Richard Zurek
Richard Zurek
astronauts desire explore mars send someday spirit
The desire to explore has really always been a part of the American spirit and Mars is a new frontier. Its a place where you could someday send astronauts to do that kind of exploration.
knock socks
We got the capabilities that will knock your socks off.
cement surface
We don't want to be hauling cement to Mars. That's very expensive. Better to know what we can make on the surface of the planet.
early evidence history minerals standing time water
If we find evidence that (those) minerals are there, there must have been a time in Mars' early history when there was standing water on Mars' surface.
period science teams
For the science teams right now, this is a period of waiting.
evidence looking spot sweet
What we're really looking for is that sweet spot where we can go down with other instruments and look for evidence of life.
begin detail image surface
We'll begin to image the surface and look at its composition with detail that we've just not been able to do before.
detail level looking seen
We'll be looking at things with a level of detail we've not seen before.
background bringing capability deal environment future plan
We're bringing more capability to the planet. What we're really doing now is establishing the background environment that we have to deal with when we plan future missions.
couple feet literally scratched surface trying
With the subsurface of Mars, we've literally just scratched the surface and we're trying to probe, now, more than a couple of feet into it.
future guide interested learning liquid mars past studies supported today water whether
We're especially interested in water, whether it's ice, liquid or vapor. Learning more about where the water is today and where it was in the past will also guide future studies about whether Mars ever supported life.
presence sure
I'm sure the U.S. would like to have a presence there.
arriving duplicate influenced trying
The instruments that are arriving (in 2003) have influenced our selections. We're trying to complement, not duplicate them.
future weather
It's a weather satellite, it's a geological surveyor, it's a pathfinder for future missions.