it’s morning on Mars the Sun is 140 million miles away but strong enough to
million miles away but strong enough to
million miles away but strong enough to send current flowing through the solar
send current flowing through the solar
send current flowing through the solar panels of the rover called opportunity
panels of the rover called opportunity
panels of the rover called opportunity waking it up for another day of work
opportunity got off to a quick start
opportunity got off to a quick start landing in January 2004 after a
landing in January 2004 after a
landing in January 2004 after a seven-month journey to Mars touching
seven-month journey to Mars touching
seven-month journey to Mars touching down in a region called Meridiani Planum
down in a region called Meridiani Planum
down in a region called Meridiani Planum it bounced across the plane in its
it bounced across the plane in its
it bounced across the plane in its airbag cocoon by chance it rolled into a
airbag cocoon by chance it rolled into a
airbag cocoon by chance it rolled into a shallow crater
at JPL they waited for the first
at JPL they waited for the first pictures as opportunity emerged from its
pictures as opportunity emerged from its
pictures as opportunity emerged from its protective shell we open our eyes and
protective shell we open our eyes and
protective shell we open our eyes and there’s this astounding outcrop a
there’s this astounding outcrop a
there’s this astounding outcrop a layered bedrock right in front of the
layered bedrock right in front of the
layered bedrock right in front of the vehicle Mars has been a frigid desert
vehicle Mars has been a frigid desert
vehicle Mars has been a frigid desert for billions of years
for billions of years
for billions of years but satellite images suggest that liquid
but satellite images suggest that liquid
but satellite images suggest that liquid water once flowed across the surface
water once flowed across the surface
water once flowed across the surface from orbit though it’s hard to tell
from orbit though it’s hard to tell
from orbit though it’s hard to tell whether it was an environment that could
whether it was an environment that could
whether it was an environment that could have supported life how much water was
have supported life how much water was
have supported life how much water was there what was its chemistry suppose you
there what was its chemistry suppose you
there what was its chemistry suppose you were a microbe would you have liked that
were a microbe would you have liked that
were a microbe would you have liked that place or not if so why the rover’s are
place or not if so why the rover’s are
place or not if so why the rover’s are filled geologists designed to read clues
filled geologists designed to read clues
filled geologists designed to read clues to the environment of early Mars
to the environment of early Mars
to the environment of early Mars preserved in the rocks and minerals each
preserved in the rocks and minerals each
preserved in the rocks and minerals each has a toolkit on its robotic arm to
has a toolkit on its robotic arm to
has a toolkit on its robotic arm to grind off the weathered surface of rocks
grind off the weathered surface of rocks
grind off the weathered surface of rocks and analyze their composition
and analyze their composition
and analyze their composition they see the world in three dimensions
they see the world in three dimensions
they see the world in three dimensions with four pairs of stereo cameras
with four pairs of stereo cameras
with four pairs of stereo cameras opportunity goes to work looking for
opportunity goes to work looking for
opportunity goes to work looking for evidence of ancient water and over a few
evidence of ancient water and over a few
evidence of ancient water and over a few weeks makes a series of startling
weeks makes a series of startling
weeks makes a series of startling discoveries it was like being inside
discoveries it was like being inside
discoveries it was like being inside this bizarre Martian mystery novel where
this bizarre Martian mystery novel where
this bizarre Martian mystery novel where every soul or two you’d get a new clue
every soul or two you’d get a new clue
every soul or two you’d get a new clue handed to you
first-come tiny spheres the size of B
first-come tiny spheres the size of B B’s littering the ground and embedded in
B’s littering the ground and embedded in
B’s littering the ground and embedded in the outcrop like blueberries in a muffin
the outcrop like blueberries in a muffin
the outcrop like blueberries in a muffin there was such a surprise what the heck
there was such a surprise what the heck
there was such a surprise what the heck were those things the instruments find
were those things the instruments find
were those things the instruments find that they’re made of an iron mineral
that they’re made of an iron mineral
that they’re made of an iron mineral called hematite on earth had formed
called hematite on earth had formed
called hematite on earth had formed spheres like these in water soaked rocks
spheres like these in water soaked rocks
spheres like these in water soaked rocks like pearls and oysters
like pearls and oysters
like pearls and oysters and finally evidence of ripples created
and finally evidence of ripples created
and finally evidence of ripples created by water flowing across the surface
by water flowing across the surface
by water flowing across the surface frozen in time as the sand turned to
frozen in time as the sand turned to
frozen in time as the sand turned to stone the clues add up to a place where
stone the clues add up to a place where
stone the clues add up to a place where salty water virtually sulfuric acid once
salty water virtually sulfuric acid once
salty water virtually sulfuric acid once soaked the ground and sometimes flowed
soaked the ground and sometimes flowed
soaked the ground and sometimes flowed across the surface on earth microbial
across the surface on earth microbial
across the surface on earth microbial life can thrive in places like this
life can thrive in places like this
life can thrive in places like this there wasn’t a single one of us who
there wasn’t a single one of us who
there wasn’t a single one of us who expected what we found anybody tells you
expected what we found anybody tells you
expected what we found anybody tells you so lying it was a new Mars
so lying it was a new Mars
so lying it was a new Mars if opportunity’s mission had ended here
if opportunity’s mission had ended here
if opportunity’s mission had ended here it would have been a great success but
it would have been a great success but
it would have been a great success but now the rover heads for a bigger deeper
now the rover heads for a bigger deeper
now the rover heads for a bigger deeper crater nearby which could expose even
crater nearby which could expose even
crater nearby which could expose even more bedrock as we went deeper the
more bedrock as we went deeper the
more bedrock as we went deeper the chemistry and the texture of the rocks
chemistry and the texture of the rocks
chemistry and the texture of the rocks changed dramatically in a way that
changed dramatically in a way that
changed dramatically in a way that indicated to us that the deeper rocks
indicated to us that the deeper rocks
indicated to us that the deeper rocks had been soaked in water for a long
had been soaked in water for a long
had been soaked in water for a long period of time
it now appears that the water at
it now appears that the water at Meridiani may have lasted hundreds of
Meridiani may have lasted hundreds of
Meridiani may have lasted hundreds of thousands if not millions of years a
thousands if not millions of years a
thousands if not millions of years a gamble to go into the crater definitely
gamble to go into the crater definitely
gamble to go into the crater definitely paid off scientifically it really really
paid off scientifically it really really
paid off scientifically it really really improved our understanding of what we
improved our understanding of what we
improved our understanding of what we were dealing with here you know at this
were dealing with here you know at this
were dealing with here you know at this point every day is a gift we just push
point every day is a gift we just push
point every day is a gift we just push the vehicles as hard as we can enjoy
the vehicles as hard as we can enjoy
the vehicles as hard as we can enjoy them while we got them and someday
them while we got them and someday
them while we got them and someday they’re gonna die and I don’t know when
however this adventure ends their legacy
however this adventure ends their legacy is assured they’ve returned hundreds of
is assured they’ve returned hundreds of
is assured they’ve returned hundreds of thousands of images enough data on
thousands of images enough data on
thousands of images enough data on Martian water history to keep scientists
Martian water history to keep scientists
Martian water history to keep scientists busy for decades and their most
busy for decades and their most
busy for decades and their most important work may be yet to come
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