- Industri: Astronomy
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Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD) is an educational site sharing the latest research by NASA-sponsored scientists on meteorites, asteroids, planets, moons, and other materials in our Solar System. The website is supported by the Cosmochemistry Program of NASA's Science Mission ...
U. S. Missions to Mars with twin rovers equipped with tools to study a diverse collection of rocks and soils that may hold clues to past water activity on Mars. MER-A, named "Spirit," launched on June 10, 2003 for a seven-month journey to a landing site in Gusev Crater and MER-B, named "Opportunity," launched on July 7, 2003 toward a landing site in Terra Meridiani.
Industry:Astronomy
A NASA Moon-orbiting mission launched in the fall of 2008. Its low-polar orbit and instrument payload is acquiring new data in support of future human landing sites and resource exploration including polar volatiles (especially water ice). These data include high-resolution imaging and topography, lunar radiation environment, and global surface composition. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) launched with LRO, then traveled independently for a controlled crash on October 9, 2009 into a permanently-shadowed crater at the lunar south pole to support our search for water ice. An estimated 5. 6 ± 2. 9% by mass water ice was reported in the regolith at the LCROSS impact site, Cabeus crater.
Industry:Astronomy
The geologic history of Earth's Moon has been divided into five broad time periods, or systems. From oldest to youngest, these are pre-Nectarian, Nectarian, Imbrian, Eratosthenian, and Copernican. These systems are defined by the number of impact craters on the ground surface (more craters = older surface) correlated to the absolute ages determined for the lunar rock samples returned to Earth by the U. S. Apollo missions and unpiloted Soviet Luna missions. The Imbrian system extends from 3. 85 billion to 3. 2 billion years ago.
Industry:Astronomy
The geologic history of Mars has been divided into three broad time periods, or Epochs. From oldest to youngest, these are Noachian, Hesperian, and Amazonian (named after places on Mars). These Epochs are defined by the number of impact craters on the ground surface; older surfaces have more craters. The Hesperian Epoch extends from about 3. 5 to about 1. 8 billion years ago. The actual timing of the Epochs is not known because we have different models of the rates of meteorite falls on Mars.
Industry:Astronomy
Production of organic molecules by the addition of hydrogen to carbon monoxide aided by a suitable catalyst.
Industry:Astronomy
The mechanical breakdown and chemical alteration of rocks and minerals at Earth's surface during exposure to air, moisture, and organic matter.
Industry:Astronomy
One of the three types of meteorites from Mars (the SNC meteorites). Nakhlites are cumulate igneous rocks characterized by a high abundance of pyroxene and lesser amounts of olivine. This type is named after the Nakhla meteorite, which fell in Egypt in 1911.
Industry:Astronomy
Landing site of Apollo 12 on the Moon on Nov. 19, 1969; Oceanus Procellarum.
Industry:Astronomy
