Dec 6 1998
From The Space Library
Using precision flying, Space Shuttle Endeavour's robotic arm, cameras, and a computerized vision system, the U. S.-Russian crew of Endeavour successfully joined the U. S. module Unity to the Russian module Zarya. With a weight of 21 tons (19,100 kilograms or 19.1 tonnes), Zarya was the "most massive object" that the robotic arm had ever lifted. Because Unity blocked the astronauts' view from the Shuttle's window, they relied on a system of cameras, as well as on the new Canadian Space Vision System, to provide visual cues concerning the two units' exact positions.
At an American Geophysical Union meeting, a team of research scientists led by David E. Smith of GSFC discussed new research findings based on data collected in the spring and summer by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). The data indicated that the ice cap on Mars's north pole, although definitely water ice, is much smaller than previously thought. The scientists concluded that the amount of water in the ice cap is not voluminous enough to have created the "deep gullies that scar the surface of the planet," nor could it have filled an ancient ocean. MOLA images showed the ice cap resting in a deep basin, possibly created by an asteroid impact. Scientists described this formation as unique in the solar system. The team of researchers remarked that their findings raised more questions about Mars's formation and conditions than they answered.
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