Steve Squires told a news conference this afternoon that scientists had poured over data and measurements taken by examining Martian rocks and drilling into them.

Water in its liquid form is considered to be a prerequisite for the presence of life on Mars. This does not mean that there is or has been life there, but that it was possible.

As scientists work to interpret the data and pictures coming in from the Opportunity rover, there is speculation that brine is just slightly below the surface. Some pictures show rover tracks being made in “mud” with water squeezed out of the ground as the rover passes.

Clearly, if solid (no pun intended) evidence has been found of water on Mars, NASA will want to be absolutely sure before releasing this information, as it could change our understanding of our neighbor for generations.

Researchers were within minutes of making “the call” to inform President George Bush about the discovery. At the time, the President was preparing for his address the following day at NASA where he shifted its course to manned flight to the moon and Mars. If the call had been made, it would have been a very different speech.

Fortunately, minutes later, an amateur astronomer took a picture of a piece of sky that should have had the rock in it, but didn’t, confirming that the Earth was in no danger. The crisis was over. Within the following days, more observations were made, correcting the size to a massive 500m. Its trajectory took it past the Earth at a distance of 12 million km, well beyond cause for any concern.

The procedures for raising the alarm in such circumstances are now being revised. Many astronomers recognise that a false alarm could have brought ridicule on their profession. They are calling for more planning and less panic if it should happen for real next time.

The first step is the development and construction of a high-speed re-entry vehicle by 2007. Following that, the ESA will send an orbiter and rover to Mars in 2009, and launch a go-and-return mission to bring back samples from Mars in 2011 and 2014.

As shown in the 1960’s, there’s nothing like a bit of competition to keep your deadlines and milestones tight.

Meanwhile, 6,600 miles away, the Spirit rover has been slowly recovering from what appeared to be a near-fatal software failure. NASA engineers are trying to wipe its flash memory of the data it has retrieved thus far in the mission. They are optimistic that this fix could completely restore the rover so it can continue exploring nearby rocks.

Spirit has transmitted its first black-and-white picture to Earth since the problems started on Jan 21. The picture shows the rovers robotic arm pressed up against a rock in exactly the same position it was in when the failures started more than a week ago.

Atmospheric drag, parachute deployed, heat shield detached, tether the lander, retro-rockets and finally, a bounce… then another. The craft had reached the surface. Only 10 short minutes later, it’s automatic landing process had established contact with NASA, via the orbiter to say it was okay.

A picture perfect landing, just 11 months after the not-so-perfect landing of the Columbia Shuttle which doomed it’s crew of seven. By 2am, a mere 2 hours later, Spirit had unfolded itself and its camera mast, and sent back its first low-res, black and white images from its new resting place.

Congratulations, NASA! The next 90 days will be fascinating!

Scientists have been watching some unusual activity on the sun in the past few weeks as sunspot and flare activity has unexpectedly increased. We are a few years off the normal 11 year solar cycle. It’s kind of like having 3 major hurricanes in March.

This morning’s Solar Flare could pass us with no consequnces, or it could knock out power grids and communications around the world. It depends on the magnetic polarity of the plasma that is shooting towards us. If that polarity matches the earths, it will pass quietly, but if it is opposite, it could cause spectacular consequences.

This flare is much stronger than the one that knocked out the Quebec power grid on March 6, 1989. A stronger flare was recorded on April 2, 1982, but it was pointed away from Earth. The Great Solar Storm of 1859 which knocked out telegraph wires and started fires in the US and Europe, was about 3 times as strong.

Ironically, Bruce Tsurutani of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory released a detailed account of the 1859 “Perfect Space Storm” which was published recently in the Journal of Geophysical Research, warning that another such flare could hit, with even more damaging consequences because of today’s reliance on electronics.

Electricity grid and satellite operators and astronauts onboard the ISS are taking special precautions. The flare is expected to hit earth around noon (est) Wednesday.

Today’s mission marks the success of an 11-year manned space program, which some foriegn experts estimate cost over $1 billion.

The margin of error is still quite large because it has only been under observation for a week or so. Astronomers will be tracking QQ47 over the coming months to more accurately predict its trajectory.

As it stands, the chances of it hitting earth are 1 in 909,000, and those chances are expected to get smaller as more information is gathered.

Update (9:22pm):
Further observations have confirmed that QQ47 will not hit Earth. You are free to go about your lives. Carry on.

“Its job description is to look for celestial objects which emit light from the other end of the electromagnetic spectrum, the wavelengths just a bit longer than the red end of visible light but shorter than microwaves.”

“It will seek infrared energy, or heat, radiated by extremely cool objects in space. Many of its target objects will have temperatures near absolute zero (minus 273.16 degrees Celsius). It sees with infrared eyes the places and things we humans can only imagine.”