perchlorate Salt Effects on Rock Weathering on Mars at the Phoenix Landing Site
Statement of the problem: The Phoenix Mission was the first to land in the polar regions on Mars. The mission revealed three surprising results: (1) The surface at the landing site had a very low concentration of large size rocks, (2) The unexpectedly sticky nature of the soil prevented it initially from falling through one of the instrument’s screens as planned, (3) Perchlorate salt was found ...
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The proposed ExoMars mission, due to launch in 2018, aims to look for evidence of extant and extinct life in martian rocks and regolith. Previous attempts to detect organic molecules of biological or abiotic origin on Mars have been unsuccessful, which may be attributable to destruction of these molecules by perchlorate salts during pyrolysis sample extraction techniques. Organic molecules can ...
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