NASA planning methane-sniffing rocket plane for Mars mission

It's often been said that where there's water there's life, but NASA now looks to be seeing if the same can also be said of good 'ol methane, with New Scientist reporting that researchers at the agency have drawn up plans for a rocket plane that could one day sniff out sources of the gas on Mars. If it's given the go ahead, the plane would parachute down to Mars before being cut loose at an altitude of 1.5 kilometers, when the plane's rockets would kick it send it skimming across the Martian surface. On board sensors would then be able to detect methane at levels as low as a few parts per billion, as well as determine the source of the gas, which some speculate could be living micro-organisms. Of course, there's no indication of when that might take place, with the plane already failing to make the shortlist for NASA's 2011 Mars Scout mission.

[Matt @ Mar 20th 2007 8:32PM]

I'm sorry, but what the bleep is the point of this? Who cares if there's life buried inside of the Martian soil. What possible value could it provide us?

Settle the flippin moon first. Heaven forbid that there might be an actual profit to be made there. Next we can settle Mars and THEN you will have your precious life on Mars.

[John Doe @ Mar 20th 2007 9:03PM]

just drop some farting cows...

[bobby d @ Mar 20th 2007 9:03PM]

Thanks, you NASA scumbags, for wasting billions of taxpayer dollars in EVERYTHING YOU DO.

[rogueistari @ Mar 20th 2007 9:46PM]

Yeah, what could knowing that life exists on other worlds POSSIBLY contribute to our understanding of the cosmos?

Idiots.

[Lee Roy Brandon III @ Mar 20th 2007 10:37PM]

And if it finds large pockets of methane, when that rocket fires, it will be very obvious...

BTW, Methane is very useful stuff. Make fuel from it, use it to terraform via greenhouse effect...

[ignorance-hater @ Mar 20th 2007 11:59PM]

you guys are SOOO right. i mean, who cares if life is on other planets. its not like it would completely shatter all previous beliefs of the cosmos and religion. our taxpayer dollars are much better spent stealing oil from countries that cant fight back...

[Fitz @ Mar 21st 2007 1:22AM]

Wait a minute.

Guys... this is a GADGET site. If you don't support NASA, what the flip are you doing here?

[Denver_80203 @ Mar 21st 2007 1:39AM]

Beats the crap out of billions spent on war...

I wonder if a blimp would be a better approach though

[bobby d @ Mar 21st 2007 2:04AM]

How's the NASA Kool-AID, boys? Ask yourself: What have a bunch of government-job degenerates playing with rockets done for you lately? The sooner we shut down NASA and encourage private space exploration, the better.

[Murc @ Mar 21st 2007 2:07AM]

Nasa did all the work on this place years ago...they did mockups, and even did a test of 1/2 scale model, being bropped high up from a helicopter, and it was able to un-tuck itswings and gliode back down...it worked perfectly, I would of loved to of seen it sent to Mars...but it keeps being pushed back...I think the reason it its longevity...It wouldn't be flying for more then a day or two...and then...mission over. But still, I think it would be worth it.

[Oknarf @ Mar 21st 2007 10:13AM]

What Al Gore is not telling you about "global climate change" is that it really is caused by the sun and if it continues we will need to move. I here that Mars has alot of choice real estate available, and if the temperatures keep rising and the polar ice caps on Mars melt, it'll be just like Florida.

Start packing now, we're moving.

I hope they have oil on Mars.

[Seventhexile @ Mar 21st 2007 12:36PM]

What a waste of money .. we haven't explored even 1/2 our oceans .. and yet we want to go seeing if mars has methane..

and a plane? .. HA .. we cant even get our little rovers to work right let alone a plane ..

[LongshotX @ Mar 21st 2007 5:08PM]

I'm pursuing a doctorate in Biogeochemical Oceanography (currently I'm trying to complete a Bachelor's in Environmental Science) and I can tell you less than a tenth of the oceans has been explorer but it would be much more of a daunting and difficult task of exploring the oceans compared to space. Currently we don't possess anything capable of surviving the thousands of pounds of pressure the ocean creates at deeper depths. Space is practically a vacuum. Space is Easy, Oceans are much harder to explore.

[myturnnow @ Mar 22nd 2007 6:12AM]

Well actually...if they found living organisms on Mars they might be able to use them to cure diseases and make better medicines. If they found a new lifeform, it would probably have a different structure and composition than creatures you would find on Earth. It would really be a break-through in every sphere knowledge to find life on another planet. It may seem farfetchd but it really is an interesting endeavor.

[aboi @ Mar 24th 2007 4:48AM]

lets hope that dont get hijacked too