Category: Mars

The Confluence Of Robotics With Space Research And Exploration

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date September 23, 2018
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NASA's Robonaut 2 — Robonaut 2, the latest generation of the Robonaut astronaut helpers, launched to the space station aboard space shuttle Discovery on the STS-133 mission. Robonaut 2 is the first humanoid robot in space. Although its primary job for now is teaching engineers how dexterous robots behave in space, the hope is that through upgrades and advancements Robonaut 2 could venture outside the station one day to help spacewalkers make repairs or additions to the station or perform scientific work. R2, as the robot is called, launched inside the Leonardo Permanent Multipurpose Module, which was packed with supplies and equipment for the station and then installed permanently on the Unity node. Once R2 is unpacked -- probably several months after it arrives -- it will be operated initially inside the Destiny laboratory for operational testing. But over time, both its territory and its applications could expand. There are no plans to return R2 to Earth. Image: NASA

Those of us who have grown up reading Asimov’s robot series are quite informed about what robots can accomplish. While that’s only a reel representation, it definitely points to an abundance of opportunities in the realm of space research.

Space Exploration Mars Scientific method

Why it’s only science that can answer all the big questions

Post author By Aeon Magazine
Post date August 21, 2018
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Mars Sunset. April-15, 2015 — NASA's Curiosity Mars rover recorded this view of the sun setting at the close of the mission's 956th Martian day, or sol (April 15, 2015), from the rover's location in Gale Crater. This was the first sunset observed in color by Curiosity. The image comes from the left-eye camera of the rover's Mast Camera (Mastcam). The color has been calibrated and white-balanced to remove camera artifacts. Mastcam sees color very similarly to what human eyes see, although it is actually a little less sensitive to blue than people are. Dust in the Martian atmosphere has fine particles that permit blue light to penetrate the atmosphere more efficiently than longer-wavelength colors. That causes the blue colors in the mixed light coming from the sun to stay closer to sun's part of the sky, compared to the wider scattering of yellow and red colors. The effect is most pronounced near sunset, when light from the sun passes through a longer path in the atmosphere than it does at mid-day. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates the rover's Mastcam. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. This is a cropped image. You can see the full-size image on NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory website.

Science has proved itself to be a reliable way to approach all kinds of questions about the physical world. As a scientist, I am led to wonder whether its ability to provide understanding is unlimited. Can it in fact answer all the great questions, the ‘big questions of being’, that occur to us?

Space Exploration Mars Photography

Photographer catches NASA’s Mars InSight Lander launch

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date May 6, 2018
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The launch of NASA's InSight Mars Lander (cropped) — On May 5, 2018, NASA's robotic Mars lander, InSight, which designed to study the interior of Mars, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base space launch complex 3-East. This was the first American interplanetary mission to launch from California. Andy Fortson, adventure and lifestyle photographer based in Los Angeles, California has photographed the launch and the result is stunning. Fortson wrote: "This morning I got to watch my first rocket launch - the first rocket ever headed to another planet from the West Coast. I've been with #NASASocial for the last few days touring Vandenberg Air Force Base while they prepared to launch the Insight Lander to Mars. Not only did I get to stand in the launchpad just 100 yards from the rocket, we also toured the Missions Director's Center, the Western Range Operations Control Center, and met NASA's chief scientist and engineers. I can't thank @NASA enough for inviting me to help tell this story."

On May 5, 2018, NASA’s robotic Mars lander, InSight, which designed to study the interior of Mars, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base space launch complex 3-East. This was the first American interplanetary mission to launch from California. Andy Fortson, an adventure and lifestyle photographer based in Los Angeles, California has photographed the launch and the result is stunning.

Space Exploration Mars

Mars Curiosity Rover Celebrates Sol 2,000

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date March 24, 2018
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Mars Curiosity Rover Selfie — This self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at the "Mojave" site, where its drill collected the mission's second taste of Mount Sharp. The scene combines dozens of images taken during January 2015 by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera at the end of the rover's robotic arm. The pale "Pahrump Hills" outcrop surrounds the rover, and the upper portion of Mount Sharp is visible on the horizon. Darker ground at upper right and lower left holds ripples of wind-blown sand and dust. Image: NASA.gov Some conspiracy theorists ask "where is the robotic arm?", "who took this photo?", "who holds the camera" etc. The view does not include the rover's robotic arm. Wrist motions and turret rotations on the arm allowed MAHLI to acquire the mosaic's component images. The arm was positioned out of the shot in the images, or portions of images, that were used in this mosaic. This process was used previously in acquiring and assembling Curiosity self-portraits taken at sample-collection sites "Rocknest" (PIA16468), "John Klein" (PIA16937) and "Windjana" (PIA18390).

This week, NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover celebrated its 2,000th Martian day (or Sol) on the Red Planet. The nuclear-powered rover was launched from Cape Canaveral on November 26, 2011, and landed on Aeolis Palus in Gale Crater on Mars on August 6, 2012. A Mars day is slightly longer than a day here on Earth: a sidereal day is 24 hours, 37 minutes, and 22 seconds (on Earth, it is 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.1 seconds) and a solar day is 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds (on Earth, 24 hours).

Mars Moon Landing Science Fiction Space Exploration

Others Will Follow [Short Sci-Fi Film]

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date March 8, 2018
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A great science fiction short film, "Others Will Follow", published on Vimeo, tells the story of a manned Mars mission. An accident occurs and the lone survivor uses his last moments to inspire the people on Earth. The film is inspired by the undelivered speech of Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994), the American politician who served as the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 until 1974. The speech was revealed in 1999. It was prepared by Nixon's then speechwriter, William Safire (December 17, 1929 - September 27, 2009), the American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter, to be used in the event of a disaster that would maroon the astronauts on the moon.

A great short science fiction film, “Others Will Follow”, created and directed by Andrew Finch and published on Vimeo, tells the story of a crewed Mars mission. An accident occurs and the spacecraft breaks apart, the last survivor (we don’t see what happens to the rest of the crew, but presumably they have died) manages to send an inspirational message back to Earth. A must-watch.

Space Exploration Mars Moon Landing

NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin’s Rockets comparison

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date December 28, 2017
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NASA, SpaceX Blue Origin rockets comparison — Tech Insider published a video titled "How NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin's Monster Rockets Compare". Still, the old Saturn V, which was used by NASA between 1967 and 1973 and took humans to the Moon, is the biggest and strongest rocket ever built. But new rockets are coming and that's finally about the change. Here is the past and future monster rockets comparison.

Tech Insider published a video titled “How NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin’s Monster Rockets Compare”. Still, the old Saturn V, which was used by NASA between 1967 and 1973 and took humans to the Moon, is the biggest and strongest rocket ever built. But new rockets are coming and that’s finally about the change. Here is the past and future monster rockets comparison:

Space Exploration Astronomy Mars Moon Landing

NASA’s 2017 Highlights

Orion spacecraft and Earthrise from the Moon (artist conception). On its first flight, NASA will send Orion on a trip around the Moon. So the spacecraft can test all of its systems in the environment of deep space.

NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has published a video that contains highlights of important events and the space agency’s achievements over the year 2017.

Space Exploration Mars

How to Build a Spaceship by Lockheed Martin

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 30, 2017
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Lockheed Martin, the American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technologies company has teamed up with NASA, to build the next generation spacecraft: the Orion, which is intended to carry a crew of four astronauts to destinations at low Earth orbit (LEO, see notes 1), or beyond, to Moon and even to Mars! Yesterday, the company published a video titled “Spotlight Space: How to Build a Spaceship”.

Space Exploration Astronomy Mars Solar System

Living on Mars is a terrible idea [we should colonize Titan, instead, scientist says]

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 17, 2017
No Comments on Living on Mars is a terrible idea [we should colonize Titan, instead, scientist says]

Artist's rendition of Saturn viewed through Titan's hazy atmosphere. Image: European Space Agency (ESA), Space in Images series. With a radius of 2575.5±2.0 km, Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. It is slightly bigger than our Moon (around 1.4 times - the radius of Moon is 1737 km or 1079 miles). It is the only moon in the Solar System known to have a dense atmosphere. And, even more important, it is the only object in Solar System (and even in space, so far) other than Earth where clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found.

In September 2017, Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX has revealed a new plan to colonize Moon and Mars with giant reusable spaceships. They are ambitiously planning to send the first humans to Mars as early as 2024 to build the foundations for the first Martian city. But is Mars really the best place for humans to settle? Some scientists, like Amanda Hendrix (see notes 1), the American planetary scientist, think it’s not, and we should be looking somewhere else and colonize Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, instead.

Mars Moon Landing Space Exploration

Space Race 2.0? Lockheed Martin and NASA have teamed up to send humans to Mars

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date October 4, 2017
No Comments on Space Race 2.0? Lockheed Martin and NASA have teamed up to send humans to Mars

Lockheed Martin Mars Lander — While Elon Musk and SpaceX planning to send Humans to Mars as early as 2024, the American global aerospace, defense, security and advanced technologies company Lockheed Martin has also revealed animations of a reusable rocket to colonize the red planet. The American company has teamed up with NASA, to build a space station (Mars base camp) orbiting Mars and a reusable, water-powered lander. The goal is sending humans to Mars only in a decade. The space race 2.0 is on the way!

It seems the space race 2.0 is on the way! While Elon Musk and SpaceX planning to send humans to Mars as early as 2024, the American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technologies company Lockheed Martin has also revealed animations of a reusable rocket to colonize the red planet. The American company has teamed up with NASA, to build a space station (Mars base camp) orbiting Mars and a reusable, water-powered lander. The goal is to send humans to Mars only in a decade.