Archived chat with James Rice

[ Teri - 2 - 09:11:04 ]
About how much iron oxide is in the Martian soil?

[ Teri - 3 - 09:15:40 ]
Are any of the volcanoes on Mars currently active?

[ unknown - 4 - 09:26:59 ]
About how much iron oxide is in the Martian soil?

[ Teri - 5 - 09:45:54 ]
About how much iron oxide does the Martian soil have? Also, are any of the volcanoes on Mars currently active?

[ Dar - 6 - 09:47:05 ]
Andrea, I am trying to get the lecture. It isn't connecting. I have CU see me. Darlene

[ BillHQAFCEE - 7 - 10:05:57 ]
Andrea, great show so far. I'm impressed!

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 8 - 11:01:28 ]
The Oxon Hill Space Team would like to welcome all delegates and thank Jim Rice for making this possible.

[ madeline - 9 - 11:01:47 ]
what is going on, is the discussion starting yet?

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 10 - 11:04:06 ]
IN the year 2037, do you believe that nanotechnology will become feasible?... and if so to what extent?

[ Alan/Webmaster - 11 - 11:14:05 ]
The Chat will start in a few minutes.

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 13 - 11:17:19 ]
Do you have an exact time? , please? (;

[ Alan/Webmaster - 14 - 11:18:29 ]
Valerie - A good resource for telepresence is the recent course we gave on telerobotics. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/courses/telerobotics

[ Alan/Webmaster - 15 - 11:19:11 ]
The quest time is pretty darn accurate!

[ LTCexpert - 16 - 11:20:02 ]
Hello and Good afternoon I will try and answer your questions now

[ Alan/Webmaster - 19 - 11:22:29 ]
The LTC would like to thank Jim and all of your for your patience - we are sorry for the late start - we had a technical glitch in getting the slides up on the web page. We also understand East Coast sites are having a router problem getting in to us.

[ LTCexpert - 21 - 11:23:42 ]
RE: [Valerie/WestlakeSchool] What are some of the other tools of telepresence? We know about video cameras, radios & computers
Some tools we use today are TROV's (teleoperated roving vehicles) for instance we used a TROV submersible to help us explore the ice covered lakes. The TROV could stay down longer than we could and go deeper. We also hope to use airplane-like TROV's to help us cover more inaccesible areas.

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 22 - 11:24:45 ]
We are in a competition to design a space settlement in orbit around Mars in 2037. We would appreciate help in answering some of our questions if possible. Thank You for your help.

[ LTCexpert - 25 - 11:26:18 ]
RE: [Jesse/PhiloGrade] How do you think the Martian soil was created?
The soil on Mars was created by the weathering and break down of rocks just like on earth except on earth life forms help break down rocks, we do not know if this occurred on Mars though.

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 26 - 11:26:29 ]
IN the year 2037, do you believe that nanotechnology will become feasible?... and if so to what extent?

[ LTCexpert - 27 - 11:28:06 ]
RE: [Stephanie] How big is Mars in yards?
Mars is roughly 1/2 the size of earth (~4,000 miles in diameter)

[ LTCexpert - 28 - 11:30:26 ]
RE: [Natalie/PhiloGrade] Do you think people will ever live on Mars?
Natalie, yes I do think people will live on Mars, I think you will see it in your lifetime. Perhaps by the year 2012 if we get working and get support from the American public and Congress.

[ unknown - 30 - 11:33:24 ]
how will people live on Mars?

[ LTCexpert - 31 - 11:33:31 ]
RE: [Stephanie] How big is Mars and what is the temperature and in what place is it in?
Stephanie, Mars is 4,000 miles in diameter or half the size of earth. Average global temps are about -50 F, however at the equator on a summer day it could be as warm as 60F above zero.

[ Carla - 32 - 11:34:59 ]
What is the atmosphere of Mars made of? Will the Tour of Ames be available to folks on the East Coast via CUSeeMe?

[ Valerie/WestlakeSchool - 35 - 11:38:08 ]
Can you describe the steering mechanism used by Sojourner? Is it similar to that of an automobile?

[ LTCexpert - 37 - 11:39:39 ]
RE: [BillKHQAFCEE] What erosion mechanisma are at work today on mars? Are there winds on mars now that the water is gone?
Bill, erosion mechanisms today on Mars are mostly slow chemical weathering and breakdown of rocks, the more water available the faster the rate of chemical weathering, since water is scarce today on Mars weathering is extremely slow. There is also physical breakdown of rocks, any landslides, would break up rocks also, but Mars is not a very active planet today in terms of tectonism (crustal movement). Wind is the most active process on Mars today, there are even both local and global size dust storms. In the past impact cratering would also break up rocks.

[ LTCexpert - 39 - 11:42:08 ]
RE: [Carla] What is the atmosphere of Mars made of? Will the Tour of Ames be available to folks on the East Coast via CUSeeMe?
Carla, the atmosphere of Mars is 95% CO2, carbon dioxide. Yes tour will be avaialable but the tape isn't here yet.

[ LTCexpert - 40 - 11:43:19 ]
RE: [Jessica/PhiloGrade] How old do you think Mars is?
Jessica, Mars is the same age as all of the planets in our solar sytem: 4.5 billion years old.

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 41 - 11:47:00 ]
<FONT COLOR=BLUE>We have questions regarding the materials available on Mars for construction of space hardware and for human life support. Please address this.</FONT>

[ LTCexpert - 42 - 11:49:50 ]
RE: [Casey/PhiloGrade] Do you think there will be a way to go to Mars without heavy spacesuits?
Casey, astronauts will still need spacesuits to protect them from the low atmospheric pressure ( it is so low that your blood would boil), the temperatures are very cold so the suit would help keep you warm and protect you from micrometeroids and the harmful ultraviolet radiation. So you would wear a suit but it would be more flexible and lighter than the Apollo Lunar suits.

[ Work - 43 - 11:50:33 ]
I would like to know what types of materials needed by humans can be found on Mars or its moons.

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 45 - 11:53:30 ]
<FONT COLOR=BLUE> What Space Propulsion systems use fuels that are readily avaible on Mars? </COLOR>

[ LTCexpert - 46 - 11:55:38 ]
RE: [OHHSSpaceTeam] What Martian resources are avaible for the possible construction and operation of a future space settlement on Mars.
Space Team, resources available would be martian soil/dirt and rocks which can be used to construct possibly bricks and other building materials. The CO2 atmosphere could provide oxygen once you split t, if there is ground ice you could melt it and have drinking water and water for growing plants, break the water down and get hydrogen and oxygen these elements could be used with the carbon to make rocket fuel for the return home.

[ LTCexpert - 47 - 11:58:01 ]
RE: [BillKHQAFCEE] Does gravity have an effect on the erosion rate on mars?
Bill, gravity would not really play much of a role in the breakdown of rocks on Mars.

[ LTCexpert - 49 - 11:59:55 ]
I have a question for ya'll, how many people saw this and what did you think of it? The cu see me is not working I am told only reel audio right now.

[ Carla - 50 - 12:00:03 ]
What is the weather like on MARS? Is there a cyclical weather event on MARs on El Nino?

[ LTCexpert - 53 - 12:02:20 ]
RE: [Work] How much metal (meaning, iron deposits) can be found in the soil of Mars? This is important for finding out the total magnetic field of the planet, for the poles. Any ideas?
The magnetic field of Mars is practically non existant today. The soil does contain iron compounds that is where the red color comes from: oxidized iron basically the planet is rusty.

[ Chase/PhiloGrade - 56 - 12:04:46 ]
Wouldn't the people who live on Mars run out of air some day?

[ LTCexpert - 57 - 12:05:32 ]
RE: [OHHSSpaceTeam] What propulsion systems under current research would be able to reduce the trip time to Mars thus reducing radiation exposure.
Nuclear is the way to go but there is no firm committment in terms of money or a dedicated program working on this today. Nuclear propulsion could get us to Mars in about 4-6 months instead of the 10-12 month trip time we have now.

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 58 - 12:05:52 ]
In addition to propulsion, we are also interested in the asteroid collision hazard. Please tell us what you know about this dangerous possibility.

[ Alan/Webmaster - 59 - 12:06:12 ]
Pretty tricky OHHSSpace team- sorry you can't send html commands.

[ Work - 60 - 12:06:41 ]
What kinds of livestock will be the most beneficial and have easy upkeep on a settlement in Mars?

[ Jaime/PhiloGrade - 61 - 12:07:18 ]
If people live on Mars how are they going to furnish themselves with food and/or seeds?

[ LTCexpert - 62 - 12:07:38 ]
RE: [Carla] What is the weather like on Mars? Is there a cyclical weather pattern like El Nino on Mars?
Carla, there is no El Nino on Mars, the weather on Mars is pretty simple and boring compared to earth, the earth's oceans make our weather complex and are a major factor for El Nino.

[ Work - 63 - 12:08:10 ]
to chase/ philo grade: if we could run out of oxygen, we would all be dead by now. think about it!

[ LTCexpert - 64 - 12:08:36 ]
RE: [Work] How can radiation on a settlement be controlled?
The easiest way to handle radiation is to bury your base with dirt and rock.

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 65 - 12:08:42 ]
Besides asteroids what other hazards are in space around Mars (ex. radiation)?

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 66 - 12:08:43 ]
Besides asteroids what other hazards are in space around Mars (ex. radiation)?

[ Alan/Webmaster - 67 - 12:09:30 ]
For those of you waiting on the Ames WInd tunnel tour - the tape *Still* isn't here yet.

[ Work - 68 - 12:10:18 ]
What if the settlement is in orbit, LTC? Would a water shield work, do you think?

[ LTCexpert - 71 - 12:11:48 ]
RE: [Work] cool, a rusty planet!! How much I guess you could call it "mars regolith" might be found there? (I hate to call it Mars regolith, but I hope that you understand, o wise one.)
The martian regolith may as thick or deep as several miles.

[ Work - 73 - 12:13:14 ]
What is the regolith composed of on Mars?

[ Alan/Webmaster - 74 - 12:14:03 ]
OHHSS - I am helping Jim answer some questions - on radiation. Two types of radiation - UV and solar storm type. UV can be filtere out pretty easily - but for the heavy stuff you'd need to go underground - A couple of meteres of soild should do the trick - Of course you could build a dome and put soil over it.

[ LTCexpert - 77 - 12:15:41 ]
RE: [Valerie/WestlakeSchool] Can you tell us about the steering mechanism used on the Sojourner? is it similar to an automobile (sorry if this has been answered already...we haven't seen an answer yet)
Valerie, the rover steering was accomplished by backing up and turning in slow increments by moving and locking certain wheels it didn't have a steering wheel, it was sort of like how you would turn a tank.

[ LTCexpert - 79 - 12:18:18 ]
RE: [BillKHQAFCEE] Since there was water present at one time on mars, and there seems to be the likelihood of organisms there, what is the possibility that there are underground oil and gas there?
Bill, underground oil and gas are unlikely because the biomass of any lifeforms on Mars would have been pretty small compared to the ones on earth that formed these deposits.

[ OHHSSpaceTeam - 81 - 12:20:11 ]
What is the shortest possible trip time from Earth to Mars for both conventional and advanced propulsion means.

[ LTCexpert - 82 - 12:20:33 ]
RE: [Work] Is genetic engineering of livestock or people feasible to a large extent on Mars for better adaption to a space environment (for example livestock?)
Genetic engineering for Mars is not really possible at this point in time. But could prove useful in the future for altering plants to grow on Mars.

[ LTCexpert - 83 - 12:21:34 ]
RE: [Work] About how much could a hydrogen-fluorine chemical engine lift off Mars into orbit per kg of fuel? How much could an argon ion engine haul from Earth to Mars orbit? (same ratio)
Sorry I can't answer this question because I am not an engineer.

[ LTCexpert - 84 - 12:22:50 ]
RE: [OHHSSpaceTeam] What hazards could happen if we were to explore Mars?
Hazards would be numerous just imagine what could happen to you when exploring desolate regions of the earth.

[ LTCexpert - 85 - 12:24:58 ]
RE: [OHHSSpaceTeam] What is the shortest possible trip time from Earth to Mars for both conventional and advanced propulsion means.
Shortest trips times for conventional are 7-12 months and as for advances it could be cut roughly in half with nuclear/electric propulsion.

[ LTCexpert - 86 - 12:26:25 ]
RE: [Work] What are some asteroid mining techniques of which you know that we might use in the future? (eg. mass driver) What kind of infrastructure would be required to support this? (eg. "space tugs" or solar sail craft)
Asteriod mining techniques are not my specialty sorry.

[ LTCexpert - 88 - 12:30:09 ]
RE: [Carla] Is the tape available and is the reflector address zues.arc.nasa.gov?
unfortunaley the reflector address will not be playing the tape due to technical difficulties.

[ Work - 89 - 12:30:36 ]
What major new technological achievements do you foresee by the year 2037? And as an additional question, what industrial trends do you think will emerge from these technological advancements?

[ Carla - 90 - 12:31:22 ]
thanks for the update

[ Work - 91 - 12:33:17 ]
For an adequate computer system in space, rotating Mars, what might you suggest pertaining to the set up, servers, dumb terminals and/ or central computers?

[ Carla - 92 - 12:34:14 ]
What would a person weigh on Mars?

[ Work - 93 - 12:35:56 ]
Yeah, what is the gravitational pull of Mars as compared to that of Earth? 1/4 g?

[ Bill/NASAChatHost - 94 - 12:37:52 ]
Thank you, everyone who participated today. We must now close the chat room to qeustions be sure to check out the Ames tour tape @ http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/live.rm