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I watched a presentation about this on NASA TV last night...
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/news/marsmethane.html

While there are a number of possibilities as to how the methane exists, the two possibilities (hoped most feasible?) featured in the presentation were: methane trapped in buried 'ice', and microbial generation. Either of the two appears to set the stage for the proper chemistry required for possible life existence. A green mars, past or future, may not be all that far-fetched a concept.

I saw that program on television also...
Another explanation for the methane involved the occurrence
of volcanic activity too, did it not?

Still, very interesting.

If they were to find microbes I wonder how radically different they would be from what we have here.

Bob,
Methane can be a by-product of volcanic activity. However, one NASA researcher mentioned that they did not see the usual chemical markers normally associated with volcanic methane. I have no idea what those markers would be though.

- Jeff

BobHegwood wrote:I saw that program on television also...
Another explanation for the methane involved the occurrence
of volcanic activity too, did it not?

Still, very interesting.

Yes Bob, it did... that was part of the example given for the methane in buried 'ice' scenario - volcanic activity, the heat melting the ice and releasing the methane. I'd like to know more about why it appears "... during the warmer seasons -- spring and summer ...", because that to me (that whole related paragraph) doesn't exactly sound like a volcanic related event. I eagerly await more research results!

Whatever, MSL is still overhyped and overpriced.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is MSL?

jdavies wrote:Pardon my ignorance, but what is MSL?

Take your pick Jeff: http://www.acronymfinder.com/MSL.html
"overhyped and overpriced" ... my guess would be Martha Stewart Living.

jdavies wrote:Pardon my ignorance, but what is MSL?

Mars Science Laboratory

Mars Science Laboratory. The next all-singing, all-dancing rover that NASA are going to drop in the middle of the most boring flat plains there are because we still haven't figured out the technology to land equipment anywhere vaguely interesting.

This is what Alan Stern had to say about it (and other problems at NASA).

http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/index.html

ajtribick wrote:Mars Science Laboratory. The next all-singing, all-dancing rover that NASA are going to drop in the middle of the most boring flat plains there are because we still haven't figured out the technology to land equipment anywhere vaguely interesting.

This is what Alan Stern had to say about it (and other problems at NASA).

A while back, before that article was written, CSPAN covered a conference during which the news media posed such questions about NASA's budget. I wish I could remember who/where/when, because you'd likely find viewing/reading the coverage interesting.

What I do recall quite clearly however, with regard to Alan Stern's statements as to reasons for the budget overruns, is that the issue of "unknowns" during project development dictates the development budget. There is no way of knowing all the issues up front, and often times arise when solutions for one issue only raise issues for other modules/phases. At the time of the conference on CSPAN, the issue at hand was over "actuators".

I wonder where the R&D budget concerns stand with the likes of ESA or RKA or CNSA in comparison. Is that information even available?

One of the things I love about NASA is ther open book policy (unless your a UFO spotter) Heck, I could built a Saturn V from the podcasts I have

Seriously though the Methane on Mars could be due to a whole host of reasone, the most exciting of which is microbial life, and as to how different it could be from microbes on Earth, they are a pretty diverse and adaptable to most any palce here already, so I guess the question would be, how many kinds are we going to find on the Red Planet?

As for the MSL, it is going to be an other interesting mission, using yet an other new entry vehicle design, and the new "sky-crane" system for rover delivery to the martian surface. I think that it could go really REALLLLY well, or go hilariously wrong, either way, a RTG powered rover is going to open up a whole new world of possibilities with its lack of dependence on solar power (despite the rovers Opportunity and Spirit {is that right :S } exceeding their expected lifetime many fold (over 5 years as opposed to the projected 3 months).