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General Discussion & Feedback => Radio Show & Podcast Feedback => Topic started by: thedoc on 11/10/2010 13:01:50

Title: Discuss: Life on Mars
Post by: thedoc on 11/10/2010 13:01:50

Hours before NASA's phoenix mission was due to land on Mars, the Naked Scientists took our own tour of the Martian landscape.  We discuss how looking in valleys could tell us what shaped the Martian surface, and how probing Martian mud could reveal signs of life past and present.  Also, we find out how scientists have watched the explosive death of a star, and how an asteroid collision millions of miles away could have seen the birth of the meteorite that killed off the dinosaurs.  Plus, in Kitchen Science, we show you how to make weightless water!
Listen to this Show (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/show/2008.05.25/)

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If you want to discuss this show, or ask a question, this is the place to do it.

Title: Re: Life on Mars
Post by: flynn morgan age 5 on 25/05/2008 18:24:33

has there ever been dinosaur bones found in britain

Title: Life on Mars
Post by: B. Elliott on 26/05/2008 21:06:26

I have a couple of questions for anyone who may know the answer. These questions mostly pertain to the lander it's self.

-When the batteries are fully drained due to lack of sunlight and the heaters then subsequently fail, what equipment will potentially be damaged? ie; the Batteries?

-Once the batteries are completely drained, would it be possible for them to be recharged?

-When the sunlight returns again, could the solar panels recharge the batteries, or is a slight power source required for the charging process? Could the panels even put out this kind of power?

Brett,

Title: Life on Mars
Post by: turnipsock on 26/05/2008 22:08:19

The Mars Rover missions shut down when the batteries are low. This happened during a dust storm at some point. Once the batteries have recharged, the Rover restarts.

Title: Life on Mars
Post by: B. Elliott on 27/05/2008 00:03:08

I was talking about the non-roving Phoenix. In approximately 100days Mars will be entering it's Winter phase and that specific hemisphere of Mars will receive no sunlight whatsoever for a few months total. The lander will also become buried in a few feet of ice a this time.

To better clarity my question, will the batteries be able to survive being completely drained for so long and, will they be able to survive the extreme cold?