Browse by Tags

All Tags » NASA » Mars   (RSS)
22 November 2008
"Wasteful" Sample Storage Box Removed from Mars Science Laboratory
Stern: "The Mars program is slowly committing suicide in front of our very eyes" NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) has been beset by technical challenges and inevitable budget overruns. The nuclear-powered rover is set for an October 2009 launch and engineers are doubling their efforts to ensure the MSL makes it to the launchpad on time. [...]
Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
0 Comments
Filed under: ,
 
13 November 2008
Contact Reestablished, Mars Rover Spirit is Alive!
Just when we were worrying we might be losing two Mars surface missions within a week of each other, it turns out Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has survived its recent run-in with a Sun-dimming dust storm. On Tuesday, Nancy reported that Spirit had generated a record low power output from its solar panels, indicating the [...]
Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
0 Comments
Filed under: ,
 
03 November 2008
Mars Methane Mystery Still Beckons
We've known about the methane in Mars' atmosphere for over four years now. But we don't know where it is coming from. On Earth, methane is produced from biological agents: rotting vegetation or flatulence from large animals like cows. But, of course, with our extensive explorations of Mars with rovers and high-resolution [...]
Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
0 Comments
Filed under: , ,
 
10 October 2008
Mars Science Laboratory: Still Alive, For Now
The Mars Science Laboratory, the next generation of Mars rovers slated to head to Mars in 2009, is still alive, for the time being. The car-sized rover designed to look for life on Mars is over budget and behind schedule due to technical problems, and NASA officials met today to discuss their options. Potentially, [...]
Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
0 Comments
Filed under: , ,
 
01 April 2008
NASA to Burn Sponsor Logos into the Surface of Mars
In an effort to raise additional funds, NASA has announced new partnerships with corporate sponsors. It is becoming increasingly difficult for government-backed space agencies to support the vast range of missions currently exploring the solar system, so urgent measures are being taken. Planetary missions in particular, such as the Mars Exploration Rover project, have fallen [...]
Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
0 Comments
Filed under: , ,
 
24 March 2008
Spirit Rover is Switched Off to Save NASA Money
To save the Mars Expedition Rover (MER) program some cash, controllers will be forced to switch one of the four-year old rovers into "hibernation mode". NASA wants to cut $4 million from the MER budget, so extreme measures are needed. Sadly, operations will need to be limited and it has been announced today that activities [...]
Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
0 Comments
Filed under: ,
 
08 August 2007
Martian Skies are Starting to Clear
The dire condition of the Mars Exploration Rovers has improved a bit in the last few days. That series of dust storms circling the planet has eased off a little, and the skies are started to clear up. This is giving both Spirit and Opportunity a much needed boost to their solar powered electrical systems.
Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
0 Comments
Filed under: ,
 
01 August 2007
Networking Across the Planets
I don't know about your Internet connection, but I have enough trouble wiring up my home network. Imagine trying to connect together spacecraft orbiting millions of kilometres away into a serviceable network. That's just what's going to happen when NASA's Phoenix Lander arrives at the Red Planet. In the spirit of cooperation, ESA's Mars Express [...]
Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
0 Comments
Filed under: ,