Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. Ashwin Vasavada,  Dr. David Livingston.  Topics:  Curiosity, Mars water, possible contamination, Planetary Protection & more.  You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce.  This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com.  Remember, your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm.  Please note that audio and transition issues are a result of copying the John Batchelor broadcast & are not within my control as they originate in the Batchelor studio.

John Batchelor and I welcomed back Dr. Ashwin Vasavada to discuss the current news coming back from Mars via Curiosity.  The topics we discussed included possible contamination from the rover to liquid water on Mars (RSL), planetary protection, and geologic formations such as the Murray Formation. We compared many Mars surface features to those on Earth caused by wind, water, and natural erosion such as the famous Monument Valley area of Utah and Arizona.  This discussion included the balanced rocks on Mars as a result of the Martian low gravity.  Our guest also put the Martian geologic time in context for us as we talked about what was going on with Earth about the time the water was on Mars.  This was a double segment Hotel Mars program.

You can email Mr. Batchelor or Dr. Ashwin Vasavada through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.  Dr. Vasavada can also be reached through his JPL website.