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Conquering Mars Via Bouncing, Rolling Robots
Despite the fact that humanity already has one active rover (note: we had two), a planetary orbiter and a super rover being built to unlock more Martian mysteries, the truth is that we still understand very little about the red planet’s surface.
While sending flesh and blood to explore the red planet would go a long ways to demystifying Mars, due to the tight budget it might be wiser to instead send cheap bouncing robots.
It has been suggested during the Mars cave exploration programme, that an effective way to explore a larger surface area would be the use of many, small and fully autonomous robots. [...]
The simulation results show that 50 swarm robots can cover an area of over 300 meters square completely in 5 sols while they are searching for cave entrances and returning results to the Lander which is a major performance improvement on any previous mission. Furthermore areas of interests found by the explorers are sorted in order of importance automatically and without the need of computational analysis, hence larger quantities of data were collected from the more important areas. Therefore the system – just like a hive of bees – can make a complex decision easily and quickly to find the place which matches the required criteria best. (Science Direct)
As seen in the video above, the bouncing, rolling robots would have yet another advantage over their rover brethren as they would not only be able to bounce their way around rocks, but could also be sent to explore craters as well (instead of merely gazing into them).
The only “flaw” with the robot swarm idea is the fact that the swarm has to report back to the Lander, which may prove difficult if a high number become lost while exploring the crimson world.
It might be wiser for the roving red warriors to instead transmit data on site to the lander via radio waves (or to a satellite orbiting above), which would relieve the robots from having to double back after making a long journey.
(Hat Tip: Physorg.com)
Read MoreMercury’s Mysteries May Meet Their End With Messenger Probe
After traveling millions of kilometers toward the center of the Sol System, the Messenger probe will finally be able to call Mercury home tomorrow by establishing an orbit around the first “rock” from the Sun.
While Messenger will gather a plethora of data about the sun baked world, the Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer instrument could help determine whether Mercury is not only safe to live upon, but worth mining as well.
The gamma-ray device needs to cool down starting March 22 to function — a special challenge so close to the sun. It will measure gamma-ray emissions from Mercury’s surface to determine the abundance of elements in the crust, including reflective materials at the planet’s poles that might be water ice.
On March 23, most of the other instruments should turn on, researchers said. Messenger’s magnetometer will measure the unexpected magnetic field around Mercury in detail to determine its strength, while the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer will study the planet’s tenuous atmosphere by measuring ultraviolet light emissions. (Space.com)
If proven to host an abundance of precious metals and minerals, it might be wiser for humanity to choose to visit Mercury before Mars, despite the former being further away than the red planet.
Like the Moon, Mercury may host reservoirs of ice water within the shadowy craters that dot it’s surface, as well as large quantities of helium-3 which could be exported back to Earth in order to help power fusion nuclear reactors.
While Mercury may not be as exciting or as beautiful as the red planet (or even our beloved home world), the secrets upon that sun baked world could be the key towards financing our expanse across the Sol System.
Image Credit: NASA
Read MoreChina See’s 20/20 With Upcoming Space Station
After being denied access to the ISS (or International Space Station) orbiting the heavens above, China is not scheduling to build their own space station about a decade from now.
China is ready to carry out a multiphase construction program that leads to a large space station around 2020. As a prelude to building that facility, China is set to loft the Tiangong-1 module this year as a platform to help master key rendezvous and docking technologies.
During the projected one- to two-year lifetime of Tiangong-1 — which means “Heavenly Palace” in Chinese — an unpiloted Chinese Shenzhou-8 spacecraft will first attempt to dock with the platform, to be followed later by two piloted Shezhou missions to further hone rendezvous and docking skills. (Space.com)
When completed the space station will allow 3 taikonauts (or Chinese astronauts) to survive up to 40 days in orbit (although the “first piece” will give taikonauts 20 days of life).
China has not indicated whether they will open up the space station to the Chinese private sector, although the People’s Republic has hinted about using it as a means to “strengthen exchanges” with other space faring nations.
While the Chinese space station is not as impressive as the Genesis space stations from Bigelow Aerospace, it’s construction will provide China with some of the critical details needed in order to survive upon the Moon.
Image Credit: CCTV
Read MoreSaturn’s Icy Moon Needs A Geothermal Power Plant
Orbiting a gas giant that is over a billion kilometers away from the Sun, settlers upon Saturn’s moon Enceladus do not have the option of powering future outposts via solar panels (as sunlight is rather faint at that distance).
While future colonists could always break down water ice into hydrogen and oxygen, it might be wiser for residents to establish geothermal power plants upon Enceladus’s surface instead.
Data from Cassini’s composite infrared spectrometer of Enceladus’ south polar terrain, which is marked by linear fissures, indicate that the internal heat-generated power is about 15.8 gigawatts, approximately 2.6 times the power output of all the hot springs in the Yellowstone region, or comparable to 20 coal-fueled power stations. This is more than an order of magnitude higher than scientists had predicted, according to Carly Howett, the lead author of study, who is a postdoctoral researcher at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo., and a composite infrared spectrometer science team member. [...]
It has been known since 2005 that Enceladus’ south polar terrain is geologically active and the activity is centered on four roughly parallel linear trenches, 130 kilometers (80 miles) long and about 2 kilometers (1 mile) wide, informally known as the “tiger stripes.” Cassini also found that these fissures eject great plumes of ice particles and water vapor continually into space. These trenches have elevated temperatures due to heat leaking out of Enceladus’ interior. (Astrobiology Magazine)
Since Enceladus’s orbits within Saturn’s radiation belts, residents will need a way to power their artificial magnetic fields in order to avoid being microwaved by the sixth planet from the Sun.
Establishing several geothermal power plants upon the surface could help a future outpost not only power the technology required for their survival, but help them avoid relying upon non-renewable nuclear reactors (or even frequent methane shipments from Titan).
Image: NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, shows how the south polar terrain of Saturn’s moon Enceladus emits much more power than scientists had originally predicted.
Credit: NASA / JPL / SWRI / SSI
Read MoreRaising Radiation Resistant Planets Off World
As glorious as it would be to live upon another moon, planet or asteroid, the reality is that most of the 83 spheres that dance around our Sun are far too radioactive to raise plants upon without heavy shielding.
However a recent discovery by scientists near Chernobyl may help us not only raise radiation resistant crops off world, but also enable us to transport grain throughout the solar system.
Radioactivity lingering in the soil near the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident has not prevented life from creeping back at the Ukrainian site. Now researchers have discovered that oil-rich flax plants grown in the highly radioactive soil can apparently adapt and thrive with few problems.
The first generation survived with changes in barely 5 percent of the plant proteins, and researchers have also collected results from a second generation of flax grown in a radioactive plot of land near Chernobyl. But a mystery remains as to how the flax – a source of plant fiber and dietary oil – has adapted biochemically to the highly radioactive environment. Either way, researchers have been surprised to see that “the radioactive Chernobyl area is not a desert, but is full of life,” according to Martin Hajduch, senior scientist at the Slovak Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology. (Astrobiology Magazine)
If scientists can find a way to port the genes of these resistant plants into other crops (i.e. wheat, barely, or a few fruit trees), then humans will be able to raise food upon worlds like Mars without having to resort to expensive shielding.
Future settlers however will still have to import terrestrial fertilizer (or create their own) in order to raise gardens as the soil upon select worlds like the Moon as well as Mars is far too radioactive or toxic for terrestrial life.
Image: Soybean plant growing in radioactive soil, Credit: M. Hajduch
Read MoreCarnival Of The Space Geeks (A Love Poem)
Welcome to the Carnival of Space! With Valentine’s Day coming up I decided the best way to express my love of all things celestial (shared by my fellow space bloggers below) was through poetry in motion.
So for those of you who enjoy gazing at the heavens above (as well as figuring out the science behind it all), this poem is for you! 
________________________________
Lovers of asteroids, stars and moons,
And exploding stars that make your heart swoon
Welcome celestial lovers, both young and old
And if you’re new here, it’s time to join the fold!
See the image above? Isn’t it gorgeous and beautiful?!
Want to know what it is? ChandraBlog has the details!
Have you wondered why Mars is so small?
There’s a theory for that (Universe Today reveals all!)
Want to live on Mars and dance upon soil that’s red?
Talk to Bigelow Aerospace (that’s what Next Big Future said)
If getting beyond LEO is a difficult option
Then this EELV may be the perfect concoction!
Prefer not to fly but want to send a package off world?
Skylon may be of assistance (although it will cost you a pretty pearl)
Upon returning to Earth, our forefathers opted for splashdowns
Recovering them was complex; Vintage Space gives the low down.
Don’t be fooled by reports about Jerusalem true believers
Those weren’t extraterrestrials, Urban Astronomer dispels the rumors.
Did you hear about India, and the enormous telescope?
Parallel Spirals provides the update (and gives us some hope)
Vesta present is tranquil, but it boasts a violent past
A giant impact crater? Cue Planetary Society with the vidcast!
Jupiter’s ice belt was missing, but now it is found!
Breaking Orbit has the details with an end that’s profound.
Ever wonder about supernova’s and the various types?
Vega 0.0 can enlighten you and reveal why they’re so bright.
Don’t blame black holes for the presence of dark matter
Science Backstage reveals why you should ignore the chatter
Will we find another Earth boasting creatures that are alive?
According to Weird Warp we just might find five!
Our solar system is weird! We just don’t conform!
Lounge of the Lab Lemming shows why we are not the norm.
Even though our galaxy boasting numerous planets
The Meridiani Journal shows one with very tight orbits!
Thanks for reading, but why read when you can partake?
Contact Next Big Future for details, and join our space geek ranks!
~The End~
Update: Or is it?
Age before beauty, but what about science among the young?
Steve’s Astro Corner shows students getting it done!
But a mystery’s brewing upon a frozen wasteland
Can anyone solve it? Weird Science says yes we can!
Read MoreAsteroid Mining Is Nothing But A Pipe Dream?
(Image Credit: How Stuff Works)
If there was one future space industry with the potential of making space affordable it was asteroid mining.
With many of these space rocks harboring untold riches via (rare earth metals), it was assumed that mining these planetoids could help fund our trek into the final frontier without us having to resort to immediately stripping the Moon’s surface for helium-3.
Unfortunately it looks like our quest to harvest these metallic mountains may not yield the profits we were hoping for, which means that humanity may need to look for another lucrative alternative soon.
With the costs of rare earth metals on the rise, why can’t space entrepreneurs mine asteroids for platinum and other REM’s and return the materials to earth? Shouldn’t finding so many near earth asteroids make the problem even easier to solve (less delta-v to reach these nearby asteroids)? [...]
Assumptions:
- Mission: Mine platinum on NEOs and return the processed ore to earth for sale and consumption. Sale of platinum sole revenue source for the mission.
- Mining Efficiency: for every one kilogram of mining equipment launched, the machinery could mine 100 times that amount of NEO material (2500kg mining device could mine 250,000kg of NEO material)
- Mining Device mass: 2500 kg
- Platinum concentrations on the NEO: 0.3%
- Price of Platinum per kilogram: $58,500
- Mission Cost: $600M
Based on these assumptions, the sale of the platinum mined on the asteroid would cover 7% of the mission costs. This business plan stinks. Not 7%, that seems too small. Really? Only 7% of mission costs could be covered with the assumptions above? (Space Business Blog)
Be sure to read Colin Doughan’s entire article, which delves into possible ways for asteroid firms to break even (the best scenarios being that we find asteroids rich in platinum or discover ways to drastically reduce costs).
If asteroid mining is proven to be a “pipe dream,” it may make more financial sense to mine Mercury instead of attempting to make a profit off of a random space rock (at least those that reside near our home world).
Read MoreMoon First: X-Prize And Bigelow Aerospace Explain Why
When it comes to planetary destinations within our star system, the two loudest voices within the space community are the Moon first crowd and the Mars Direct group.
While both groups often lay out strong opinions as to why their white or red world should take priority, lunar lovers will rejoice in the fact that a notable billionaire is advocating Earth’s nearest neighbor first, along with another influential figure.
“The moon is the perfect ground to get our feet wet for Mars,” said space entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, founder of Bigelow Aerospace, which is aiming to put private space station modules in Earth orbit.
In fact, our chances of making it to Mars could ride on whether we go back to the moon first, proponents say.
“The moon is the only logical first destination,” said William Pomerantz, senior director of space prizes at the X Prize Foundation. “It only makes sense to use the moon as a testing ground and proving ground and staging ground for missions to Mars and other parts of the solar system.” (Space.com)
Other advocates mentioned the Moon as a priority due to not only its proximity (as it’s 3 days away via rockets vs 6 months for Mars), but also due to the enormous amount of rare earth metals within its soil (not to mention silver too), as well as the holy grail of space advocates, helium-3.
The Moon also boasts millions of gallons of ice water, making the cratered barren world livable for future settlers and industrial miners.
Excusing all of these arguments, perhaps the greatest reason for visiting the Moon before Mars can be summed up in one word: cost.
Although Mars is much more aesthetic to the eyes, visiting the red planet is currently beyond the budget of any terrestrial government, which might explain why most space faring nations like China are intent on visiting Earth little sister instead of the distant crimson world.
While humans will eventually visit and conquer the red planet in the future, unless someone has a few hundred billion dollars lying around, it looks like humanity will be greeting Luna first on their quest to conquer the cosmos.
Read MoreUK Plans Close Encounter With Uranus
For those of you lamenting over the lack of attention Uranus is receiving (note: keep the comment section space related folks!) when compared to Saturn, it looks like the British are attempting to mimic Cassini’s success by sending a spacecraft to the distant gas giant.
Uranus Pathfinder is a developing mission concept aimed at sending a spacecraft to the planet Uranus. This mission would perform the first detailed study of an ice giant planetary system which would fill the gaps in our understanding of the formation of the solar system, and the physical processes in the interiors and atmospheres of ice giants. [...]
All the major components of the solar system are being actively explored in situ by spacecraft apart from the ice giant planets Uranus and Neptune. Yet the ice giants are an important and essentially unknown part of the solar system, they have a unique place in planet formation, and are crucial in understanding exoplanetary systems (UCL: Uranus Pathfinder)
Although not exactly the most fascinating gas giant known to humanity, Uranus could in the distant future help fuel humanities travels throughout our star system without having to rely too heavily upon nuclear power.
But before we can dream about encountering this lopsided world, we first need to acquire more data about this cold Jovian wonder.
Image Credits: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI), via Spaceports
Read MoreHow Many Oceans Does Pluto Have?
Despite being located billions of kilometers away from its host star, the dwarf world formally known as a planet may harbor and interesting secret beneath it’s icy crust.
Scientists suspect Pluto holds a rocky core spiked with radioactive materials that are slowly breaking down, releasing enough heat in the process to melt ice and keep it liquid. The temperature on Pluto’s surface is about -375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Considering Pluto’s size and composition, just 100 parts per billion of radioactive potassium would be enough to maintain an ocean 60 to 105 miles in depth 120 miles beneath the surface, says planetary scientist Guillaume Robuchon, with the University of California at Santa Cruz. (Discovery News)
While scientists have yet to prove whether Pluto has an ocean, settlers brave enough to establish homes upon this Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) would probably not be interested in digging/melting through its crust in order to find out first hand for themselves.
Either way this does make Pluto a bit more interesting than its KBO friends, and could help bring some much needed attention to the dwarf world (who is usually overshadowed by other planets closer to the Sun).
Image Credit: European Southern Observatory / L. Calçada
Read MoreExtraterrestrial Farmers To Raise Grain Without Soil? (Aeroponics)
If you were to attempt to raise a garden utilizing only lunar or Martian soil, chances are that your precious plants would either die a horrible death or survive albeit malnourished.
While there are probably exceptions to this rule (i.e. asparagus might be able to thrive within Martian dirt), the vast majority of terrestrial plants will need terrestrial soil in order to thrive, which poses a huge problem for humanity (as people need to eat off world, let alone find employment).
Instead of importing tons of terrestrial soil from the homeworld or manufacturing large quantities from humans, it’s probably wiser to raise them without soil thanks to aeroponics.
Growing plants without any soil may conjure up images from a Star Trek movie, but it’s hardly science fiction. Aeroponics, as one soilless cultivation process is called, grows plants in an air or mist environment with no soil and very little water. Scientists have been experimenting with the method since the early 1940s, and aeroponics systems have been in use on a commercial basis since 1983.
“Who says that soil is a precondition for agriculture?” asked Graber. “There are two major preconditions for agriculture, the first being water and the second being plant nutrients. Modern agriculture makes extensive use of ‘soilless growing media,’ which can include many varied solid substrates.”
In 1997, NASA teamed up with AgriHouse and BioServe Space Technologies to design an experiment to test a soilless plant-growth system on board the Mir Space Station. NASA was particularly interested in this technology because of its low water requirement. Using this method to grow plants in space would reduce the amount of water that needs to be carried during a flight, which in turn decreases the payload. Aeroponically-grown crops also can be a source of oxygen and drinking water for space crews. (Astrobiology Magazine)
Using Aeroponics would not only reduce the overall cost of raising grain, but enable us to establish “self sustaining” colonies beyond the Jovain lunar worlds (such as Callisto, Ganymede and Saturn’s Titan), but also upon asteroids and Centaurs (aka giant comets like Chiron) as well.
While aeroponics would not be feasible for every time of plant available (i.e. raising forests would require tons of soil), it would make it easier to settle upon the worlds that dance around our yellow sun which would aid humanities quest to conquer the final frontier.
Read MoreRussia Going Nuclear (Space Rockets That Is)
Once again “Mother Russia” is contemplating using nuclear rockets in its quest to conquer the final frontier.
Only this time instead of laying out wishful thoughts, the country seems to be settling upon not only a time frame, but also an estimated cost as well.
Russia’s Energia space corporation said on Tuesday it is planning to start working on standardized space modules with nuclear-powered propulsion systems next year.
Energia director Vitaly Lopota said the first launches with a capacity of 150 to 500 KW could be made some time in 2020. [...]
The project will require an estimated 17 billion rubles (over $580 million) in funding. (RIA Novosti)
Going nuclear could help Russia not only land a man (or woman) upon the Moon, but also help them beat America to Mars (not to mention the Galilean moons of Jupiter as well).
Ironically NASA previously pondered nuclear rockets as well, but it’s doubtful the government agency could launch a nuclear rocket into space without encountering half a dozen lawsuits (and hundreds of protesters).
While nuclear rockets are a critical factor if humanity desires to expand beyond his cozy home world, we may need something faster if we want to conquer our star system within the next few centuries (and no, VASIMR engines are no longer a viable option).
(Image and Hat Tip via Space Travel)
Read MoreCanada Building Rover To Survive Lunar “Pot Holes?”
Despite being out shined by its rowdy neighbor to the south, Canada has its own plans of conquering the lunar frontier.
In an attempt to easily navigate upon the cratered surface of the Moon, a Canadian university is developing wheels for their upcoming rover that could enable to country to literally drive almost anywhere off world.
Mechanical Engineering Professor Peter Radziszewski is leading the team as part of an $11.5-million contract awarded by the Canadian Space Agency to Neptec Design Group.
“My students and I are thrilled to be on the Neptec Rover Team (NRT) as it will allow us to advance our earlier prototypes of lunar-friendly wheels and make a significant and innovative contribution to Canada’s space program,” said Radziszewski. [...]
Radziszewski and his team began working on developing wheel prototypes in 2009, one of which – dubbed iRing – is made of an external chainmail “fabric” filled with granular particulate matter; sort of like a metal bean-bag chair shaped like a wheel. This distinctive design provides both flexibility and sturdiness when travelling over extremely bumpy lunar terrain. (Physorg.com)
This wheel sounds even better than the Lunar Tweel being designed by Michelin, as it would enable colonists to quickly traverse across the barren landscape without experiencing massive amounts of whip lash (which isn’t exactly healthy for the neck).
Such technology could also be adapted for rovers upon other worlds (like Callisto and Mars), which would help encourage settlers to explore their new global homes with greater ease.
While it’s great to see Canada contributing to humanities quest to conquer our star system, hopefully the nation will also consider building a human rated rocket launcher of their own (as NASA may not exactly have the funds to ferry Americans and Canadians off world in the future).
Image: The 8-inch iRings wheels demonstrating compliance using a rover testbed Credit: Brad Jones / Neptec Design Group
Read MoreRussia To Challenge Bigelow For Space Station Supremacy
Bigelow Aerospace has more or less been the main contender on the commercial space station front. While other challengers like Galactic Suite have emerged, most have yet to build anything beyond fancy diagrams and CGI videos.
However that may change with the entrance of a new comer to the commercial space station industry, one who hails from “mother Russia.”
Two Russian companies have also recently announced their intentions to build, launch and operate a private space habitat named the Commercial Space Station, or CSS. [...]
“The most exciting possibilities include flights from the station to the moon or Mars,” Sergey Kostenko, chief executive officer of Moscow-based Orbital Technologies, told SPACE.com.
Orbital Technologies said the station will have a crew of up to seven and will be serviced by Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft and potentially other commercially available vehicles. The station would consist of one module about 10 feet (3 meters) in diameter powered by solar arrays, with a usable volume of about 700 cubic feet (20 cubic meters), Kostenko said. The plan is to launch it in 2015 or 2016. (Space.com)
Orbital Technologies is already receiving backing from the Russian Federal Space Agency, and unlike Bigelow Aerospace the former intends to heavily cater towards the tourism market instead of seeking out nations or companies as primary clients.
According to Space.com the Commercial Space Station (note: yes, I know the name is rather generic) will hold up to seven inhabitants, and the company is boasting that they already have clients lined up to board their celestial station beyond the sky.
Read MoreNASA Taking A Second Look At Mercury
After six long years of space travel, NASA’s Messenger probe will finally be able to experience a close encounter with the world known as Mercury.
Although most of the planet has already been mapped, scientists are hoping that Messenger will be able to confirm whether or not the first rock from the Sun harbors water upon its Sun baked surface.
Most intriguing is what Messenger will find when it peers into craters near Mercury’s poles. The day side of Mercury reaches 800 degrees Fahrenheit, but within the shadows of the polar craters, where the Sun never shines, temperatures are thought to be around minus 300 degrees.
That means there could be large deposits of water ice on Mercury. Radar measurements from Earth have already given suggestions of water, but some scientists believe that the deposits could instead be sulfur or silicates, which could produce the same radar results. (New York Times)
If water is confirmed to exist within the shadowy craters of Mercury, it could potentially open up the planet for settlement in the semi-distant future.
While colonists would be insane to venture outside during the Mercurian day, they would be able to explore the surface during the night without fear of being irradiated thanks to the planet’s magnetic field.
Although the existence of water ice would not raise Mercury’s profile as a world humanity would need to conquer (unless of course a massive amount of metals and minerals are discovered upon the surface), it would help make the world a lot easier to inhabit for future settlers.
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