The Hindu : Indian scientist studying nature of Martian rocks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 08, 2004

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Indian scientist studying nature of Martian rocks

By Arunkumar Bhatt

NASA scientist Amitabh Ghosh, the only Indian on the Mars mission, at a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday. - Photo: Vivek Bendre

MUMBAI Jan. 7 . While the world is watching the colour photographs of Mars sent by the exploration rover, Spirit, an Indian scientist of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Amitabh Ghosh, works on two crucial instruments placed on board the vehicle to understand the nature of the Martian rocks with a view to determining if life ever existed on the red planet.

Dr. Ghosh, one of 15 IIT-ians showcased for exceptional achievement, is the planetary geologist of NASA, participating in the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Mission which is scheduled to land another rover, Opportunity, shortly.

His instruments are APXS or Alpha particle X-Ray Spectrometer, located at the end of the instrument deployment device of the Spirit and Mini-TES or Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer which is in the rover's body but uses the panoramic camera's mast as a periscope to get the view.

Dr. Ghosh is a past master in the game, having worked on the Mars Pathfinder Mission in 1997. He conducted chemical analysis of rocks and soil in the landing site and analysed the first ever Martian rock, to bag the NASA Mars Pathfinder Achievement Award.

The study of different types of rocks and soils indicating the past water activity is the principal mission objective of the MER. The study of the Martian geology by Dr. Ghosh with the instruments on board the rover could yield the clue. This is very important for the quest for life on the neighbouring planet.

Dr. Ghosh, on a short visit to Mumbai, said that the scientific community was unanimous that water existed on the Mars and there was the evidence of polar ice there. But it was necessary to locate water or the evidence of its existence in the past. For that could lead to life sustaining environment or the evidence of its existence once upon a time.

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