Sep 11 1969
From The Space Library
Press conference on results of Mariner VI (launched Feb. 24) and Mariner VII (launched March 27) was held at NASA Hq. Some 200 TV pictures of Mars were taken by two Mariners, including 57 high- and medium-resolution views of selected Martian surface areas from altitude of only few hundred miles. Spacecraft measured Martian atmospheric temperature, pressure, and chemical constituency and measured surface temperatures in effort to correlate thermal characteristics with features observed in TV pictures. Data indicated Mars was heavily cratered, bleak, cold, dry, nearly airless, and generally hostile to any earth-style life forms. Dr. Robert B. Leighton of Cal Tech said: "We got nine times the number of far encounter pictures that were originally proposed [few years ago], 20 per cent more near encounter pictures than were proposed, and 1,100 digital pictures which were entirely impossible according to schemes at the time of the proposal. . . . After Mariner 4 Mars seemed to be like the moon. At last Mariners 6 and 7 have shown Mars to be like Mars and have brought out Mars, own characteristic features, some of them unknown and unrecognized elsewhere in the solar system." Dr. Robert P. Sharp of Cal Tech said Martian terrain could be divided into three types-crater, featureless, and chaotic. Cratered terrain was widespread and common on Mars and resembled moon. Featureless terrain was represented by Hellas area, which appeared to be upland area, 150-mi-wide zone that gently sloped into flat featureless floor. Chaotic terrain had series of "short ridges, little valleys, and irregular, jumbled topography." Chaotic and featureless terrain appeared to be distinctly Martian, suggesting "that on Mars we have either a difference in processes that are operating on the surface or within the crust or we have a difference of material from one place to another on Mars and different than on the moon, or, more likely, a combination of both. . . . We also have good reason for believing that the evolutionary history has been somewhat different. Again, there are scars on the face of Mars that we do not see on the face of the moon. And there have perhaps been episodic events in Martian history that are unique to the planet Mars. We end up with the conclusion that Mars is its own planet." Dr. George C. Pimentel of Univ. of California at Berkeley said reevaluation of initial data from infrared spectrometer had shown infra red spectral features earlier ascribed to methane and ammonia were actually due to previously undiscovered absorptions of solid carbon dioxide. Reflection peak recorded three times in atmosphere off Mars, bright limb showed presence of solid carbon dioxide at high altitudes and at latitudes north of polar cap. Broad absorption near 9 mu recorded on bright limb was ascribed to solid silica or silicate material and broad absorptions near 12 mu recorded near dark limb were tentatively ascribed in part to solid carbon dioxide above ground. Further experimental work was in progress to refine thermal map. Initial results of uv spectrometer experiment were detection of ionized carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, atomic hydrogen, and oxygen. Nitrogen and nitric oxide were not detected and no evidence was found of clouds, blue haze, or any appreciable atmospheric absorption of uv radiation. Dr. Charles A. Barth of Univ. of Colorado said important point "is that the atmosphere of Mars is different than the atmosphere of the earth. If I showed you a spectrum taken the same way from the upper atmosphere of the earth, we would see a plentiful number of nitrogen bands. We could see emissions from nitric oxide. We could see emissions from atomic nitrogen. None of those features is present in the atmosphere of Mars. . . Dr. Norman H. Horowitz of JPL presented biological implications of Mariner 1969 results. "There is nothing in the new data that encourages the belief that Mars is a body of life. But the results don't exclude this possibility. . . . The Mariner 6 and 7 data strengthen the previous conclusion that the scarcity of water on Mars is the most serious limiting factor for life. . . . Mars is a cold desert by terrestrial standards. If there is life on Mars, it must be a form of life that can utilize water in the form of water vapor or ice." (Transcript; NASA News Release)
Aerobee 150 sounding rocket launched by NASA from WSMR carried Harvard Univ. payload to conduct solar studies. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (NASA Proj Off)
President Nixon announced intention to nominate Secor D. Browne to be member of Civil Aeronautics Board for remainder of term expiring Dec. 31, 1974. He would replace John H. Crooker, who had resigned effective Sept. 30. Browne would also be designated CAB Chairman. (PD, 9/15/69, 1249)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
