DailyDirt: Space Exploration - The Next Generation

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Plenty of space geeks complain about the seemingly stalled progress in manned space missions, pointing out that plans to go back to the moon (or to Mars or to an asteroid) sound unlikely to happen within a Baby Boomer's lifetime. Sure, there might be some touristy flights to the near edge of space with Virgin Galactic, but really inspiring never-been-done-before space walks on another planet aren't coming any time soon (unless you count some suicide missions). Here are just a few links on the future of space transportation.

• SpaceX wants to compete with larger aerospace companies to provide its launch systems for the US Air Force. Elon Musk says, "Frankly, if our rockets are good enough for NASA, why are they not good enough for the Air Force?" [url]
• NASA's Project Morpheus is making progress in developing an autonomous landing vehicle for a variety of terrains. A recent successful flight makes it look easy to get a vehicle to land on a rocky surface. [url]
• NASA is also looking for some commercial partners to help it develop robotic lunar landers. NASA will be accepting proposals for the next couple weeks, and these potential partnerships could bring up the legality of lunar property rights if commercial companies want to mine the moon's resources. [url]

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Filed Under: elon musk, exploration, lunar lander, manned missions, mars, moon, morpheus, space
Companies: nasa, spacex, virgin galactic

DailyDirt: Biomimicry In Space

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Robot designs often steal from nature. Roboticists have created all kinds of insect-inspired bots and bots based on birds, lizards and mammals. It's easy to see how these robots fit into our world because animals with similar silhouettes are already everywhere. But it's not so intuitive that biomimicry should work in the low gravity environment of space. Without any alien life forms to cheat off, it looks like we're going to try to find out how some bio-inspired robots adapt to extraterrestrial locations.

• An unmanned mission to explore the moon could include the use of an ape-like robot that can walk/crawl on the lunar surface. It looks cool, but a robot with four complex limbs doesn't seem to be the easiest bot to maintain in space. Keep It Simple, Scientists! [url]
• Norway's SINTEF Research Institute is developing a snake-like robot to explore the surface of Mars. A snake bot could team up with a conventional rover design and help the rover if its wheels ever get stuck in the sandy Martian landscape. [url]
• SpiderFab is a satellite-building concept where structures are built in space like a spider weaving its web. This kind of satellite construction would allow for larger and more complex designs, and assembling parts in space using a spider-inspired robot could be demonstrated in the next 3-4 years (optimistically). [url]

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Filed Under: biomimicry, mars, moon, robots, rover, satellite, sintef, snake bot, space, spiderfab, unmanned

DailyDirt: Searching For Life Forms

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Discovering an alien life form would be quite an achievement, but we've been burned before by over-eager press releases that claimed to find evidence of life from beyond our planet. NASA might be more careful about making any announcements about life based on peculiar and potentially extra-terrestrial-based life, but NASA seemed to have forgotten about the extraordinary claims over ALH84001. Overall, though, it's probably good that NASA hasn't given up on searching for aliens, so here are a few links on looking for life from outer space.

• Recently, some UK scientists claimed to find evidence of alien life in the Earth's upper atmosphere, suggesting that alien life is just raining down from space all the time. The concept of panspermia is interesting, but the evidence for it isn't quite convincing yet. [url]
• There are a bunch of ways to look for aliens, such as a search for extraterrestrial technology (SETT) to find non-natural shapes in space. Looking for alien crop circles on exoplanets ain't easy, though. [url]
• Some astronomers are looking for evidence of Dyson Spheres -- a massive array solar panels that advanced alien civilizations might use for sustaining enormous energy needs. This search is actually being funded by a grant from the Templeton Foundation. [url]
• NASA's Curiosity rover hasn't detected much methane in the Martian atmosphere, so the odds of finding familiar living organisms seems a bit more distant. Mars was most likely suitable for Earth-like life at some point, but it's looking pretty dead right now. [url]

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Filed Under: alh84001, aliens, astrobiology, biology, curiosity, dyson sphere, et, extraterrestrial, life, mars, nasa, seti, sett, templeton foundation

DailyDirt: Life on Mars

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Manned missions to Mars have been in the works for decades, but we still haven't worked out all the details for getting humans to safely set foot on the red planet. Technology has clearly improved since the 1970s, so we're likely closer to solving the challenges of landing people on Mars than ever before. Some astronauts might accept a one-way ticket, but it might be nice for those adventurers to have a committed, long-term supply line so that their excursion lasts as long as possible. Here are just a few links that might be interesting for future astronauts.

• Curious features on the surface of Mars could be explained by blocks of dry ice carving out tracks as they slide down slopes, leaving behind odd "linear gullies" after the frozen carbon dioxide sublimes. If any one-way astronauts make it to Mars, they should try out this kind of snowboarding, #YOLO! [url]
• Ancient plants found on Earth could help us look for similar kinds of life on Mars. Bryophytes might be more easily grown in the harsh conditions of space, and some of these plants can reprogram themselves to adapt and grow into different kinds of plants. [url]
• The Office of Planetary Protection tries to protect extra-terrestrial environments in space from contamination caused by human activities. But preventing biological contamination from Mars-bound spacecraft could be a waste of effort and funding, according to some scientists. [url]

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Filed Under: astrobiology, astronauts, bryophytes, dry ice, mars, office of planetary protection, snowboarding, sterilization, terraforming
Companies: nasa

DailyDirt: Making It To Mars

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A manned spaceship to Mars sounded like a logical next step in the 1970s after the first astronauts walked on the moon. But it's been a while since then, and we've sent a few robotic missions to the red planet recently to check out the place a bit more to see if it's really worth visiting. Maybe there isn't anything living on Mars now, but it certainly looks like there could have been conditions favorable for life there in the past. For space exploration fans, here are some interesting links on going to Mars, pointing out some of the challenges and technological advances that will help us get there (someday).

• There are a lot of stumbling blocks to getting to Mars -- such as choosing a rocket propulsion system, designing a human-friendly landing vehicle for the Martian surface, and various other problems related to bringing along everything people need to survive while still having enough fuel to do it. None of these problems sound impossible to engineer solutions for, but it'll be expensive. [url]
• NASA is working with 3D printers to create almost anything an astronaut would need while in space, without having to manufacture it before the long journey to Mars. One of the items that could be printed: pizza. (Yum. printed cheese.) [url]
• Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) has been collecting data on radiation levels that future astronauts might face on their journey to Mars -- and the exposure levels are nothing to sneeze at. NASA has defined some limits for its astronauts, and a trip to Mars could easily exceed those limits. [url]

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Filed Under: 3d printers, astronauts, curiosity, manned missions, mars, radiation, space, space exploration
Companies: nasa

DailyDirt: Living On Earth (Or Elsewhere)

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The origins of life are incredibly mysterious. The life that we normally interact with is made up of chiral molecules, and no one actually knows why only certain chiral molecules are involved in our biology. No one knows how life began, or where it began, or when. Lots of basic questions about life have no solid answers. Attempts to duplicate the creation of life have generally only produced inanimate molecules (except for synthetic life based on existing lifeforms). Here are just a few fascinating links on the topic of life.

• Moore's law probably doesn't apply to biology, but if it did, it suggests that life as we know it began before the Earth existed. Genetic complexity as a function of time has been extrapolated backwards, but it's obviously more of an interesting thought experiment than a meaningful biological theory. [url]
• NASA's Curiosity rover has analyzed some martian rock samples to answer the question: "could life have ever been supported on Mars?" The answer seems to be yes, but that still doesn't mean Mars had (or has) any life. [url]
• Do we need to look for alien life that's already amongst us? A shadow biosphere on earth could be an explanation for some mysteries like "desert varnish"... or Occam's razor might start cutting in here. [url]

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Filed Under: aliens, biology, biosphere, chirality, creation, desert varnish, life, mars, moore's law, occam's razor, science
Companies: nasa

DailyDirt: Life On Other Worlds

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The origin of life is a pretty enormous mystery. There are several theories for how life might have come about, but it's difficult to design experiments to narrow down these options. In the meantime, researchers continue to look for clues and evidence for life that didn't originate on our planet. Here are just a few examples that could one day lead us in the right direction.

• Meteorite fragments found in Sri Lanka *might* contain extra-terrestrial fossils -- if you kinda squint and tilt your head, the algae-like fossils support a panspermia theory for the origin of life. This isn't the first time a peer-reviewed journal has published a story like this, and it won't be the last. The real question is when will these papers actually be convincing to skeptics.... [url]
• In 1996, a rock named ALH84001 made a lot more headlines when scientists claimed that it might contain evidence of life from Mars in the form of microfossils. Since then, the ALH84001 debate seems to have settled on the view that those small fossils weren't necessarily created by ET life, and the media hoopla re-affirmed that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." [url]
• Maybe we'll see evidence of life outside our solar system by looking for evidence of asteroid mining operations around other stars -- if we see unusual amounts of dusty debris, it could mean intelligence life has been exploring for interplanetary resources. It might be hard to determine the difference between natural and unnatural debris, though. [url]
• NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered that Mars once had an environment suitable for life. This is an important find, and it raises questions of why Mars doesn't seem to have ubiquitous life now. [url]

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Filed Under: alh84001, aliens, asteroids, astrobiology, biology, et, life, mars, meteorite, microfossils
Companies: nasa

DailyDirt: Going To Mars

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Space travel is inherently risky, so it shouldn't be too surprising that spacecraft missions to Mars haven't all been successful. Sending people inside metal cans aimed at Mars isn't an easy task -- especially if those people want to return to Earth alive. But as more and more space programs target Mars as a destination, it looks increasingly likely that humans will make it there someday. Here are just a few milestones on the road to Mars.

• The Inspiration Mars Foundation is planning a roundtrip manned mission to Mars (non-stop, so no landing) that would last about 501 days, launching in 2018. A press conference to announce the details will be held on Feb 27th. [url]
• When the Phobos-Grunt mission failed to reach Mars orbit, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested some severe punishments (but no death penalty!) for whoever was to blame. The mission had planned to return soil samples from Phobos (one of Mars' moons), but the spacecraft never left Earth orbit due to a computer programming error. [url]
• Valery V. Polyakov spent 438 continuous days in space aboard Mir and returned to Earth in 1995. That is the longest anyone has stayed in space in a single trip (others have been in space for more time, but over multiple trips), and it demonstrates that it's possible to survive in microgravity for the approximate amount of time it might take to go to Mars. [url]
• Elon Musk has a vision of a public-private joint venture to establish a human colony on Mars. Musk is obviously promoting the SpaceX brand with this kind of public statement, but he also says that a viable Mars mission would need about $36 billion to get off the ground. [url]

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Filed Under: astronauts, elon musk, mars, mir, phobos, space, space exploration, spacecraft, valery polyakov
Companies: inspiration mars foundation, spacex

DailyDirt: Going To Space

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Manned space exploration is a lofty goal that requires quite a bit of groundwork before people crawl into a metal cage strapped to a rocket. Only about a dozen countries have successfully launched objects into orbit, and the list of nations that can send people into space is much shorter (with the retirement of the space shuttles, the US arguably is not on the list anymore). But rocket technologies are only getting better and less expensive, and there are more and more plans (both governmental and commercial) for humans to explore space.

• Mars One is now looking for people willing to become astronauts, train for 8 years, and go on a ONE-WAY trip to Mars (and also be part of this globally-televised mission). The first team to go will be democratically elected from six teams of four astronauts, and the launch is scheduled for September 2022. [url]
• Iran is planning to launch a monkey into space sometime in February 2013. Iran has a goal of sending a human into space by 2020 and putting someone on the moon by 2025. (And Iran has already sent a rat, two turtles and a worm into space.) [url]
• MRI scans of astronauts who spent over a month in space show that long term exposure to microgravity can damage eyeballs and parts of the brain. The problems are similar to having intracranial hypertension -- where the brain experiences pressures that press it against the skull and eye sockets. [url]
• A simulated 520-day mission to Mars found that astronauts may need to keep Earth-like schedules or else they'll have trouble sleeping and possibly acquire some mood disorders. This ground-based study will affect plans for manned Mars missions, and it could also have implications for people who live with disrupted sleep and prolonged exposure to artificial lighting. [url]

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Filed Under: astronauts, iran, manned missions, mars, mars one, orbit, space exploration

DailyDirt: Cool Coins, Unpopular Coins...

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While digital forms of payment are becoming increasingly popular, cash probably isn't going away anytime soon, and a lot of people still like to collect coins. For the amateur numismatists out there, here are just a few interesting coin stories.

• New Zealand is minting a series of coins with Hobbit characters on them -- with the most expensive Hobbit coin made of about 28 grams of gold. The coins will be legal tender, but they'll probably be hoarded by Hobbit fans and coins collectors for being preciousss. [url]
• The Royal Canadian Mint has a glow-in-the-dark quarter with a dinosaur on it. Canada killed its penny, but collectible glowing coins apparently have a bright future up north.... [url]
• A 1909 Lincoln penny is on Mars, as part of the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) instrument on the Curiosity rover. This penny will serve as a calibration target, and it's probably the most valuable penny in the universe. [url]
• The US GAO recommends replacing dollar bills with dollar coins -- even though dollar coins are a hugely unpopular with people who actually spend American money. The US Treasury had to stop minting a lot of dollar coins last year because it had such a ridiculous surplus of dollar coins that weren't making it into general circulation. If only people would use dollar coins, the government could save a bit of money when it makes money. [url]

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Filed Under: canada, coins, collectors, dinosaurs, dollar coin, glow-in-the-dark, hobbit, mars, new zealand, numismatists, penny