Mystery "Heat Shield Rock" on Mars

Browsing through the NASA 'Astronomy Picture of the Day' library, I found yesterday's image (July 31, 2011) somewhat intriguing. It's an image taken from the Mars Opportunity Rover of the heat shield left behind during the rover's landing. The image was taken back in 2005. Just posted now, 6 years later.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/fcf6576b0542.jpeg[/atsimg]

First, I thought it was a unique image of the mess we leave behind with each mission. Each time we send something to land on mars, this sort of junk is left behind.

Secondly, whoever posted the image brought up that the image analysts weren't quite sure the origin of the rock below. The mystery rock is said to have a composition of mostly of dense metals iron and nickel. They author referred to it as an 'ancient metallic meteorite'.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/cac6c8cab86a.jpg[/atsimg]

Ancient? Why would the author use the word 'ancient'? It just struck me as odd. What do you guys think?


LINK TO ORIGINAL: apod.nasa.gov...

You're right, we're polluting space just like earth

Have you ever seen this?
Gridlock in Space: 12,000 Satellites in orbit

Pretty sure they called it ancient because , it is . With no volcanic activity on Mars it's a pretty safe bet that this rock was made some time in the ancient past .

reply to post by Forevever


I have seen that! It reminds me of the scene in Wall•e, when they're are leaving orbit.

The thing that really peaks my interest is what they label an 'ancient mystery rock'. Why that title? Why not claim it's part of the molten left-overs? Why even call it ancient? Why leave it/put it in the photo at all? I could keep going.

It just feels weird.

Those rovers are there to explore the land and hopefuully find a habitable place to live...


Who are we bothering with our space junk ?


The sand ?

The rocks ?

The dead planet?


really.....


if people lived there i could understand the concern for space junk ...

but there is a crap load of space up there for our exploration


and yes it might get a little dirty


we just don't have a space garbage truck yet to go collect....


don't worry in the future all these precious metals will be very valuable and you will have the commercial space programs go collect all this "junk"

and sell it to collectors who will make a killing on this "historical junk"


We need this for exploration right now ... don't worry about the mess

no aliens have complained yet have they?


as for the rock...


it probably doesnt match the rest of the pictures around the heat shield . Thats why the author called it ancient because of the differnce in characteristics from the other evniromantal factors

Originally posted by Max_TO
Pretty sure they called it ancient because , it is . With no volcanic activity on Mars it's a pretty safe bet that this rock was made some time in the ancient past .

Yes ,like there's no volcanic activity on the moon
Oh wait,they changed that statement right?

reply to post by seedofchucky

Simply, it isn't a matter of "concern" for the "junk" in space.

It is a matter of noticing, and being aware of their "disregard".

These are just small examples to compare with what they're doing within the atmosphere.

Out there, there isn't anything obstructing our view. Its obvious.

Originally posted by seedofchucky
...
no aliens have complained yet have they?
...

How would we know? For all we know there could be a complaint hotline right in the Oval Office. Since when does the government tell us anything?

reply to post by blackbirdish


It is believed to be a meteorite. Which means it came from outerspace, and landed on Mars. It's ancient because it was more than likely formed millions of years ago like other meteorites.

reply to post by amaster


More like billions of year ago. It was probably buried on Mars and then exhumed.

The Opportunity rover has spotted many of these lying around all over. They no longer drive up to investigate them.

Originally posted by Ex_CT2

Originally posted by seedofchucky
...
no aliens have complained yet have they?
...

How would we know? For all we know there could be a complaint hotline right in the Oval Office. Since when does the government tell us anything?

Well if their complaints don't register with the whitehouse... and the white house disgards them ...


Why not paint in the sky that there are aliens and they have a concern about space junk??

oh its our fault they chose to be exclusive to governments?


oh its our fault they chose not to come directly to the masses to voice there concern??


to bad oh so sad....


well keep dumping garbage untill they do make some noise and let us be known there out there


and when they ask why didnt we care about space and dumping our garbage...


i'll say why didn't you care enough to come to the masses with the truth of your existence ?

when he says we had contacts with your world leaders


i'll tell him to shove his contracts where the sun don't shine


then boot stomp his face and make him an example of any other "secret aliens " who don't wanna be honest and truftful




If i ever find out there were secret contacts thats extactly how its going down . The first head alien guy is getting a steel toe boot in his face for all humanity and years of secracy ....

Originally posted by seedofchucky
and when they ask why didnt we care about space and dumping our garbage...


i'll say why didn't you care enough to come to the masses with the truth of your existence ?

LOL thats awesome!!
I agree with that!!!

Originally posted by Forevever
reply to post by seedofchucky

 

Simply, it isn't a matter of "concern" for the "junk" in space.

It is a matter of noticing, and being aware of their "disregard".

These are just small examples to compare with what they're doing within the atmosphere.

Out there, there isn't anything obstructing our view. Its obvious.

We already do notice and know very well about them...

but there are no space garbage trucks yet to deal with it ..

so they will remain idle untill we do get a space garbage truck?


What happens if aliens land on mars ? and find that space junk ? hinting that there is iintelligent life around here? what woudl happen if they never found that junk...


the space junk has many positive triats then negative right now


the junk in our atmosphere is just awaiting a self cleaning robotic ship to deal with but were not that far yet

so it is on the back burner waiting list of projects ..

patience is a virtue

reply to post by disownedsky


You're right, more like billions.

My interest in the rock is how "out of place" it looks, as if it was just placed there. You would assume that if it has been there for long periods of time then sand would have built up around it, similar to the pattern of waves in the sand.

Here's a couple more pics from other angles,

upload.wikimedia.org...

You can still see the meteorite.

apod.nasa.gov...

cdn.wn.com...

All the pictures are described as heat shield, is this the actual atmospheric entry shield, or some kind of other canopy?
In fact it looks like the aeroshell with the cladding still intact?