[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 0 - 09:43:06 ]
Hello! Today's NASA QuestChat with Carol Stoker will begin in approximately 25 minutes! Be sure to read Carol's bio at-- http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/sso/team/stoker.html

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 6 - 10:07:33 ]
RE: [Melissa-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] What is your favorite planet and why?
Welcome Melissa and Donna. I am here. My favorite planet is Mars.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 7 - 10:09:17 ]
Melissa: Mars is my favorite planet because it is a place I have always imagined going. Also, it is very much like the Earth only without any plants, animals, or people.

[ Stephen-DonnaAshby/M.J.E. - 8 - 10:09:39 ]
do you enjoy your job and making robots?

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 9 - 10:10:50 ]
Hi Stephen. Yes I enjoy my job. I don't really make robots. But I work with other people who make them.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 12 - 10:13:42 ]
RE: [Shawn-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] I am interested in going to mars. What do i need to do with my education?
I recommend you study lots of Math and science now. Then in college you should study either geology or engineering, but medicine also might work.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 14 - 10:15:40 ]
RE: [DaRoyce-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] How many mission have there been to mars?
I am not quite sure of the total number. The Russians sent a lot of missions in the 1970's. There is satellite orbiting Mars right now, and another lander will land in December 3, 1999. My guess is that there have been at least 10 missions to Mars so far, but not all of them were successful.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 16 - 10:17:20 ]
RE: [tim-tim] mars seems such a daunting task, i would like to see humans return to the moon first, your thoughts? ---don't get me wrong, i want us to do both, but as John Young (Apollo16) said, 'we still havn't figured out the moon"...
Going to the moon does not do that much to help you go to Mars because Mars and the moon are so different. Many people think that going to the moon has been done 30 years ago so there is no challenge in doing that.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 17 - 10:18:22 ]
RE: [Kelly-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] Did you ever want to become an astronaut? Some of my class mate are.
If you have classmates that are astronauts, good for you. I thought everybody wanted to be an astronaut, but not very many people actually get to be.

[ tim-tim - 20 - 10:20:08 ]
thanks, ...

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 21 - 10:20:29 ]
RE: [West-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] How cold are the polar ice caps on mars?
It depends on the season. During the winter they are very cold, but during the summer they are the warmest place on Mars. They get as warm as the freezing point of water. During the winter they get so cold that the air freezes out.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 22 - 10:21:25 ]
RE: [Andrew/Tiarra-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] We have been studying the planets and are wondering why uranus is tipped on its side
So do I. Nobody knows. Some people think that it was hit very hard by something and was knocked on its side, but there are problems with that explanation.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 25 - 10:23:24 ]
RE: [Kelly-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] Well, we're not really astronauts but we belong to the young astronauts council
Good for you. That will increase your chances of getting in. They like people who always wanted to be astronauts and started really young. It would be smart to join the civil air patrol also.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 27 - 10:27:24 ]
RE: [tim-tim] has a site been chosen for a sample return mission.. if so where??
There is a site selection study going on, but no final site has been chosen. There will probably be 2 different sites with samples collected from them in 2003 and 2005

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 29 - 10:28:03 ]
RE: [Carrie-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] Have you ever experienced microgravity in the vomit comet
No. I don't like to vomit. Do you?

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 30 - 10:28:44 ]
RE: [Shamiya-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] what do you consider to be your most important assignment
My most important assignment was self assigned: to get humanity to Mars.

[ Carrie-DonnaAshby/M.J.E. - 31 - 10:29:10 ]
it's not my favorite thing to do either

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 35 - 10:31:14 ]
RE: [Alex-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] What do you think the name of the rocket should be that will carry man to mars?
First of all, it won't carry man to Mars: it will carry men and women. It is up to your generation to come up with the name, and to be on the crew.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 37 - 10:32:57 ]
RE: [tim-tim] is NASA now 100% behind 'Zubrin's" plan to get to mars or only partly? does NASA have a yrough timetable ....when will the planning start for humans to go to mars?
There is a NASA plan for humans to Mars, and it does include some of the ideas promoted by Bob Zubrin. The timetable is 10 years from the time we start, but NASA can't decide when to start. That decision has to be made by the President and the congress.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 38 - 10:33:53 ]
RE: [Jasmine-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] What is the most interesting thing that you know about the sun
The sun is the source of life and energy in the solar system.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 39 - 10:34:28 ]
RE: [Lauren-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] When do you think the first human mission will go to mars?
I originally thought it would be me in the 1980's. Now it will more likely be you in 2020.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 42 - 10:36:06 ]
RE: [tim-tim] which pres. candidate would be most likely to make that decision??
I don't know. I think any of them might want to do it, if they think there is enough public support for it. You should let them know you support it.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 43 - 10:36:51 ]
RE: [Jocelyn-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] Will the atmosphere on mars affect the robotic mission?
The atmosphere is a useful assett for robotic missions. For example, we could fly airplanes on Mars.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 46 - 10:39:31 ]
RE: [Jared-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] How long does it take to design a robotic mission to mars?
Most missions now take 3-4 years to design and build.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 48 - 10:40:45 ]
RE: [tim-tim] i'll let my prime-minister know (CANADA) ... what would the first words be spoken from mars,??it would be hard to top 'that's one small step....
Canada has a pretty big space program for a small country. The Mars Society is building a Mars habitat simulator in Nunavit.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 49 - 10:40:56 ]
EVERYONE: There are only 15 minutes left in today's chat with Carol! Keep those great questions coming!

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 50 - 10:41:31 ]
RE: [Holly-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] Have you ever watched the shuttle launch?
No. I have watched robot missions launch, but never a launch carrying a crew.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 52 - 10:42:33 ]
RE: [CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist] Canada has a pretty big space program for a small country. The Mars Society is building a Mars habitat simulator in Nunavit.
How about " that's one small step for woman, but one giant skip for women"

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 54 - 10:43:22 ]
RE: [LaPorche-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] Do you have any children and if so, are they interested in space exploration?
No I don't have any children.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 56 - 10:45:14 ]
RE: [tim-tim] Canadians envy America for it's space program, is the ISS needed for a mars mission or is it taking away needed funds??
I don't think the ISS is directly relevant to sending humans to Mars, but doing any operations in space provides useful learning.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 57 - 10:45:53 ]
RE: [Timothy-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] How long did NASA have contact with the sojouner
Sojourner was in contact for about 100 days.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 58 - 10:46:30 ]
EVERYONE: At the end of today's chat, please fill out the short chat survey form at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys. This will help the Quest team bring you the best possible chats. Thanks :-)

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 63 - 10:48:41 ]
RE: [Yasmen-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] Are you responsible for controling the robots when they are on their mission?
No one person is really responsible, unless you count the person that sends the command string. It takes a team of people to decide what to do and to send commands.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 65 - 10:49:59 ]
RE: [tim-tim] there are currently 3 movies in production that are about mars missions, i assume they are realistic like apollo13 was....will this make the public more aware, interested??? and is NASA behind these productions??
I hope that is makes people more interested. NASA is certainly willing to help with ideas and designs, but is not directly involved with making the films.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 66 - 10:50:27 ]
RE: [Kenny-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] How long will it take for a human mission to get to mars?
Once you start the mission, it will take about 6 months of travel time to get to Mars.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 67 - 10:51:14 ]
RE: [David-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] Have you ever wondered if humanity would go to any other planet besides mars?
If we ever get around to going to Mars, we almost certainly will go to other planets as well. It's like if you have a car, you will drive to work and to the beach.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 69 - 10:51:57 ]
RE: [Jeremy-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] Do you have any other planet besides Mars that you enjoy studying?
I have done work on Jupter, Uranus and Neptune.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 70 - 10:52:33 ]
RE: [tim-tim] thanks .....it's been great talking with you... is there life on mars? maybe not,,,, but there will be !!!
Good point!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 72 - 10:53:29 ]
RE: [tim-tim] thanks .....it's been great talking with you... is there life on mars? maybe not,,,, but there will be !!!
Tim, thanks for joining us today!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 73 - 10:54:42 ]
EVERYONE: Carol can take one or two more questions then she has to leave for a mtg...

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 74 - 10:54:47 ]
RE: [Donna-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] What were the conditions like in the Antartic and were you able to obtain data that could be used for planetary mission?
Antarctica is very much like Mars. We have learned a lot in Antarctica that helps us prepare for Mars.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 76 - 10:57:27 ]
RE: [Shamiya-DonnaAshby/M.J.E.] What do you think about the meteorite that was discovered and thought to contain signs of life?
I think it is pretty interesting.

[ CarolStoker/PlanetaryScientist - 78 - 10:58:07 ]
Nice talking to you folks. On to Mars!

[ MrsAshbysClass-DonnaAshby/M.J.E. - 79 - 10:58:07 ]
Thank you for all of the info. We really learned a lot and enjoyed talking to you.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 80 - 10:58:34 ]
EVERYONE: After today's chat be sure to fiLL out the short survey at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys AND be sure to sign up the the chat in two weeks with Mike Mellon, who is studying the surface temps on Mars: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/chats/sched1.html