NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Discovers New Rock, Revealing Planet's Watery Past

First Posted: Jun 08, 2013 08:04 AM EDT
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NASA Mars rover Opportunity isn't just on the move, it's also made some surprising finds that hints to the fact that water existed on the Red Planet. As the rover treks across the rocky terrain to its new destination, scientists on the ground have examined the data that Opportunity found from a rock called "Esperance" and may learn more about it from the region the rover is set to explore.

Opportunity was first launched in 2003 along with its twin, Spirit. The two rovers landed in January 2004 and completed three-month prime missions. Currently, the rovers are now on their "bonus" missions. Although Spirit ceased operations in 2010, Opportunity is now trekking across the planet with Curiosity as it explores the Martian surface.

The rock, Esperance, was first recovered by Opportunity last month. The rover used its rock abrasion tool, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the microscopic imager on its robotic arm in order to fully examine the rock. It found a combination of elements that seemed to point to a clay-mineral composition, which is a huge finding when it comes to the potential for a watery past on Mars.

"The Esperance results are some of the most important finds of our entire mission," said Steve Squyres of Cornell University, one of the principal investigators, in a news release. "The composition tells us about the environmental conditions that altered the minerals. A lot of water moved through this rock."

The place where Esperance was found is called Cape York, a location that exposes just a few yards of vertical cross-section through geological layering. Now, though, the rover is headed toward Solader Point, a place that may reveal even more evidence of water on Mars. Solander Point exposes roughly 10 times as much vertical cross-section. This could allow researchers to uncover different stages in the history of ancient Martian environments.

In addition, the new location offers plenty of ground that's titled toward the north. This, in particular, is favorable for the solar-powered rover to stay active and mobile through the coming Martian southern-hemisphere winter.

The latest endeavor could lead to future opportunities for understanding the Red Planet's ancient past. In addition, it could reveal new clues to water on Mars--evidence which has been stacking up in recent months after Curiosity discovered what appeared to be a dry river bed.

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