Mars is hot, despite its average global temperature of negative 80 degrees, both in science fiction and in actual science – which was not always the case since after NASA’s Viking mission failed to turn up signs of life in the 1970s, Mars was planeta non grata.
"In fact, after the Viking landers finished their work in the late 1970s NASA turned abruptly away from Mars, and actually had a prohibition against missions and scientists working on Mars," said Kelly Beatty, from "Sky and Telescope Magazine." "There was even an organization called the Mars Underground, which hosted private conferences and only the bravest NASA scientists dared show up."
But today the hunt for life on Mars is thriving. Two new high-profile Mars rovers will launch this summer.
One from NASA is essentially a clone of the near-decade-old Curiosity rover that is still kicking on the planet’s surface, though the Mars 2020 rover heads to the Red Planet with different instrumentation.
"And extra cool, it will have a drone — a helicopter drone," said Beatty. "[It] will cruise above the surface, ten-to-30 feet high, and take several trips. And that is video I can’t wait to see."
The other is an effort from the European Space Agency: a lander called the Rosalind Franklin.
"That’s named for a woman who during the latter half of the 20th century was instrumental in a lot of the advances in DNA and RNA and even virus research," explained Beatty. "Sadly, she died at age 37. She was a British researcher."
The rovers will search for organic compounds that could provide evidence of life in Mars’ distant past. Their targets are organic minerals left in now-dried, clay-like, ancient Martian river deltas.
This time-lapse video, taken on Oct. 8, 2019, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., captures the first time the Mars 2020 rover carries its full weight on its legs and wheels. The rover was photographed in JPL's Simulator Building, where it underwent weeks of testing.
Credit: Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech
"Clay minerals are thought by biochemists to be good starting blocks for developing life," explained Beatty. "So, we'll see."
Both rovers are set to launch in July and arrive on the Red Planet early next year.
People have not traveled into space from American soil in nearly a decade now. Since 2011, American astronauts have been hopping rides to the International Space Station, mainly on Russian crafts. That is poised to change in 2020 with the expected debut of two American made spacecraft from private companies.
The first — the four-person Crew Dragon — comes courtesy of Space X.
"And in fact they're gonna have a really exciting test on January 11," said Beatty. "And that first Space X crew should reach the international space station sometimes within the first few months of the year."
The second — a larger vessel that can carry up to seven — is from Boeing and dubbed the Starliner. And while 2020 will be likely be about ensuring everything works with astronauts aboard, space tourists should soon follow.
"It’s also available for private use," said Beatty. "A company called Space Adventures will place you on one of these Starliners and take you up to the space station for 20 million dollars. If you want a space walk — and they’ll arrange that — its an extra 15 million."
While the $35 million view in space would be spectacular, there is a view available for free back here on Earth of any number of celestial events, not to mention the thousands of stars visible to the naked eye nightly.
"In some sense it's gonna be kind of a quiet year celestially," said Beatty.
Still there are some highlights to look forward to in 2020. From Chile, you can witness a full solar eclipse, thought it will not take place until December.
Closer to home, Beatty said it should be a particularly good year for the meteor showers. There's the annual Perseids in August, and the Gemenids in December.
"And this coming summer, the planets Jupiter and Saturn will be fairly close together in the sky. They'll both be in view at once," said Beatty. "These are the two largest planets in our solar system, they are quite bright in the sky, and they'll be beckoning for your attention every night — all through the summer."
That might seem like a ways off as we enter into the heart of the long New England winter. But remember, the Earth is always on the move — zipping around the sun at some 67,000 miles an hour. The days are already getting longer and indeed , inevitably, summer is coming.
