SPACEMars is seen as the next frontier for humans. Ever since astronauts first walked on the Moon in 1969, scientists and space enthusiasts alike have dreamed of one day exploring the Red Planet. While we work on new rockets to get us to Mars, scientists are already hard at work thinking about how to build a sustainable colony on Mars. What do we need to survive? That’s the question NASA is asking the public in its latest competition.
As more news about Mars enters our scientific community each day, the importance of making survival on Mars a priority is thrown into sharp relief. No longer remote, science-fiction the goal of transforming Mars for ourselves with technology is at the core of our next endeavor in space.
If you spend enough time on the surface of the Red Planet, you will be treated to something very different from Earth - a blue sunset as night falls. That's exactly what happened to NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover after waiting for three years to catch a glimpse of this phenomenon.
Space radiation is one of the biggest problems that NASA faces if it wants to one day send humans to Mars. In a recent study, scientists found that exposure to this radiation can cause brain damage, meaning that astronauts making the journey may be unable to perform their duties once they arrive at the Red Planet. In an effort to come up with new ideas, NASA is offering prizes of up to $29,000 for anyone’s novel design concept that could keep crew members safe.
NASA Administrator and senior science advisor to President Obama, Charles Bolden told attendees at The Humans to Mars Summit in Washington that "Mars matters."
We understand the drive and the passion to explore the new and unknown frontiers of space, but when it comes to the loss of cognitive function or serious IQ points, we know where to draw the line. While humans as a species, and space agencies now, have been speaking about traveling to other planets for as long as anyone can remembers, now knowing what awaits us in space may change a few of your minds—literally.
A new study funded by NASA shows that the long term effects of space travel could spell trouble for astronauts attempting to fly to Mars. It seems that astronauts undertaking the long voyage to Mars, could arrive at the Red Planet with brain damage.
From the moment they were discovered by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, the two bright spots on Ceres have fascinated scientists and amateur astronomers across the world. What are they and why are they there? Scientists believed that once Dawn reached orbit they would be able to learn more about these two mysterious spots, but even now they remain a mystery. NASA has made an unusual move by inviting the public to weigh in on what they believe is the nature of these two bright spots.
When it comes to life on Earth, we’re one of the most fragile species there is. But thanks to the rather perfect confluence of circumstances and cosmic events, we’re mostly shielded from the dangers of space. Strong ultraviolet rays are kept out, our vital oxygen and water are kept in, and life continues blissfully. But what happens when we leave our own little planet in search of others? What protection do we have then?
Though it may be hard to imagine life abounding in the frigid tundra that is Earth’s Antarctica, that doesn’t mean that life cannot exist there. Recent studies looking into the develop and sustainability of life in the frozen wasteland has developed promising results in showing that life may too exist on other exoplanets or exomoons further out in space that may share a similarly cold surface. But in a new study published this week in the journal Nature Communications, researchers with the University of Tennessee Knoxville have discovered a series of underground lakes that could harbor life—pointing ever-more towards the possibility of life far off from what humans can withstand.
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is on the move this month, but it continues to make observations as it traverses the Red Planet's terrain. On April 16, the mission passed 10 kilometers (6.214 miles) of total driving including 310 meters (one-fifth of a mile) so far this month.
NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars has detected perchlorate compounds that are able to lower the freezing point of water, allowing it to remain in liquid form near the surface. Based on the data collected from the rover, researchers believe that liquid salt water may actually exist close to the surface.
NASA's Curiosity rover has analyzed numerous rock samples from three different locations in the lower regions of Mount Sharp that reveal unique mineral compositions. Along with the discovery of the different minerals, there were also prominent veins that show the mountains layers, revealing different stages of weathering. These two toned minerals were found in ridges along a site called "Garden City" where bedrock has eroded and exposed these veins.
The idea of putting a man on Mars has become very popular in recent years, due to many of the plans put forth by NASA. And in a new statement, NASA reports that they could get astronauts in orbit of the red planet by 2033, and they will land on the surface on 2039.
NASA's Opportunity Rover has been setting records for its time in space and distance traveled, but unfortunately it probably won't remember them. Less than a week after engineers upgraded the software to resolve its memory issues, the rover has experienced yet another bout of amnesia.
News about the impact of new budget on NASA. With funding problems many of NASA's Mars missions are in turmoil. NASA's budget has been axed a bit by the government.
While you might think that NASA and other space agencies have made great strides in investigating the final frontiers of space, it turns out that there are far too many limitations for what humans are able to do. Astronauts and cosmonauts train for the better part of the lives, learning technical information and perfecting the physical attributes needed to live in space. But when it comes down to mission time, they only have a few months in space—at best. Considering that new missions to Mars will look towards taking human journeys far deeper into space than anyone has been before, NASA’s new experiment is looking into how long exposure to zero-gravity will affect humans. And they’re using a familiar method of testing their hypotheses—twins.
It seems NASA's Opportunity Rover isn't just content with exceeding its originally designated lifespan by over a decade, it has not set another new record that the space agency's other rovers will have a tough time beating.
Curiosity Finds Live-Supporting Nitrogen on Mars NASA's Curiosity Rover has detected the first traces of nitrogen on Mars, a discovery that adds to the mounting evidence that the red planet could have, at one time, supported life.
While NASA already knows many of the affects on the human body while in space, when astronaut Scott Kelly launches for the beginning of his year long mission at the International Space Station, he has one long-range goal on his mind.