Elon Musk has indicated he expects SpaceX’s Starship to be able to deliver humans to the Moon before 2024.
Humanity is in the midst of another space race, this time driven by commercial companies as much as governments. Multiple entities are eager to send people to the Moon and Mars, but Elon Musk believes his company’s craft will be able to deliver astronauts to the moon in just a couple of years.
Musk was replying to a tweet from Everything Artemis when he made the revelation.
Scientists may have discovered a way to create oxygen on Mars, a crucial step toward long-term colonization.
Interest in colonizing Mars has increased in recent years. Many, including Tesla and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, believe the human race needs the kind of insurance policy a second planetary home would provide. Especially as climate change has become a bigger threat, many believe it’s vital to colonize other planets. Musk has even said he’s confident SpaceX will send humans to Mars in roughly six years.
One of the biggest challenges to long-term colonization, however, is oxygen generation. Without a native method to produce oxygen on Mars, any colonization efforts would be limited by the quantity of oxygen that could be brought on resupply missions.
Scientists believe they have discovered a solution, however. NASA is currently working with MOXIE (Mars Oxygen in Situ Resource Utilization Experiment) to convert carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere to oxygen. MOXIE operates along the same principle as trees on Earth.
According to CNN, however, scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have come up with a method they believe will compliment MOXIE and provide a second source of oxygen. The new method, proposed by Professor Vijay Ramani and his colleagues, uses salty water to generate oxygen.
Despite its red desert appearance, Mars has quite a bit of ice. In addition, there appears to be a salty lake, along with a number of ponds, under the southern icecap.
“The presence of the brine is fortuitous because it lowers freezing point of the water. You take the salty, brackish water and electrolyze that. Our process takes the water and splits it into hydrogen and oxygen,” Ramani said.
While some NASA personnel are doubtful the process will work, due to the frost point on Mars, it appears there are no shortage of possibilities for generating oxygen on Mars. That’s one less hurdle to long-term colonization.
Space pioneer Elon Musk said on a podcast today with Kara Swisher that becoming a multi-planet species is fundamentally important to ensuring the long-term survival of life as we know it:
We are able to lower the cost of access to space so we are certainly saving taxpayers a lot of money. We’re advancing the technology of launch by having reusable rockets. Reusability is very important for improving access to space. It’s really just kind of insane to have a rocket be expendable. You build this incredibly exquisite machine and then it comes down and smashes in the ocean. Then there is like debris at the bottom of the ocean. This is crazy.
Ultimately, you want many companies competing (in space) to serve the greater good or serve the customer essentially. You want multiple companies to advance the future of space flight so that we can ultimately become a multi-planet species and a spacefaring civilization. This is fundamentally important to ensuring the long-term survival of life as we know it. We must become a multi-planet species.
I am not trying to be doom and gloom here but the fossil record does show that there have been many extinction events over the millenia. These are from meteors, super volcanoes, and just from natural planet variation. It does become very severe but at a pace that would seem slow to us. Then eventually the sun is going to expand and engulf and incinerate Earth. This is for sure going to happen but not anytime soon.
Several years ago I had some private dinners with Jeff Bezos talking about space. He has a similar view that we need to be a spacefaring civilization and multi-planet species. I have some minor disagreements with him. I don’t think that we want to be living on a space station. I think we want to be living on a planet. But whatever, if you have advanced rockets you can decide whether you want to live on a space station or live on Mars.
Right now, we have a long way to go because we can’t even get back to the Moon. I think it is sad that we were able to go to the Moon in 1969 and here we are in 2020 and can’t even go back to the Moon. We definitely want to make sure that civilization is improving over time.
“America’s space economy and America’s space agenda is really on fire right now,” says NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “That’s in large part because of President Trump and in fact bipartisan support in the House and Senate. What we are doing is inspiring the nation for American greatness to go out decades into the future. It really is starting right now with America’s and President Trump’s Moon to Mars program. Without him, this would not be happening.”
Jim Bridenstine, Administrator of NASA, discusses the NASA Economic Impact Report that was released today and says that under Trump America’s space agenda is on fire:
Today’s NASA Economic Impact Report is about direct economic output. What’s not in the report are all of the advancements that come from NASA that get commercialized over decades. For example, satellites and internet broadband. Then from there, we think about not just communications but navigation, how we produce food, and how we produce energy. Also, how we predict the weather, how we do disaster relief, and national security.
President Trump is as focused as any president in history on America’s space agenda. That’s not just exploration. It’s also national security and defense. I used to say, President Trump is more supportive of space than any president since John F. Kennedy. But I will also tell you, John F. Kennedy didn’t create the Space Force. America’s space economy and America’s space agenda is really on fire right now. That’s in large part because of President Trump and in fact bipartisan support in the House and Senate.
The economic impact of the Artemis Program alone is over 60,000 jobs in 2019. The agenda to get to the Moon is ramping up right now. By 2021, those numbers are going to double. These are not low paying jobs. These are high tech jobs employing highly qualified people. These are the kind of things that also inspire the next generation to go into the STEM fields to make sure that America remains preeminent in technology.
If you just walk around NASA today and ask people why they work at the agency, they will tell you about how inspired they were when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon. Then we did five Moon missions after that. What we are doing is inspiring the nation for American greatness to go out decades into the future. It really is starting right now with America’s and President Trump’s Moon to Mars program. Without him, this would not be happening.
“We are so thrilled and excited,” says Astrobotic CEO John Thornton. “It’s a story that’s 12 years in the making. We are thrilled to be leading America back to the Moon. Our lander will take 28 payloads up to the surface of the Moon, 14 NASA, and 14 non-NASA payloads. This is the beginning of a whole new era of routine regular access on the surface of the Moon.”
John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic, and Chad Anderson, CEO of space venture firm Space Angels, discussed NASA’s announcement on privatizing space exploration and development. Thornton also announced that Astrobotic will be sending 28 payloads to the surface of the Moon in an interview on Bloomberg Technology:
Astrobotic CEO John Thornton
We are so thrilled and excited. It’s a story that’s 12 years in the making. We are thrilled to be leading America back to the Moon. Our lander will take 28 payloads up to the surface of the Moon, 14 NASA, and 14 non-NASA payloads. This is the beginning of a whole new era of routine regular access on the surface of the Moon. We want to make the Moon accessible to the world. What that means is taking payloads from all over the world from all different space agencies, corporations, and even universities.
Our first mission is a mix of rovers, science instruments, and experiments to go up to the surface of the Moon. Even the beginnings of infrastructure like a laser communications system that will dramatically increase the bandwidth possibilities in deep space. As well as the early beginnings of resource extraction from the surface of the Moon. If we can learn to live off the land of the Moon and actually produce rocket fuel, for example, as one of the first commodities in space. That could be transformative for our transport to and from the Moon and even probably one of the best ways to get to Mars. The Moon truly is the best pathway to reach our ultimate goal of Mars.
We’re primarily focused on robotic landers for the near future. We’ve got small landers and rovers that are going to be going up on the early missions. We actually have a lander that’s twice as big as our early mission. So we are scaling up in time. But the robotic side of flying to the Moon is going to consume us for quite some time. When the humans are ready to go we’re going to need robots to scout the area.
We’re going to need robots to collect and gather the resources and refine them. We’re going to need robots to build the settlement sites and clear the area for landers to land and make sure that they don’t interfere with the habitats. Robots are going to be a key part in concert with the humans when we’re exploring the Moon and eventually that same architecture for Mars.
Space Angels CEO Chad Anderson
I’m going to struggle to speak directly to that (Trump Tweet). Right before I was walking in here I was picking up that the White House put out a statement talking about how he was reaffirming their commitment in going to the Moon as a way to get to Mars. The Mars Moon debate has been raging amongst space circles for a long time. It goes back to the Obama NASA agency.
The Moon is seen as a staging ground to understand how to operate on Mars. When we go to Mars we’re going have to be there for two years. This is what was mentioned this morning in his remarks. He was talking about the importance of learning how to live off the land and be able to stay on Mars for a couple of years.
That was the headline that I took away (from NASA’s announcement of private travel to the Space Station for a fee). Private astronauts. It’s very exciting. It’s really two parts. NASA is making the space station more accessible. You heard NASA CFO (Jeff DeWit) talking about research and manufacturing in space, they’re also making NASA astronaut time available. Controversially they’re also making some marketing opportunities available and private astronauts as well. That’s really supplying the market with more space stations. They’re also supporting the demand side as well by supporting these new commercial habitats that are in development. NASA is really giving them an idea as to how much demand they would want and how much time that they could book in being an important early tenant for those habitats.
They (SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic) play a very key role. They’re the ones that have really opened up space and the entire space economy for the new entrants that we’re seeing today. It is the lowering of cost and making their pricing transparent that has allowed for these new business plans to get funded and for these new innovative ideas to be realized. Just today, on the heels of this NASA announcement, Bigelow has announced that they’ve put down a substantial deposit for SpaceX launch vehicles to take those private astronauts to the space station. SpaceX will be taking these private astronauts. Boeing will as well. They will be taking a number of these commercial lunar payload services companies also.
Back in January, SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced his intentions to build a satellite network that would provide high-speed internet from space. Now, he’s apparently making moves to begin testing said plans.
The Washington Post reports that Musk has asked the US government for permission to begin testing his satellite internet venture.
The request was made in a Federal Communications Commission filing. From the Post:
Musk’s FCC filing proposes tests starting next year. If all goes well, the service could be up and running in about five years.
The satellites would be deployed from one of SpaceX’s rockets, the Falcon 9. Once in orbit, the satellites would connect to ground stations at three West Coast facilities. The purpose of the tests is to see whether the antenna technology used on the satellites will be able to deliver high-speed Internet to the ground without hiccups.
The FCC confirmed the existence of the request but provided no further comment.
“The speed of light is 40 percent faster in the vacuum of space than it is for fiber. The long-term potential is to be the primary means of long-distance Internet traffic and to serve people in sparsely populated areas,” said Musk earlier this year.
But Musk’s ambitions don’t stop at Earth. Musk wants to be the one providing internet for future Mars colonies.
“It will be important for Mars to have a global communications network as well,” he said. “I think this needs to be done, and I don’t see anyone else doing it … we see it as a long-term revenue source for SpaceX to be able to fund a city on Mars.”
The news comes just a day after reports of Facebook scrapping a previously unknown project to develop its own $500 million satellite to provide low-cost internet to parts of the developing world.
Musk previously stated that his space internet project could cost as much as $10 billion.
Image via SpaceX
NASA wants to put people on Mars. You should too.
It just needs help with some ideas on how that’s gonna work. It’s contest time!
“NASA is embarking on an ambitious journey to Mars and Tuesday announced a challenge inviting the public to write down their ideas, in detail, for developing the elements of space pioneering necessary to establish a continuous human presence on the Red Planet. This could include shelter, food, water, breathable air, communication, exercise, social interactions and medicine, but participants are encouraged to consider innovative and creative elements beyond these examples,” says NASA.
“Participants are asked to describe one or more Mars surface systems or capabilities and operations that are needed to achieve this goal and, to the greatest extent possible, are technically achievable, economically sustainable, and minimize reliance on support from Earth.
As if you need a monetary incentive to help NASA send people to Mars, the agency is prepared to offer $5,000 to the three best ideas.
So, have any thoughts on the matter?
More on what you need to submit if you’re so inclined:
NASA seeks technical submissions that describe the development of capabilities and operational events necessary, in both the near- and long-term, to advance this bold journey. Submissions may consist of proposed approaches, capabilities, systems or a set of integrated systems that enable or enhance a sustained human presence on Mars. Solutions should include the assumptions, analysis, and data that justify their value. Submissions should include a process to develop, test, implement, and operate the system or capability.
Get to thinking, people.
Image via NASA
A mass amount of system resets to NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has prompted the rover team to make plans to reformat the rover’s flash memory.
The reformat will help prevent the system from losing memory and will wipe out the old and damaged cells within the memory. The reformat will take place next month and several preparations have already been made, including backing up and sending data that is stored in the memory to Earth.
“Worn-out cells in the flash memory are the leading suspect in causing these resets,” said John Callas of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, project manager for NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Project. “The flash reformatting is a low-risk process, as critical sequences and flight software are stored elsewhere in other non-volatile memory on the rover.”
NASA plans memory reboot on aging Mars rover to cure its amnesia http://t.co/njBfamb5Hp pic.twitter.com/jx9tBx2zFg
— Yahoo Canada News (@YahooCanadaNews) September 2, 2014
NASA also plans to slow down the data transfer rate in order to ensure that the rover is able to handle the reboot without losing any memory.
The rover is currently 200 million kilometers from Earth, and it takes radio signals 11.2 minutes to reach the rover from Earth. It will take the same amount of time for the signals to travel to Earth from the rover.
NASA to tackle memory glitches dogging veteran Mars rover: http://t.co/yT3rdWwDra #Mars #Opportunity pic.twitter.com/Fp5ip4CpeH
— sen (@sen) September 2, 2014
NASA hopes that the reboot will put an end to the resets and problems that the rover is currently experiencing and allow it to function properly. Once the reboot is complete, the rover will continue to travel around Mars, taking photos and collecting samples that will be sent back to Earth.
The rover has lasted longer than NASA expected. It was designed to stay powered for just three months, but the winds on Mars help clean the solar panels and allow it to charge and stay powered. The rover has been collecting photos and samples from Mars for ten years.
Since the beginning of time humans have looked up to the heavens and wondered if anything or anyone is looking back. Scientists have said that there could be life on other planets, but most people want to know if there could be intelligent life somewhere out there.
One of the planets that is most like Earth is Mars and some scientists say that if life were to exist on another planet or if it ever did before our time, it would have happened on Mars.
There have been numerous probes sent to the red planet to gather evidence about the surface and atmosphere and to collect samples and photos from Mars.
Some of the things found by these probes have been shocking and several people have claimed that there are many strange shapes on Mars that appear to be objects and structures that were made by humans or another intelligent life form.
An ‘alien thigh bone’ has been spotted on the surface of Mars http://t.co/A5M6cxAHSk pic.twitter.com/1upjC6EMm7
— The Independent (@Independent) August 23, 2014
A recent photo from Mars shows what many people believe to be a thigh bone. NASA’s Curiosity rover sent back a collection of photos that show a pile of what appears to be bones. Any bones being present on Mars would be considered a sign that life once existed there, but these bones appeared to belong to a human or large animal.
People everywhere were talking about the thigh bone, but NASA rained on everyone’s parade pretty quickly and said that the object in the photo was not a thigh bone or any bone for that matter. It was just a weathered old rock that just happened to have a peculiar shape.
A "thigh bone" spotted on Mars is likely just a rock shaped by wind or water. https://t.co/1SZTXDBYqX #space pic.twitter.com/BR0wwQyoJF
— Inside Space (@GoInsideSpace) August 23, 2014
Of course, many people yelled cover up, but NASA maintains that the photo does not show any bones. NASA claims that they want to find proof of life on Mars just as badly as everyone else, but say they are not likely to find it.
According to NASA, the Curiosity rover has found evidence that Mars was once a habitable place in the ancient past, but there is no evidence that creatures large enough to leave a bone behind ever existed on the planet.
“If life ever existed on Mars, scientists expect that it would be small simple life forms called microbes,” NASA officials said. “Mars likely never had enough oxygen in its atmosphere and elsewhere to support more complex organisms. Thus, large fossils are not likely.”
Do you believe there is other intelligent life out there?
The United Arab Emirates says it’s entering the space race.
The country’s President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vice President & ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced the formation of a new UAE space agency with the stated mission to send an unmanned probe to Mars by the year 2021.
“The new probe to Mars represents our Arab and Muslim world entering to the era of space exploration. We will prove that we are capable of delivering new scientific contributions to humanity. The UAE’s purpose is to build Emirati technical and intellectual capabilities in the fields of aerospace and space exploration and to enter the space industry and to make use of space technology in a way that enhances the country’s development plans,” said Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The country aims to be a leader in aerospace exploration by the time it sends its ship to Mars, saying that space technology is important to countries’ security and economy.
“Despite all the tensions and the conflicts across the Middle East, we have proved today how positive a contribution the Arab people can make to humanity through great achievements, given the right circumstances and ingredients. Our region is a region of civilization. Our destiny is, once again, to explore, to create, to build and to civilize. We chose the epic challenge of reaching Mars because epic challenges inspire us and motivate us. The moment we stop taking on such challenges is the moment we stop moving forward,” added Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Today we announce two epic projects in our history: establishing UAE Space Agency and sending the first Arab spaceship to Mars by 2021
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) July 16, 2014
With investments already exceeding AED 20bn, the agency will maximise the contribution of space industries to the national economy
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) July 16, 2014
The more than 60M km journey to Mars will mark UAE out as one of few countries with space programmes to explore the Red Planet
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) July 16, 2014
Our region is a cradle of great civilisations. Given the right tools Arabs, once again, can deliver new scientific contributions to humanity
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) July 16, 2014
According to TIME, the UAE has already invested roughly $5.4 billion (20 billion dirham) in space technologies like satellites.
Other countries in the region like Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, and Iran already have space programs in place, but the UAE’s mission to send a probe to Mars is the most ambitious yet – by far.
Image via UAE Gov, YouTube
NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover touched down on the Red Planet in August 2012, nearly two years ago. However, today marks the one year Martian anniversary of the rover’s presence on Mars, a feat many thought would never been seen.
Mars, being further away from the sun than Earth, takes 687 days for one revolution to occur, meaning that a year is considerably longer on Mars than here on Earth.
Over the course of one year, the Curiosity rover was able to surpass expectations for its mission, despite some mechanical hiccups.
The goal of the Mars rover mission was simply to discover whether or not life would have been feasible on the fourth planet from the sun. While many thought the answer to that question would not have been possible until Curiosity reached Mount Sharp, the Curiosity rover was able to surprise everyone by solving the riddle much sooner than anticipated.
What a long, strange trip (around the sun) it's been. Here's what happened during my 1st #MartianYear. http://t.co/BERiunKyTo
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) June 23, 2014
Curiosity landed near an ancient riverbed, called Yellowknife Bay, where it promptly collected samples with its drill for analysis. Scientists were ecstatic when two mudstone slabs showed all of the necessary ingredients needed for life on Mars: mild water, the essential elements of life, and a chemical energy source similar to what microbes use here on Earth.
While the Curiosity rover celebrated its first initial victory, it would soon suffer two defeats. The first would come when Curiosity failed to detect any methane in Mars’s atmosphere, leading many scientists pondering the viability of life on the planet considering almost all organisms produce methane as a byproduct of metabolism.
The next hang-up occurred when Curiosity was sidelined from driving due to damages to its front wheels, forcing NASA scientists to think of innovative ways to drive and paths to take in order to ensure Curiosity was able to continue its mission.
Two paths diverged on a Red Planet, and I, I took the south one, and that has made all the difference. pic.twitter.com/QWJ42jxhMi
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) June 17, 2014
During its first year, Curiosity had also been able to measure radiation exposure and levels on Mars, aiding scientists in their studies to determine what type of shielding astronauts would need if they were to visit the Red Planet in the future.
Currently, Curiosity is making its way to Mount Sharp to study geological layering to gain more information about ancient environments. Let’s hope it lasts long enough to complete its mission.
Image via Twitter
A new photo taken by the NASA rover Curiosity ..has sent shock waves through the alien conspiracy theory corners of the internet.
It appears that the rover captured an unexplained beam of light on the surface of Mars.
The unknown white speck stands out against a backdrop of grey and black. It is so distinct, and yet utterly unidentifiable.
The immediate reaction from some theorists is that it’s definite proof that there is life on the Red Planet. Either it is a tiny alien craft shining in the distance or, even better, a glimpse of a bizarre form of life on Mars.
Critics and skeptics slammed such conclusions immediately, stating that there is a logical explanation for the photo. An explanation that has nothing to do with alien lifeforms.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory offered up one such explanation in the form of light reflecting off a rock. Of course, this doesn’t explain why the reflected light seems to rise above the ground some distance.
No, that's NOT an artificial light on Mars: http://t.co/Z4GJuqIDy9 pic.twitter.com/1Ma1YQ7M2B
— Slate (@Slate) April 8, 2014
Another explanation put forward by experts is that it was merely a vent hole light leak.
As there is no one is at present able to go to Mars and confirm or deny what the strange blur is, it’s likely that the photograph will be seen as a smoking gun for some conspiracy theorists and a lot of excitement over nothing by skeptics.
In other words, the beat goes on.
Personally, I say the greatest takeaway from this controversy is that such a debate is even possible. A mere hundred years ago, few would have ever dreamed that we would be seeing actual photos from the surface of Mars.
Though persons of that time period were far more likely to believe in bizarre life on Mars, today many scientists do not think the planet currently can support life.
Of course, images like this give hope to those who will continue to seek proof that argues otherwise.
Light on Mars? Mystery flash seen on Red Planet | via @Telegraph http://t.co/ylStSrRZIa sign of intelligent light? pic.twitter.com/MGeYEgtBPx
— Beyond The Matter (@BeyondMatter) April 8, 2014
Image via YouTube
NASA today revealed that Mars rover Curiosity will soon make a short stop to examine some more Martian rocks. The rover will examine an area of interest to researchers due to its different intersecting rock textures.
“The orbital images didn’t tell us what those rocks are, but now that Curiosity is getting closer, we’re seeing a preview,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), “The contrasting textures and durabilities of sandstones in this area are fascinating. While superficially similar, the rocks likely formed and evolved quite differently from each other.”
Curiosity is now just 86 meters from the area, which has been named “the Kimberley” after a region of the same name in Australia. The sandstone rocks in the region are different from the mudstone that the rover has so far examined in its journey. The rover’s drill may even be used to collect rock power samples in the area.
Curiosity is currently on a months-long journey to the base of a Martian mountain named Mount Sharp. There the rover research team hopes to gather data on the different layers of martian rock and soil exposed a the base of the mountain.
Along the way Curiosity has been stopping at planned waypoints on its route to perform extra scientific observations. The stop in the Kimberly is one of these planned diversions, as was a stop back in September 2013 at a location named “Darwin,” where the rover examined sandstone pebbles that may have been formed by flowing water.
More recently the Curiosity team has been with a few technical hurdles encountered during the rover’s research. Shortly before the holiday season the rover experienced an unexpected electrical failure. Just last month the rover surmounted a small hill to reach an area that researchers hoped would save the rover’s wheels from accelerating wear and tear that has been observed in recent weeks.
“The wheel damage rate appears to have leveled off, thanks to a combination of route selection and careful driving,” said Richard Rainen, Curiosity mechanical engineering team leader at JPL. “We’re optimistic that we’re doing OK now, though we know there will be challenging terrain to cross in the future.”
Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA today confirmed that the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is still functional following a reboot into safe mode on March 9. According to the agency the orbiter rebooted itself after an unscheduled swap of its main computer to a backup. In addition, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter also swapped to a backup radio transponder during the event, which researchers are now using to communicate with the satellite.
The orbiter team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is currently restoring the spacecraft to full operational status, but have not yet determined the cause of the computer swap. This marks the fifth time the orbiter has booted into safe mode following an unplanned computer swap. The cause of the previous swaps has also not been determined.
“The spacecraft is healthy, in communication and fully powered,” said Dan Johnston, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project Manager at JPL. “We have stepped up the communication data rate, and we plan to have the spacecraft back to full operations within a few days.”
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been gathering data from its orbit around Mars for almost exactly eight years, including observations of snow and dust storms on the Martian surface. In addition to its science operations the satellite is used to relay data from NASA’s two functioning Mars rovers, Opportunity and Curiosity. The orbiter’s operations have been temporarily suspended following the computer swap and the rovers are currently using NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter to communicate with Earth.
Image via NASA/JPL
NASA this week revealed that Mars rover Curiosity has successfully crossed over a Martian sand dune and is now continuing on its way. The rover drove a total of 41.1 meters on Sunday, February 9. This puts Curiosity’s total distance traveled on Mars just shy of the 5 kilometer milestone at 4.97 kilometers.
Curiosity had crossed over a small, 1 meter high sand dune on February 6. The event was significant for the rover because it puts the vehicle on a flat surface relatively free of sharp rocks for its journey to a site called KMS-9. Once there the rover will drill into selected rocks to obtain powder samples.
The Mars Science Laboratory team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) took a long pause at the end of January to research the area past the dune. Satellite images had shown the area to be flat and clear, but the team took the time to image the landscape with the rover to be safe.
The team is being extra-careful of the surfaces that Curiosity traverses after an inspection of the rover’s wheels in December found that damage to the wheels has accelerated in recent months. Sharp rocks are being avoided, if possible, since they could increase the damage to the wheels.
Curiosity is currently on a months-long journey to the base of a Martian mountain named Mount Sharp. Along the way the rover is stopping at checkpoints and interesting scientific targets, taking samples that can be compared to those first gathered near the rover’s landing site.
Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech
This week NASA and the Centre national d’études spatiales (the French space agency, CNES) signed an agreement to work towards a future Mars lander set to launch in 2016.
The mission is known as the Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The goal of the project is to
The InSight mission is currently scheduled to launch in March 2016. After arriving at Mars half a year later a lander will be deployed to the red planet’s surface. Once there, the lander will use a tool known as the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument to study the interior of Mars.
The SEIS instrument is capable of measuring tectonic activity and meteorite impacts on Mars. Researchers hope the data gathered by the lander will help inform research into how rocky planets first form.
“This new agreement strengthens the partnership between NASA and CNES in planetary science research, and builds on more than 20 years of cooperation with CNES on Mars exploration,” said Charles Bolden, NASA administrator. “The research generated by this collaborative mission will give our agencies more information about the early formation of Mars, which will help us understand more about how Earth evolved.”
NASA is the latest agency to sign on for the SEIS project. The German Aerospace Center, the UK Space Agency, the Swiss Space Office, and the ESA all have a hand in the project, and the InSight mission includes researchers from all over Europe, North America, and Japan.
Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech
Following a few hiccups and a software upgrade during the holiday season, Mars rover Curiosity is now back to doing what it does best.
NASA today revealed that Curiosity is currently on its way to drill another rock sample. The rover is currently stopped at an area named Dingo Gap so that researchers can determine an optimal route over a small Martian sand dune. The agency also revealed that the rover has driven 3.04 miles since landing on Mars.
The Curiosity team is now attempting to find a path that reduces risk to the rover’s wheels from sharp rocks. After having Curiosity take pictures of its own wheels late last year, researchers found that damage to the rover’s wheels has accelerated in recent months. The decision over whether or not to cross the 3 feet-high dune is now being debated with the risk to Curiosity’s wheels in mind.
“The decision hasn’t been made yet, but it is prudent to go check,” said Jim Erickson, project manager for Curiosity at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). “We’ll take a peek over the dune into the valley immediately to the west to see whether the terrain looks as good as the analysis of orbital images implies.”
Curiosity is still on a months-long journey to the base of a Martian mountain named Mount Sharp. There researcher hope to study multiple exposed layers of rock to help determine what Mars may have been like in the past. In the meantime, once over or around the dune Curiosity will attempt to drill a rock at a site named KMS-9.
“This area is appealing because we can see terrain units unlike any that Curiosity has visited so far,” said Katie Stack, a Curiosity science team collaborator at the California Institute of Technology. “One unit has striations all oriented in a similar direction. Another is smooth, without striations. We don’t know yet what they are. The big draw is exploration and seeing new things.”
Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
While people on Earth were finishing up their Christmas shopping last week, NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity was receiving its own Christmas gift in the form of new software.
According to NASA, Curiosity has now received its third software upgrade since landing on Mars over one year ago. The upgrade took about a week to transition the rover to the 11th version of its flight software, which expands the rover’s more capabilities.
This software upgrade was successful, though the transition was rolled back in November following a failed update. During that upgrade, Curiosity experienced an unexpected reboot into its safe mode. Researchers later determined that the error was caused by file error and soon resumed normal operations while preparing for the December update.
With the rover’s software up to date, Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) team members are also preparing to inspect each of Curiosity’s wheels. The rover will take pictures of its own wheels using its arm. Researchers will be looking at the condition of each wheel to help them plan future jaunts across the red planet’s surface while minimizing damage to the wheels.
“We want to take a full inventory of the condition of the wheels,” said Jim Erickson, project manager for the MSL Project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). “Dents and holes were anticipated, but the amount of wear appears to have accelerated in the past month or so. It appears to be correlated with driving over rougher terrain. The wheels can sustain significant damage without impairing the rover’s ability to drive. However, we would like to understand the impact that this terrain type has on the wheels, to help with planning future drives.”
Curiosity is currently on a months-long journey to the base of a Martian mountain named Mount Sharp. Once there, researchers hope to compare exposed layers of rock to the rock formations seen near the rover’s landing site.
Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech
Mars rover Curiosity has been on Mars now for over one year. In that time the rover has performed a variety of science observations, revealing to scientists even more about the surface of the red planet. Today, NASA announced that data collected by curiosity has led to a host of new findings, including six new papers published this week in Science Express.
The biggest reveal from the research is that Curiosity has helped researchers date a Martian rock. Rocks from Mars have certainly been dated in the past, but never one that was gathered and tested while on the planet itself.
The rock dated was the one in the “Cumberland” region that Curiosity explored earlier this year. The rock was the second that Curiosity had examined using its drill. Using radiometric and exposure age dating from the rover, researchers are estimating that the rock is somewhere between 3.86 billion and 4.56 billion years old.
“The age is not surprising, but what is surprising is that this method worked using measurements performed on Mars,” said Kenneth Farley, author of the paper on the rock dating and a geochemist at the California Institute of Technology. “When you’re confirming a new methodology, you don’t want the first result to be something unexpected. Our understanding of the antiquity of the Martian surface seems to be right.”
In addition to the rock dating, Curiosity has taken the first radiation hazard readings on the Martian surface and detected what might be organic compounds in the Martian soil. The rover has also already completed its primary mission by determining that Mars once had conditions that could have supported some forms of life.
NASA believes that all of these discoveries will help to set the stage for a future manned mission to mars. In particular, Curiosity’s radiation measurements have raised questions over how much exposure to cosmic rays astronauts sent to Mars might have to endure. NASA is currently working towards the goal of sending a manned mission to Mars by the end of the 2030s.
“Our measurements provide crucial information for human missions to Mars,” said Don Hassler, the lead author of a report on Curiosity’s radiation measurements and the science program director at the Southwest Research Institute. “We’re continuing to monitor the radiation environment and seeing the effects of major solar storms on the surface at different times in the solar cycle, will give additional important data. Our measurements also tie into Curiosity’s investigations about habitability. The radiation sources that are concerns for human health also affect microbial survival as well as preservation of organic chemicals.”
(Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
NASA today officially announced that Mars rover Curiosity has fired its infrared laser more than 102,000 times. The 100,000th blast came back near the end of October, when the rover shot over 300 blasts at a rock named “Ithaca” from a distance of over four meters. Curiosity has now blasted over 420 different Martian targets using its laser.
“Passing 100,000 laser shots is terribly exciting and is providing a remarkable set of chemical data for Mars,” said Horton Newsom, ChemCam co-investigator and a senior research sceintist at the Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico.
Researchers use the laser to blast a small spot on Martian rocks, creating an ionized gas that can be analyzed with Curiosity’s Chemistry and Camera instrument to determine the chemical make-up of the sample. According to NASA, the laser is used to blast targets with 30 pulses, which creates a pinhead-sized marking. Each blast lasts for only five one-billionths of a second and delivers more than one million watts.
Curiosity is currently back on-track for a months-long journey to the base of a Martian mountain named Mount Sharp. There researchers are hoping to compare exposed rock layers to the geology already observed near the rover’s landing site.
The rover’s progress last month was stymied by two separate incidents that cause the rover’s science operations to be temporarily suspended. In early November Curiosity experienced a software glitch that caused an unexpected reboot. Just days after having the issue corrected, the rover experienced a “soft short” that lowered its operating voltage significantly.
(Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems)
NASA today announced that Mars rover Curiosity resumed its exploration of Mars this weekend. The rover’s exploration had been suspended last week following an unexpected electrical issue.
This is the second time in November that Curiosity has been reactivated following an unexpected technical glitch. The first occurred when the rover unexpectedly booted into safe mode after a software conflict.
This latest malfunction saw Curiosity’s voltage drop significantly, down to 4 volts from the steady 11 it had been operating at since shortly after launch. NASA last week attributed the drop to a soft short in which voltage could be leaking through a partially conductive material. NASA stated today that the likely cause of the voltage drop was an internal short in Curiosity’s Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator.
On Saturday, November 23, the rover was found to have returned to its original 11 volt level. Researchers are confident that the drop has not affected the ability of Curiosity to complete its mission, as the rover has a floating bus designed to operate under a range of voltage differences. Having witnessed similar shorts on other machines, however, researchers believe that Curiosity’s voltage could drop again in the future.
After conducting diagnostic tests on curiosity, NASA resumed science operations with the rover this weekend. Its first task was to deliver a powdered rock sample into a testing lab on the rover. The sample had been kept by Curiosity in its arm since drilling a Martian rock six months ago. The rover is currently on a months-long journey to the base of a mountain named Mount Sharp where the rover will investigate the rock layers exposed at that site.