Turning chocolate into sweet science Aug 29, 2008
Battered by the increases, No. 1 U.S. candy maker The Hershey Co. and smaller rival Mars, maker of Snickers bars and M&Ms, announced earlier this month they were raising prices for their products by more than 10 percent. Still, most new chocolatiers say passion -- not profits -- is what motivates them. (CNN -- Tech)
NASAs Opportunity takes to the open road on Mars Aug 29, 2008
iTWire - NASAs Opportunity takes to the open road on Mars ... NASAs Opportunity takes to the open road on Mars ... NASAs Opportunity takes to the open road on Mars. (iTWire)
WPIAL Class AAA preview by Colin Dunlap (Today) Aug 29, 2008
Mars: The Planets have a tough adjustment in jumping from Class AA, but senior quarterback John Brake (6-4, 190) could surprise a lot of people. Hampton: The Talbots must find a way to battle back from a 2-7 season -- and adjust to new coach Jacque DeMatteo at the same time. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA -- Sports)
Gabby top space camper Aug 29, 2008
"I think because I had to raise the money, it made it so much more special. It had a lot more meaning," said Gabby, whose goal is no less than to be the first person on Mars, received a medallion as the outstanding trainee ... "Aries rockets are going to take over after the shuttle program is over in seven years. The shuttle is going to go for another two years, then the Russians are going to go back and forth to the International Space Station (ISS). Then we're going to go to the Aries rockets,... (Dowagiac News, MI)
Antarctic research helps shed light on climate change on Mars Aug 29, 2008
(Boston) Researchers examining images of gullies on the flanks of craters on Mars say they formed as recently as a few hundred thousand years ago and in sites once occupied by glaciers. The features are eerily reminiscent of gullies formed in Antarctica's mars-like McMurdo Dry Valleys ... The parallels between the Martian gullies and those in Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys were made using the latest high-resolution images and technology from satellites orbiting Mars to observe key details of... (EurekAlert!)
Computer virus infects orbiting space station Aug 28, 2008
Feb 19 2008: Images from the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. . (guardian.co.uk)
Mars at Its All-Time Finest Aug 28, 2008
Mars becomes almost this large every 15 or 17 years whenever it passes closest to Earth (near opposition) within a few weeks of the date it is also nearest the Sun (perihelion) ... Putting August 2003 in perspective, this is one of five chances (at most) in your entire lifetime that you'll see Mars so clearly. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Rover Ready to Leave Crater Aug 28, 2008
The U.S. space agency's rover Opportunity will soon be back on Mars' plains after nearly a year in a large Martian crater studying ancient rock layers. "We've done everything we entered Victoria Crater to do and more," said Bruce Banerdt, of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Mars rover tries to climb out of crater Aug 28, 2008
"There's been a little bit of bad luck, the bursts haven't been cooperating with us," said Charles "Chip" Meegan, Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope burst monitor principal investigator, of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "There's no doubt were gonna get some good ones, it's just a matter of waiting.". (Florida Today)
Mars rover driving out of crater Aug 28, 2008
Nasa's robotic rover Opportunity is driving out of a giant crater on Mars nearly a year after its dangerous descent to examine exposed bedrock ... The impact depression has high walls with layers of exposed rock that should reveal clues to Mars' geological past ... Opportunity and Spirit landed on Mars in 2004 and have operated long past their original 90-day mission. (BBC News -- Science)
NASA completes Mars exploration Aug 27, 2008
NEW YORK: NASA's Mars Exploration rover 'Opportunity' is driving out of a giant crater nearly a year after descending into it to examine exposed ancient rock layers, the American space agency has announced ... Some of these rocks, approximately fist-size and larger, were thrown long distances when objects hitting Mars blasted craters deeper than Victoria into the Red Planet. (India Times, India)
Success for Mars rover bag test Aug 27, 2008
The project to design and build a European rover to send to Mars has passed an important milestone ... An effective entry, descent and landing system will be critical to the success of the ExoMars mission, as it is known ... "It is most encouraging," said Vincenzo Giorgio at Thales Alenia Space, the prime industrial partner on the ExoMars project. (Yahoo News -- Mars Exploration)
Gamma-ray probe gets new name and fame Aug 27, 2008
See awe-inspiring views of Mercury, Mars, Saturn and distant galaxies in Julys roundup of cosmic imagery ... "There's been a little bit of bad luck: The bursts haven't been cooperating with us," said Marshall Space Flight Center's Charles "Chip" Meegan, Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope burst monitor principal investigator. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Mars rover works its way out of crater Aug 27, 2008
NASA / JPL / CornellWhile NASA'sOpportunity rover is climbing out of Mars' Victoria Crater, the Spirit rover is spending its third Martian winter on the other side of the planet inside Gusev Crater ... More resources, including latest Mars images ... A family history of the Mars Exploration Rovers now on the Red Planet. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Phoenix Lander digs deeper into Mars Aug 27, 2008
More resources, including latest Mars images ... For its next trick, NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will dig a trench in the Martian surface three times deeper than any it has dug so far, as it completes its original three month-mission and embarks upon its extended mission ... Today marked the last day of the 90-sol (1 sol is one Martian day) primary mission since the spacecraft landed on Mars on May 25. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Shuttle passes early inspection Aug 27, 2008
Mars Rovers, Saturn Cassini, Hubble Telescope and more Shuttle, International Space Station. These free downloads may be required: , , , or. (Yahoo News -- Space Shuttle)
Wheel woes send rover to edge of Mars' crater Aug 27, 2008
The plucky Mars rover Opportunity is driving out of a giant crater nearly a year after a dangerous descent to examine exposed bedrock ... Opportunity and Spirit landed on Mars in 2004 and have operated beyond their original 90-day mission. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Mars Rovers Still Roving, Way After Landing Aug 27, 2008
Magnificent Mars Rovers Still Moving Along - Technology News Story - KPRC Houston ... Magnificent Mars Rovers Still Moving Along ... Rover Leaves Mars Crater After Yearlong Probe. (Click2Houston, TX)
Melting glaciers likely made Mars gullies Aug 26, 2008
Melting glaciers likely sculpted Mars gullies. Evidence suggests Mars was once wetter than it is now ... A high-resolution image from the CTX camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is draped over topography data to create a bird's-eye view of martian gullies, features thought to represent relatively recent flow of water on the surface of Mars. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Giant galaxy cluster seen in early universe Aug 26, 2008
See awe-inspiring views of Mercury, Mars, Saturn and distant galaxies in Julys roundup of cosmic imagery. more photos. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Rosetta to Pass Asteroid Next Week Aug 26, 2008
The ESA said the spacecraft will rendezvous with the asteroid in the course of its first incursion into the asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. A fly-by of asteroid Lutetia is to occur July 10, 2010, with the spacecraft winding up at comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in November 2014. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Researching Most Promising Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies Aug 26, 2008
(July 22, 2008) The same technology used to analyse minerals and atmosphere on Mars and other planets is being used by scientists to explore methods for geosequestration of carbon emissions. The idea of. (Science Daily)
Police on meteor alert after huge balls of fire light up Spanish sky Aug 26, 2008
Aug 15 2008: The European Space Agency is sending a rover to Mars, scheduled to arrive in 2015. It will be the most sophisticated rover to explore the red planet. (Yahoo News -- Meteors and Asteroids)
Snowmelt Carved Mars Gullies Later Than Thought Aug 26, 2008
On Mars, snow could have fallen relatively recently on the crater rim, drifting into the depressions ... "So these things fit into a relatively young time on Mars history perhaps even almost up to the present." ... Thus Mars is by no means a dead planet, he said: "It undergoes climate cycles much like Earth.". (National Geographic)
Team says meteorites are long shots Aug 25, 2008
Bobby Bus, supportive astronomer at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, said in an interview that meteorites found on Earth seem to be more representative of main belt asteroids that orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter. Binzel, in an MIT news release, said the "difference between the objects hitting the ground and the big objects whizzing by" has been a "head-scratcher.". (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
The Night Sky for September 2008 Aug 25, 2008
Mercury, Venus, and Mars Together at Dusk ... Venus starts the month closer to Mercury, which shines more brightly than Mars, but the second planet from the sun soon zooms twoard Mars ... The date of the closest approach between Venus and Mars comes on September 11. (Suite101.com)
9 more missions Aug 25, 2008
Orion is also designed to still be in use to transfer crews to a separate vehicle for mission to Mars ... In the evening twilight Jupiter will be in the south-southeast and Venus and Mars in the west ... Today sunset will be 7:41 p.m., twilight will end 8:09 p.m., Venus will set 8:36 p.m. and Mars will set 8:56 p.m. Tomorrow Jupiter will set 2:14 a.m., twilight will begin 5:53 a.m. and sunrise will be 6:21 a.m.. (NJ.com -- Times)
This Week's Sky at a Glance Aug 24, 2008
All week, little Mars closes in on Venus and Mercury, which are paired lower down ... Look too for little Mars, moving in day by day from the left ... Mars (a dim magnitude +1. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Phoenix examines new soil sample Aug 24, 2008
Washington - The Phoenix Mars lander is examining a sample of soil from an 'intermediate depth' of the Martian earth to determine if it is different from dirt at the planet's surface and from a lower icy layer, NASA said Friday ... In case of Mars,Gravitational Temprature plays impotant role in the cultivation of different elments ... As this Gravitational Temprature is reponsible for the constucion of elements,the Surface Gravitational temptrature of Mars related to above said Programme may... (Monsters and Critics.com)
NASA's Moon Rocket Looks Less Shaky Aug 24, 2008
Before NASA astronauts rocket to Mars, they're supposed to return to the moon in a sweet new ride to test-drive everything from high-tech maps and buggies to new spacesuits and next-generation power sources ... A spring-and-damper ring will separate the first and second stages of Ares 1 rockets, which NASA is developing for missions to the International Space Station, the moon and later Mars ... "The good news here is we've got a solution that will solve the thrust oscillation phenomenon," said... (ABC News)
HEY, IT LOOKS JUST LIKE MARS HERE Aug 23, 2008
So the next time you're visiting the wind-swept Oregon dunes, imagine you're on Mars. You're 68 percent lighter, it's a lot colder, the sky is a hazy orange -- but the dunes are remarkably similar. (OregonLive, OR -- Living)
Looking sharp: Montana knifemakers group holds show in downtown Missoula Aug 23, 2008
One depicts aspects of space research, including the Mars Rover and the Cassini Orbiter, which circles Saturn. Another features motifs based on blues music, one of Olson's hobbies. (Missoulian, MT)
Don't miss the trio of planets at sunset Aug 23, 2008
Mars is a little bit higher up in Virgo and will be visible longer after sunset ... See awe-inspiring views of Mercury, Mars, Saturn and distant galaxies in Julys roundup of cosmic imagery ... Swap in MarsIn September, Saturn disappears into the fires of sunset and is replaced in the planet trio by Mars. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Report: More support, testing needed for NASA exploration Aug 23, 2008
But there was room for improvement, particularly in communicating the risks and human health factors associated with new technologies, as well as with longer term projects aimed at reaching past the moon to Mars and beyond ... Because of NASA's short-term focus on returning to the moon and limiting the gap between the space shuttle retirement and the first operational Orion flights, the agency has canceled some longer-term programs such as nuclear thermal rocket propulsion that could be... (USA Today -- Tech)
NASA destroys rocket after failed launch Aug 23, 2008
The rocket also carried a new design for more efficiently delivering astronauts or equipment through the atmosphere on Earth or Mars. The space agency says it is investigating why the rocket failed. (USA Today -- Tech)
REPORT: 'A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program: A Review of NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program' Aug 23, 2008
In January 2004, President George W. Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE), which instructed NASA to Extend human presence across the solar system, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration of Mars and other destinations, among other objectives. As acknowledged in the VSE, significant technology development will be necessary to accomplish the goals it articulates. (USA Today -- Tech)
Mars lander just keeps digging Aug 22, 2008
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M UniversityThis mosaic of images taken by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows the probe's workspace with the major trenches and features that have been informally named as of Sol 84 (Aug ... More resources, including latest Mars images ... NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has spent the last few weeks digging new trenches in its landing area, looking for new materials to analyze in its instruments and examining the soil and subsurface layer of water ice. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Space Age Engineers To Verify Control Software For Future Robotic Inter-planetary Missions Aug 22, 2008
Future ESA missions, like the autonomous robotic satellites which will collect and return samples from the surface of Mars, require control systems involving complex requirements, system architectures, software algorithms and hardware implementations ... Artist's view of a future Mars Sample Return (MSR) ascent module lifting off from Mars' surface with the Martian soil samples ... (July 22, 2008) The first robotic mission to return samples to Earth from Mars took a further step toward... (Science Daily)
Lipstick Mystic Love Forecast Aug 22, 2008
Be open to exploring friendships with people who aren't your usual "type." Sociable Mars is reminding you that there is a whole world of fascinating folks out there. If you've been looking for a soulmate, maybe you should cast a wider net to catch the right fish. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Satellite maker soaring in Gilbert Aug 22, 2008
That equipment is also used to relay information to and from spacecraft such as the Mars Lander and the vehicles that will carry astronauts back to the moon and eventually to Mars. "This administration has put an emphasis on getting man back into space, and I see that continuing no matter who wins the election," Lowrey said. (AZCentral -- Business)
Mars' ice clouds eat up ozone Aug 21, 2008
NASA's robotic Opportunity rover snapped a picture of a vast, sandy plain and high-flying clouds while exploring Mars' Victoria Crater last October ... Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Cornell, JPL, NASA, unmannedspaceflight ... More resources, including latest Mars images. (MSNBC -- Politics)
New rocket gets shock absorbers Aug 21, 2008
"It's a lot like the shock absorbers on your car," said Steve Cook, Ares project manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala ... The main concern centered on astronaut performance during an Ares 1 launch, said Garry Lyles, NASA's associate director for technical management at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala ... See awe-inspiring views of Mercury, Mars, Saturn and distant galaxies in Julys roundup of cosmic imagery. (MSNBC -- Technology)
NASA's moon rockets will sport shocks to smooth out bumpy ride Aug 20, 2008
A spring-and-damper ring will separate the first and second stages of Ares 1 rockets, which NASA is developing for missions to the International Space Station, the moon and later Mars ... A spring-and-damper ring will separate the first and second stages of Ares 1 rockets, which NASA is developing for missions to the International Space Station, the moon and later Mars ... "The good news here is we've got a solution that will solve the thrust oscillation phenomenon," said Steve Cook, manager of... (USA Today -- Tech)
The storied history of the word 'planet' Aug 20, 2008
These wandering stars, back then, amounted to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn ... An Elizabethan-era stage play and comedy published in 1597, called The Woman in the Moon, depicted the solar system with seven planets, including Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Sol (the sun) and Luna (the moon) ... "There's got to be some way to communicate that these are worlds in their own right, as worthy of study as Mars.". (USA Today -- Tech)
ESA Tests New Mars Rovers Aug 19, 2008
Prototypes for the European Space Agency's ExoMars rover are being tested in Britain, the BBC said ... The mission is set to launch in 2013, with the rovers landing on Mars in 2015 ... Chris Draper of UK Astrium said the goal is to build a rover that can surpass previous Mars vehicles. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Obama's Space Policy Aug 19, 2008
Obama: Let's Go to Moon, and Maybe Mars ... Barack Obama released a comprehensive space policy Saturday that endorsed sending astronauts back to the moon by 2020 as a possible precursor for going to Mars -- the first time he has committed to that goal -- and said the reach for the stars should be a U.S.-led international effort ... It marks the first time that Obama has specifically backed President's Bush's "Vision for Space Exploration," which would return U.S. astronauts to the lunar surface... (SkyAndTelescope.com)
McCain's Straight Talk Express rolls into BCC Aug 19, 2008
-1) { write('\r\n'); write('+EXPAND'); } else { write('\r\n'); write('+EXPAND'); } write. Tuesday, August 19, 2008. (Florida Today)
New minor planet found in solar system Aug 19, 2008
Major planets, such as Earth and Mars, travel around the Sun in more circular orbits, but the object has a pronounced elliptical orbit similar to a comet, said Andrew Becker, the University of Washington astronomer who led the research. The unusual orbit is similar to only one other known object, Sedna, a dwarf planet found in 2003. (Sify)
BACK TO THE MOON: Obama outlines space plan... Aug 18, 2008
He endorses the goal of sending human missions to the Moon by 2020, as a precursor in an orderly progression to missions to more distant destinations, including Mars ... As this framework is developed, Obama will continue NASA's architecture studies and advanced planning to ensure the American space workforce remains engaged and that America can lead the world to long-term exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond, in a collaborative and cost-effective way ... Leveraging Robotic Capabilities to... (The Drudge Report)
Veterans gathering for McCain speech Aug 18, 2008
Embracing human and robotic space exploration with a goal of sending human missions to the Moon by 2020, as a precursor in an orderly progression to missions to more distant destinations, including Mars. Emphasizing NASA's research function to study climate change and advance aeronautics research. (Florida Today)
Brevard banking on space promises Aug 18, 2008
President Bush tasked NASA to stop flying the shuttle and develop a vehicle that could fly to the space station and return to the moon and go on to Mars. Congress and some independent reviews later found that the funding provided by the Bush administration is not enough to do all of the jobs assigned, but President Bush has threatened to veto any effort to increase NASA's $17 billion budget. (Florida Today)
Shooting stars Aug 18, 2008
His portfolio includes images of planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Venus, and of far-flung space objects such as the Andromeda and Sombrero galaxies. Chins job as research assistant at the space physics laboratory in Universiti Malaya allows him to do what he loves, everyday. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Evolving Obama now supports $2 billion more for NASA Aug 18, 2008
Mars Rovers, Saturn Cassini, Hubble Telescope and more Shuttle, International Space Station ... He also said he was hoping "to ensure retention of" thousands of NASA workers in Texas and Florida whose jobs are threatened by a possible five-year gap before the beginning of the Constellation initiative to send astronauts to the moon and Mars ... "Considering Obama's shifting positions, he cannot be trusted to fully support NASA's mission to Mars," said the RNC's Conant. (Houston Chronicle)
Mars robots begin test campaign Aug 16, 2008
Mars rover prototype put through its paces. Engineers have unveiled the latest prototypes for a European rover that is due to land on Mars in 2015 ... According to Chris Draper, Astrium's ExoMars rover vehicle industrial manager, they can go literally where no rover has gone before. (BBC News)
NASA: Mars Lander sends most detailed Martian pics yet Aug 16, 2008
August 15, 2008 (Computerworld) As the Mars Lander continues to scoop up soil for analysis, it has taken its very first microscopic image of a single piece of Martian dust ... scientists said that scrutinizing the dust is a good way to gather more information about Mars since the ultrafine dust is the link between the processes in the Martian soil and the gases in the atmosphere ... a co-investigator for the Mars Lander's robotic arm team and a professor at Washington University in St. Louis,... (Computerworld)
Russia-Georgia conflict could affect NASA funding Aug 16, 2008
Mars Rovers, Saturn Cassini, Hubble Telescope and more Shuttle, International Space Station. These free downloads may be required: , , , or. (Houston Chronicle)
Success for Mars rover bag test Aug 16, 2008
The project to design and build a European rover to send to Mars has passed an important milestone ... An effective entry, descent and landing system will be critical to the success of the ExoMars mission, as it is known ... "It is most encouraging," said Vincenzo Giorgio at Thales Alenia Space, the prime industrial partner on the ExoMars project. (Yahoo News -- Mars Exploration)
Martian Dust Particle Imaged Aug 16, 2008
Mars Lander Takes an Image of Martian Dust ... The U.S. space agency says its Phoenix Mars Lander has used an atomic force microscope to take the first-ever image of a single particle of Mars' dust ... "This is the first picture of a clay-sized particle on Mars, and the size agrees with predictions from the colors seen in sunsets on the Red Planet," said Phoenix Lander co-investigator Urs Staufer of the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, who leads a Swiss consortium that made the microscope. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
New virus test can identify strain of flu within hours Aug 16, 2008
Mars Phoenix mission. NASA spacecraft beams back pictures of Mars. (Times Online)
Plutos Situation Is As Unstable As Ever Aug 16, 2008
NASA announced its Mars Phoenix Lander had sent home the first ever image showing a sample of Martian dust; the photo was taken with the help of an atomic force microscope. The size of the dust. (eFluxMedia)
To The Moon And Mars: Psychologists Show New Ways To Deal With Health Challenges In Space Aug 15, 2008
14, 2008) As NASA prepares to send humans back to the moon and then on to Mars, psychologists are exploring the challenges astronauts will face on missions that will be much longer and more demanding than previous space flights ... The presenters spoke at APA's first symposium to address the psychological challenges of returning to the moon and going to Mars ... "Behavioral health problems can interfere with the success of the mission, especially on long-duration space flights like missions to... (Science Daily)
First-ever image of Martian dust particle Aug 15, 2008
This image, released Aug. 14, 2008 and taken by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager on June 12, 2008, shows the Lander's Robotic Arm scoop after delivering the first sample of dug-up soil to Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, or MECA, instrument suite ... WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has taken the first-ever image of a single particle of Mars' ubiquitous dust, using its atomic force microscope, mission scientists... (Xinhuanet, China)
MIT: MIT solves puzzle of meteorite-asteroid link Aug 15, 2008
The smaller rocks that most often fall to Earth, it seems, come straight in from the main asteroid belt out between Mars and Jupiter, rather than from the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population. The puzzle gradually emerged from a long-term study of the properties of asteroids carried out by MIT professor of planetary science Richard Binzel and his students, along with postdoctoral researcher P. Vernazza, who is now with the European Space Agency, and A.T. Tokunaga, director of the University of... (USA Today -- Tech)
Discovery explains why asteroids and meteorites are different Aug 15, 2008
com Staff Meteorites that fall to Earth usually come directly from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, rather than from the population of larger space rocks that drifted in from the asteroid belt's innermost edge to hang around our planet's neighborhood ... The meteorites lined up more with the mixed rock population of the asteroid belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter. (USA Today -- Tech)
How do you define 'planet'? Aug 15, 2008
The Great Planet Debate' - Science Fair - USATODAY.com. The Great Planet Debate. (USA Today -- Tech)
