CENAP Infoline - no 061

Magazine Overview

Title: cenap-infoline
Issue: nr. 61
Date: July 20, 1997

This issue of cenap-infoline, a German UFO and anomaly magazine, is divided into two main sections: "Die Mars - Chroniken" (The Mars Chronicles) detailing the Mars Pathfinder mission, and "Roswell Update 1947/1997" focusing on the 50th anniversary of the Roswell incident.

Die Mars - Chroniken (The Mars Chronicles)

The Mars section provides a chronological account of the Mars Pathfinder mission's early days, starting from its landing on July 4, 1997. The US probe successfully landed on the Red Planet after a 500 million kilometer journey, transmitting its first images shortly after. The landing, which occurred at 19:07 MESZ, was the first by a spacecraft on Mars in 21 years. The probe entered the Martian atmosphere at over 26,000 km/h, with atmospheric changes, a parachute, and retrorockets slowing it down to 88 km/h before landing safely cushioned by airbags.

A key component of the Pathfinder probe, the electronic sensor unit, was developed at the Max Planck Institute for Aeronomy in Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany. This unit, featuring a stereocamera that analyzes colors using filters, was designed to send image information as electrical signals back to Earth during the 20-day Mars mission.

July 7: The mission generated global excitement, with over 100 million people accessing NASA's website. The Mars rover "Sojourner" (Traveler), controlled from Earth, successfully deployed from the Pathfinder probe via a ramp. The rover, about the size of a shoebox, left tracks in the reddish-brown landscape. Scientists had overcome a technical issue where a landing airbag had obstructed the deployment of the ramp.

July 8: Sojourner embarked on its first significant exploration, approaching a rock dubbed "Barnacle Bill." Using a spectrometer, largely developed in Germany by the Max Planck Institute in Mainz, Sojourner analyzed the rock's chemical composition by bombarding it with alpha particles.

July 9: Sojourner's analysis revealed that a Mars rock, "Barnacle Bill," had a composition similar to Earth rocks, consisting of three common minerals: quartz, feldspar, and orthopyroxene. Professor Heinrich Wänke suggested "Barnacle Bill" might be of volcanic origin or formed from marine deposits, referencing the theory that the Pathfinder landing site was once covered by massive floods billions of years ago.

July 10: The fine dust layer on Mars, 40 kilometers thick, moves twice daily due to solar heating. The rocks examined were found to be more "terrestrial" than expected. "Barnacle Bill" is primarily quartz, indicating it was melted multiple times by volcanic activity. Martian dust contains valuable elements like iron, aluminum, and titanium. The article notes that 12 meteorites found on Earth are definitively from Mars. Sojourner continued its exploration, navigating around depressions to protect its solar panels, with hopes of functioning for at least seven days, potentially until the Martian autumn (in 60 days).

July 12: The Sojourner rover experienced its first "accident" on Mars, getting stuck on the rock "Yogi" due to a collision. This occurred because the rover was moving faster than anticipated, possibly due to Mars' lower gravity (38% of Earth's). Sojourner automatically shut down after the incident. The article also mentions the commercial success of toy versions of the Mars rover and Pathfinder probe in the US.

July 13: NASA re-established contact with the Mars probe Pathfinder and successfully freed the Sojourner rover from the rock "Yogi." The mission had stalled due to a technical miscalculation regarding the communication window between Mars and Earth, causing a one-day delay but no expected data loss as information was stored on the probe and rover.

Roswell Update 1947/1997

This section commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Roswell incident, exploring its origins, the ongoing debate, and its impact on the town of Roswell, New Mexico.

The Legend and the Anniversary: The article begins by recounting the testimony of Jim Ragsdale, a survey technician who claimed to have witnessed a crash on the night of July 4, 1947. Ragsdale's testimony, along with other accounts, forms the basis of the Roswell legend. The International UFO Museum in Roswell, which has moved to a larger location, features exhibits like a plastic alien with burn wounds and displays of alleged alien artifacts.

Official Explanations and Skepticism: The article presents the US Air Force's official stance, particularly the 1994 "Report of Air Force Research Regarding the Roswell Incident." This report, along with declassified Pentagon documents, concluded that the debris found was from a high-altitude weather balloon used for a secret project to monitor Soviet nuclear tests. The "flying disc" mentioned in a classified report was identified as a weather balloon. The secrecy surrounding the incident was attributed to the 509th Bomb Group's status as the nation's only nuclear strike force at the time, and Roswell's proximity to sensitive military sites like the White Sands Missile Range.

However, the article highlights skepticism and evolving explanations. A 1996 artifact presented to the museum was analyzed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory and found to be made of common terrestrial materials like pure silver and copper, debunking its extraterrestrial origin. The analysis technique was initially miscalibrated, leading to initial excitement.

Witness Accounts and Their Revisions: The article discusses how witness accounts have evolved over time. For instance, the location of the alleged crash has been disputed, with different ranches being cited over the years. Some witnesses, like Kent Jeffrey, an organizer of the International Roswell Initiative, have recanted their earlier beliefs, stating that no UFO crashed in Roswell. Walter Haut, the former press officer who issued the original "flying saucer" press release, admitted that the story was exaggerated.

Tourism and Commercialization: Despite the official explanations and debunking efforts, the Roswell incident has become a significant draw for tourism. The town has embraced its UFO fame, with businesses offering tours of alleged crash sites and selling UFO-themed merchandise. Roswell Mayor Thomas E. Jennings is quoted as saying, "We're developing another industry in Roswell, and it's called tourism," estimating that 25 percent of motel bookings are related to UFO tourism.

Contrasting Narratives: The article contrasts the official narrative with the persistent belief in extraterrestrial visitors, noting that a Time magazine poll indicated that one in three Americans believe Earth has been visited by aliens. The commercial aspect is evident, with souvenirs ranging from alien candles to baseball caps, and tours of alleged crash sites costing $15 per person.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine's stance appears to be one of presenting both the scientific and official accounts of events (like the Mars mission and the Roswell incident) alongside the more speculative and popular interpretations. The "cenap-infoline" itself is presented as an "actual supplementary information to the CENAP-Report," suggesting a focus on providing up-to-date information on UFO phenomena. The Roswell section, in particular, highlights the commercialization of the UFO myth and the ongoing debate between official explanations and persistent belief. The editorial stance seems to be one of reporting on these phenomena and the surrounding discussions without necessarily endorsing one view over another, while also acknowledging the skepticism that arises from official investigations and analyses.