By Professor Stanley V. McDaniel
Author of The McDaniel Report
[Jan 31, 1996] -- Since publication of The McDaniel Report on the Mars anomalies (the Face and other features) in 1994, events surrounding the question of artificial objects on Mars have accelerated. New research is being undertaken, more information is being disseminated, and NASA has apparently been moved to abandon at least one of its long-standing arguments on the subject (the argument that images exist showing that the 'Face on Mars' is nothing but a trick of lighting).
At the same time, as the launch of the Mars Global Surveyor draws nearer (November 1996), there are indications that NASA's underlying stance remains unchanged. In particular, inconclusive "assurances" that new images of the debated landforms at Cydonia would be taken have been issued by the Mars Global Surveyor Camera Principal Investigator. These "assurances," which may appear encouraging, suffer from the fact that appropriately high priorities for such new images are not assigned or discussed.
NASA's overall policy is one of giving high priority only to objects of high "scientific interest," and the debated objects are considered by the Camera Principal Investigator (Dr. Michael C. Malin) as of "moderate to low" scientific interest. The net result is that despite "assurances" that the debated objects are "in the camera target database" the chances that they will receive the degree of advance planning necessary to ensure success are slim.
It is imperative, then, that NASA should upgrade its priorities for the Cydonia objects for the Mars Global Surveyor mission. In The McDaniel Report there are a series of recommendations aimed at accomplishing this. Below is the text of those recommendations. Readers are encouraged to send copies to the addressees below. Also address and send this letter to your own congressional representatives. You may also send the letter to Dr. Michael Malin at the address malin@esther.la.asu.edu. An ASCII version of this text is available on the Compuserve ISSUES forum, section 10, and will also be posted in the ISCNI Library at America Online.
For further information see "The McDaniel Report Newsletter" Web page at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mcdrpt.
[CNI News encourages all readers to copy and send the following text to the suggested recipients and to redistribute this article in any way possible.]
TO:
Glenn E. Cunningham
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA (USA) 91109-8099
Daniel Goldin, Director, NASA
300 E St. SW
Washington DC 20546
Michael C. Malin
Malin Space Science Systems
PO Box 919148, San Diego CA 92101-0148
Dear Sirs,
In view of the evidence cited in the publications listed below, indicating there is a reasonable, even if small, possibility that some objects in the Cydonia region of Mars may be artificial; and in consideration of the importance of such a discovery for humanity should this possibility be verified; and in consideration of the fact that the camera for the Mars Global Surveyor is under the control of a private contractor with proprietary rights (Dr. Michael C. Malin of Malin Space Science Systems): I urge NASA, JPL, and Dr. Malin to implement the recommendations from The McDaniel Report reproduced here.
Only in this way can NASA restore public confidence in NASA's stated policy of openness, which has been brought into question by various misstatements made by NASA regarding the debated landforms, and maximize the probability of obtaining new high resolution images of those landforms.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Priority Level: NASA and the Mars Global Surveyor Camera Principal Investigator, by agreement, will assign a level of priority to the suspect landforms that will ensure the obtaining of high-resolution photographs of those landforms, using all means at their disposal, subject only to uncertainties beyond their control. This high priority level will be entered into the imaging Target Data Base and taken into consideration in mission sequencing.
2. Area Coverage: The Principal Investigator will plan for and initiate high-resolution imaging sequences on every occasion during which the spacecraft groundtrack is within the area from 8 to 10 degrees longitude, such that the image strips include the area 40.4 to 41.2 degrees N. latitude.
3. Limited Waiver of Proprietary Rights: In consideration of the public interest in this area and of the possible importance to humanity of the resulting images, the camera Principal Investigator will follow the precedent of earlier missions by waiving the proprietary restrictions for release of data in the case of imaging data gathered during camera passes over the specified area.
4. Advance Notice to the Public: The scientific community and the general public will be given prompt advance notice, within the constraints of predictability, as to when each such pass will occur, in order to prepare to receive the data. Among the avenues for such notice will be the Internet.
5. Prompt Release of Data: The raw data for the specific area indicated above will be released to scientists and to the public upon receipt at JPL with no time delay. Video image conversion of data received in the same passes will be released in a continuous stream to NASA Select-TV, PBS, and others who desire to receive it. High priority will be given to the processing of such data and the processed data (in the form of images) will be released to the public immediately upon completion.
_________________________________
(Signed)
REFERENCES
Carlotto, Mark J., "Digital Imagery Analysis of Unusual Martian Surface Features." Applied Optics, Vol. 27, No. 10 (1988).
Carlotto, Mark J. And Stein, M. C., "A Method for Searching for Artificial Objects on Planetary Surfaces." Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Vol. 43 No. 5 (May 1990).
Carlotto, Mark J., The Martian Enigmas: A Closer Look. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley CA (1991). Telephone (510) 559-8277.
Carlotto, Mark J., World Wide Web Page at http://www.psrw.com/~markc/mars.html.
Crater, Horace W., "A Statistical Study of Angular Placements of Features on Mars." Paper delivered to The Society for Scientific Exploration, June 15 1995.
DiPietro, V., Molenaar, G., \& Brandenburg, J., Unusual Mars Surface Features. Mars Research, PO Box 284, Glenn Dale, MD 20769. (First edition 1982; fourth edition, 1988.)
DiPietro, V., Molenaar, G., \& Brandenburg, J., "The Cydonia Hypothesis.." Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 5, No. 1, pages 1-25 (1991).
Erjavec, J., "The Geomorphology and Geology of a Portion of the Cydonia Region of Mars: a New Interpretation." Unpublished. For copies contact The McDaniel Report, 1055 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa CA 95401.
McDaniel, Stanley V., The McDaniel Report: On the Failure of Executive, Congressional, and Scientific Responsibility in Setting Mission Priorities for NASA's Mars Exploration Program. North Atlantic Press, Berkeley CA (1994).
McDaniel, Stanley V., The McDaniel Report Newsletter, Web page at
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mcdrpt.
O'Leary, B., "Analysis of Images of the Face on Mars and Possible Intelligent Origin." Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Vol. 43 No. 5 (May 1990).
Torun, Erol, ``The Geomorphology and Geometry of the D & M Pyramid.'' (1988). Appendices A and B added June and August 1989. Published electronically on the Compuserve Issues Forum, section 10 (files PYRAMID.RSH, PYRA1.RSH, PYRAM3.RSH).
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