Curiosity Martian soil sample reveals 2% water content by weight

[gary]

NASA scientists have published a series of papers in the journal Science that
a soil sample scooped up by Curiosity reveals about 2% water content by weight.



Article in The Guardian here -
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/sep/26/nasa-curiosity-rover-mars-soil-water

Science magazine -
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6153/1475

[gary]

The first definitive evidence of perchlorate salts was found in 2008 by NASA’s
Phoenix lander. They are at the Curiosity site as well and since they are
toxic to humans, they will pose a potential hazard to future explorers who come
into contact with Martian dust.

I instantly think of the photos taken of Eugene Cernan in the Apollo 17 Lunar Module,
Challenger, his face covered in the grime of Moon dust after doffing his helmet.
See photo here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AS17-145-22224.jpg

It will take a concerted protocol for explorers not to come into contact with Mars dust
on a constant basis.



Short 2006 article in Science Magazine about how a large study found perchlorate
impacts thyroid function at low does here -
http://news.sciencemag.org/2006/10/perchlorate-impacts-thyroid-low-doses

Longer academic paper in Pharmacological Reviews on "Perchlorate and the Thyroid Gland" here -
http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/50/1/89.full

[rustigsmed]

fascinating stuff, thanks for posting Gary.

Cheers

Russell

[LewisM]

Goes well with the article I posted a few days ago: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=112651

[multiweb]

Toxic dust. I reckon that's gonna curb all the enthusiasts willing to do a one way trip and live there... Nasty environment temperatures aside.

[Wavytone]

.. not to mention the atmosphere, which most of the population seem to think is breathable.

Nobody has managed to "terraform" a desert (or anything faintly resembling Mars) so I am really puzzled why so many want to go. The novelty will wear off by day 3 and after a month I think they'll be considering suicide - if they haven't murdered each other after discovering how hard it can be to live with people you are not immediately related to.

And we know how the yanks love their guns... all it will take is one nutter determined to take his along for "protection".

[LewisM]

I still cannot fathom these twits and their one way mission. Sure, being the first known human to set foot on another planet is incredibly exciting, but considering how potentially short your fame will be is a bit stupid to put it mildly.