Lunae Palus Quadrangle - Mars Science Laboratory

Mars Science Laboratory

Hypanis Vallis, in the Lunae Palus quadrangle, is one of the sites proposed as a landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory. The aim of the Mars Science Laboratory is to search for signs of ancient life. It is hoped that a later mission could then return samples from sites identified as probably containing remains of life. To safely bring the craft down, a 12 mile wide, smooth, flat circle is needed. Geologists hope to examine places where water once ponded. They would like to examine sediment layers.

  • Hypanis Vallis, as seen by HiRISE. Scale bar is 500 meters long.

Read more about this topic:  Lunae Palus Quadrangle

Famous quotes containing the words mars, science and/or laboratory:

    What makes the United States government, on the whole, more tolerable—I mean for us lucky white men—is the fact that there is so much less of government with us.... But in Canada you are reminded of the government every day. It parades itself before you. It is not content to be the servant, but will be the master; and every day it goes out to the Plains of Abraham or to the Champs de Mars and exhibits itself and toots.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    Science is the only truth and it is the great lie. It knows nothing, and people think it knows everything. It is misrepresented. People think that science is electricity, automobilism, and dirigible balloons. It is something very different. It is life devouring itself. It is the sensibility transformed into intelligence. It is the need to know stifling the need to live. It is the genius of knowledge vivisecting the vital genius.
    Rémy De Gourmont (1858–1915)

    The best work of artists in any age is the work of innocence liberated by technical knowledge. The laboratory experiments that led to the theory of pure color equipped the impressionists to paint nature as if it had only just been created.
    Nancy Hale (b. 1908)