(Viewed 1,086 times)

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

This Tuesday, Jan 4th, NOVA is revisting the Mars landing a year later...

Rovers' Mars search chronicled in 'NOVA' episode

When scientists wanted to explore what kind of life might exist on Mars, public television's "NOVA" recorded the building and launch of the rovers sent to the planet.

Now, a year later, the "NOVA" team is back with "Welcome to Mars," featuring data collected by the robots as they searched for signs that the planet might once have harbored tiny forms of life. The program airs at 8 p.m. Tuesday on WTTW-Channel 11.

More here: www.suntimes.com/output/entertainment/cst-ftr-mars01.html

---------

Think they will mention the surface water?...............Naw.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I saw the NOVA show and came away dissapointed. It was evident that it was finished sometime ago, and left out important items. The news was old news and really didn't reveal anything that wasn't already known. And the incompetent O'keefe making a cameo just didn't sit right.

marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_m034.html

News about the remarkable re-powering of the rover from a "cleaning" of the solar panels was left out, as well as the fossilized "Chronoid" creature that the RAT obliterated from existance.

From a NASA source:

"It's hard to image why such bullet-proof evidence was denied for such a long time, and why those so vigorously denying it never did so by meeting the science, but merely by brushing it away. Of course, now that it must be acknowledged by all that there is liquid water on the surface of Mars, this starts those denying the validity of the Mars LR data down the slippery slope leading to life."

-- Dr. Gil Levin, Chief Project Scientist on the Viking Labeled Release Experiment

And this: www.space.com/scienceastronomy/opportunity_news_040302.html

The first NOVA show was quite good and excellent a year ago, but this production, although it was ok, it left me luke warm.

This would be better in the unexplained section I think.