Mars
Kim Lichtenberg spends her days sampling Martian soil and rocks
RocketSTEM spoke with Dr. Kimberly Lichtenberg, a scientist and engineer who works on NASA’s Mars rover missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., in conjunction with our “Women in Aerospace” series. We spoke about her career at NASA, role models, education and how she became interested in space exploration. Indeed she’s been in …
NASA’s MAVEN on way to Mars
NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) space probe thundered to space on Nov. 18 following a flawless blastoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 1:28 p.m. EST atop a powerful Atlas V 401 rocket. “Hey Guys we’re going to Mars!” gushed Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN’s Principal Investigator at a post …
India’s first Mars probe joins MAVEN in race to Red Planet
Indian space engineers initiated the 440 Newton liquid fueled engine firing precisely as planned during a critical nail-biting burn lasting some 22 minutes. The Trans Mars Insertion (TMI) firing propelled India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) away from Earth forever and placed the spacecraft on course for a rendezvous with the Red Planet on September 24, …
NASA Mars spacecraft reveals a more dynamic Red Planet
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed to scientists slender dark markings — possibly due to salty water – that advance seasonally down slopes surprisingly close to the Martian equator. “The equatorial surface region of Mars has been regarded as dry, free of liquid or frozen water, but we may need to rethink that,” said Alfred …
Robotic armada is invading Mars from all directions
Mars Global Surveyor acquired this global map of Mars in September of 2000. Credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS The Red Planet is getting a whole lot of attention from Earthlings right now, and it’s like never before in the history of humanity and space exploration. Currently, an armada of five spacecraft from Earth are actively exploring the vicinity …
Generations of windblown sediments on Mars
This colorful scene is situated in the Noctis Labyrinthus region of Mars, perched high on the Tharsis rise in the upper reaches of the Valles Marineris canyon system. Targeting the bright rimmed bedrock knobs, the image also captures the interaction of two distinct types of windblown sediments. Surrounding the bedrock knobs is a network of …
India launching MOM to study Mars
India is gearing up for its first ever space undertaking to the Red Planet – the Mars Orbiter Mission, or MOM – which is the brainchild of the Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO. Among other objectives, MOM will conduct a search for potential signatures of Martian methane – which could stem from either living …
NASA’s MAVEN orbiter set to launch on quest to study Mars atmosphere
MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission) is NASA’s next mission to Mars. After a decade of hard work by dedicated science and engineering teams, it is scheduled to lift off on Nov. 18, 2013 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on an Atlas V 401 rocket. The 903 kilogram (2000 pound) probe will arrive at the …
The Mars Society: Humans to Mars in a decade
A long time ago in the Milky Way Galaxy, Chris McKay, Penelope Boston, and Carol Stoker were on Planet Earth contemplating all things Mars. These three scientists, graduate students at the University of Colorado, decided to form a group called the Mars Underground and hold annual meetings to explore the science behind putting humans on …
Inspiration Mars plans for human slingshot
Mars seems to be the hottest vacation destination for interplanetary travel right now. With many plans floating around to send rovers, orbiters, even human missions to orbit and settle, Mars is a hot topic in space travel discussions right now. Dennis Tito, the first person to travel to space as a tourist with a purchased …