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	Scientists are particularly interested in Saturn's moon Titan because it's one of the few known moons with its own dense atmosphere. Titan's atmosphere is also thought to be very similar to what Earth's atmosphere was a long time ago. By learning about Titan, we'll learn about our own planet.

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2001-12-13 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Where to Land on Mars? It's Not an Easy Choice

In 2003, NASA will launch the Mars Exploration Rover mission toward Mars. But where exactly to land the twin rovers is no easy question. Landing sites should not only be safe to land, but also scientifically interesting. At workshops during the past year, more than 100 researchers have given input to the decision.

Mars scientists all agree on one scientific goal: to search for signs that liquid water once flowed over Mars. Liquid water would be necessary for life ever to have existed there. But engineering constraints severely limit the territory that can even be considered. The landing sites must be flat, and must lie below a certain elevation so that the atmosphere is dense enough to hold up the lander's parachute. The sites must be relatively close to the equator, where enough sunlight shines to power the rovers' solar panels. Rocky areas pose a dilemma. Large rocks could punch through the landing airbag, damaging the lander. And too many rocks make it hard for the rover to move around. "But then again," says Dr. Matt Golombek of NASA, "you're going there to look at the rocks."

Golombek and his team have winnowed the list of proposed landing sites from 185 to four finalists:

The Hematite site: since the mineral hematite typically forms in water, there is a strong possibility that water once flowed there.
Melas Chasm, a region marked by layers of sediment that may have been deposited by water.
Gusev Crater, which looks as though it was once a crater lake.
Athabasca Valles, an outflow channel with the enticing possibility of hydrothermal deposits.

Data from the Mars Global Surveyor and the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, both now orbiting the Red Planet, will help the team select the final two landing sites.

Selecting landing sites for an eventual human missions to Mars will require a completely different set of criteria, says Golombek. A presentÂnot pastÂsource of liquid water or ice may be essential for supporting the astronauts.

More on this story Full text of original item from NASA, Dec 13, 2001

Oct 25, 2001 (Space.com)
Landing Sites for 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers Mission Identified

Related news stories

Sep 10, 2002 | MISSIONS
No Drought of Mars Landing Sites
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Proposed landing sites for the Mars Exploration Rovers may yield evidence of liquid water on ancient Mars.

Jul 30, 2002 | MISSIONS
NASA's Mars 'Czar' Gives a Status Report on Red Planet Plans
(Space.com) - Orlando Figueroa discusses bringing back a piece of Mars and other long-term missions.

Jun 26, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Large Former Lake, Catastrophic Flood Identified on Mars
(Spaceflight Now) - The lake once covered an area the size of Texas and New Mexico combined.

Apr 24, 2002 | MISSIONS
Mars Rover Landing Spots: Blowing In The Wind
(Space.com) - Scientists have discovered a new problem with some of the proposed landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers: strong winds.

Mar 25, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Why it Snows at Mars' North Pole
(Space.com) - A computer simulation may explain why more water ice collects at Mars' north pole than at its south pole.

Mar 15, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Rover Landing Site Sweet Spots Not So Sweet
(Space.com) - Spacecraft orbiting Mars have revealed problems with proposed landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers.

Mar 04, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Vast Ice Fields Suggest Life on Mars Possible
(L.A. Times) - Scientists say they are 'blown away' by the Odyssey spacecraft's findings.

Feb 27, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Digital Data Puts Mars on Map
(BBC) - A new high-resolution atlas of Mars could help determine whether the planet is geologically active.

Feb 06, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Four Sites Considered for Landers
(Florida Today) - Isidis Planitia has replaced Athabasca Vallis as one of the candidate landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers.

Dec 19, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
All-Terrain Rovers May Scale Mars' Cliffs
(NASA) - The robots may search for signs of past or present life by exploring water seepage or exposed geologic layers

Dec 12, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Global Surveyor Sees Possible Climate Change
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Photos indicate that Mars' climate is changing even now.

Nov 15, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Selects Investigations for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
(NASA) - The 10 science investigations include searching for water on Mars.

Aug 01, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Looking for Life at the Poles of Mars
(Space.com) - While most liquid water on Mars may lie deep underground, life might exist close to the surface of the polar ice caps.

Jul 17, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Zooming in on Mars
(Space.com) - Set for launch in 2005, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will be essential to selecting landing sites for future missions.

Mar 28, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
The Lure of Hematite
(Science@NASA) - On rusty-red Mars, a curious deposit of gray-colored hematite (a mineral cousin of common household rust) could hold the key to the mystery of elusive Martian water.

Mar 27, 2001 | MISSIONS
British scientists propose Mars sample return mission
(CNN) - The 2009 mission would gather a small sample of Martian soil and return it to Earth in 2011.

Mar 02, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Two Rovers in Search of a Landing Site
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - In 2003, NASA will send two rovers to Mars to search for signs of water in the planet's ancient past. But where exactly on Mars should they look for it?

Feb 21, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, EDUCATION
Students uncover baffling Martian boulders
(NASA) - A group of students working with a NASA spacecraft camera have stumbled upon a surprising cluster of dark boulders in the middle of light-colored terrain.

Dec 22, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Scientists to begin selecting landing sites for Mars rovers
(Space.com) - The two rovers will search for evidence of liquid water in Mars' ancient past.

Dec 20, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Beagle 2 landing site on Mars selected
(ESA) - The region appears to be a sedimentary basin where traces of life could have been preserved.

Dec 04, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Evidence of ancient lakes on Mars
(NASA) - If life once existed on Mars, sedimentary layers in the lake beds might be the place to look for fossils.

Oct 19, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Selecting a landing site for Mars 2001 mission
(SpaceDaily) - The site, a basin that may have been covered by water long ago, is a promising place to look for sedimentary rocks that might contain microfossils.

Aug 25, 1999 | MISSIONS
NASA announces next Mars landingÂ site
(NASA) - The Mars Polar Lander will study the planet's climate history, and look for evidence of water there.

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