Elizabeth Howell, Author at Universe Today

January 9, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Mars One Readies For Robotic Red Planet Mission In 2018

Artist's conception of Mars One human settlement. Credit: Mars One/Brian Versteeg

While the world’s attention last year was focused on Mars One’s audacious plan to send people on a one-way trip to the Red Planet — not everyone thinks they’ll make it — the private organization has a much closer goal in its sights: landing a robotic mission there in 2018.

The goal is also audacious. Only NASA landers have worked for more than a few moments on the Red Planet, and even the agency it has experienced many failures along the way. Mars One is hoping to succeed using the design for the Phoenix northern mission, which is being duplicated somewhat in the upcoming 2016 Insight drill mission.

“We’re very lucky to have Lockheed Martin on the contract,” said founder Bas Lansdorp in a phone interview with Universe Today. He noted the company built the Phoenix lander, and that Mars One trusts Lockheed so much that the firm is being allowed to pick its own subcontractors for the mission.

Also on that mission will likely be the winner of a Mars One university competition to send an experiment to Mars. Called Seed, the proposal would see the first seed grown on Mars. The plant (called Arabidopsis thaliana, a common feature of space studies) would grow inside an external container that would protect it from the surrounding environment. The team is composed of students from the University of Porto, MIT Portugal and the University of Madrid.

The Mars Phoenix Lander thundered off of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 17 in the summer of 2007. About nine months later - it landed on the surface of Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL — The Mars Phoenix Lander thundered off of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 17 in the summer of 2007. About nine months later – it landed on the surface of Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL

“The Seed experiment group, they have really put a lot of effort into creating public awareness of what they are doing, and they collected a lot of votes,” Lansdorp said. While the project also had to meet stringent technical requirements, it was the efforts at public support that were an “important reason” as to why they won, he added.

But even now, their flight is not a guarantee. Seed will need to fund the development and construction of its experiment. (Flight costs are taken care of by Mars One.) Also, the group will need to pass technical milestones between now and 2018. If for some reason Seed does not make it, Mars One would instead go to one of two backup projects. These would be selected from the second- and third-place winners, which are respectively, Cyano Knights and Lettuce on Mars.

As for Mars One’s funding, the organization eventually hopes to receive money from broadcast rights and sponsorships in association with its crewed landing, which it says would take place in the 2020s. But the money required to fund a robotic mission isn’t available from that revenue source yet. Hence, the organization is seeking an upfront investment in its work to get the money ready for development.

Composite image showing the size difference between Earth and Mars. Credit: NASA/Mars Exploration

Lansdorp said Mars One already underwent an angel investment round, and the organization is now in touch with an institutional group connected to an “institutional fund”, which would also attract money from other investors. Negotiations are ongoing, so the name is not disclosed publicly yet.

The goal is to have this investment group fund the robotic mission and the crewed one. The investor’s financial return would come from the eventual broadcasting and sponsorship revenues.

Aims of the robotic mission include testing some of the technologies that the crew would later take advantage of, such as extracting water from the planet’s underground and testing solar panels on the Martian surface.

Crew selection is ongoing. Mars One did a major culling last year of thousands of candidates, and plans a further selection round that will be announced in February.

January 9, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Memory-Addled Mars Rover Climbs High Above The Red Planet’s Plain

Panorama of the Opportunity rover's view near the summit of Cape Tribulation on Mars in January 2015. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Stu Atkinson

As the Opportunity rover struggles with ongoing problems to its Flash memory, the plucky Martian machine — almost at its 11th anniversary of operations on the Red Planet — has reached the summit of a crater rim, providing spectacular views of the area below.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is readying a fix to the rover’s memory, which is required to store images overnight while the rover sleeps. Controllers are still getting the data by making daily downloads before the sleep period, but it is having an effect on operations.

“The fix for the flash memory requires a change to the rover’s flight software, so we are conducting extensive testing to be sure it will not lead to any unintended consequences for rover operations,” stated John Callas, project manager for Opportunity at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The Opportunity rover views the peak of "Cape Tribulation" on Mars in January 2015. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Stu Atkinson — The Opportunity rover views the peak of “Cape Tribulation” on Mars in January 2015. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Stu Atkinson

Opportunity’s latest amnesia problems first came to a head in the late summer, when the rover experienced frequent resets and was unable to do much science as a result. In September, JPL performed a long-distance memory reset that at first appeared to work perfectly.

But as 2014 wrapped up, the Flash problems became so frequent that NASA stopped using that kind of memory altogether, relying instead on another kind of memory called RAM. It should be noted that the rover still has been active during this period, including passing a milestone of 41 kilometers of driving on the Red Planet.

Computer World has a few details on the upcoming memory format. What’s worrying controllers is not so much the immense distance to the Red Planet — they are used to those sorts of procedures in this long mission — but more the danger of introducing a software update that could make the rover stop talking to Earth. So there are frequent simulations going on as NASA prepares a fix, which is reported to be taking place within a week if possible.

A rough panorama of the Opportunity rover's surroundings on Mars based on three images taken on Sol 3,861 in December 2014. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ. Panorama: Elizabeth Howell — A rough panorama of the Opportunity rover’s surroundings on Mars based on three images taken on Sol 3,861 in December 2014. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ. Panorama: Elizabeth Howell

But Opportunity’s treks on Mars continue. The rover is now atop the Endeavour Crater’s rim at a spot nicknamed “Cape Tribulation”, named after one of the locations the explorer James Cook visited with HMS Endeavour during his New Zealand and Australia mission between 1769 and 1771.

This location is the highest point Opportunity reached during its 40-month exploration of Endeavour Crater. It’s sitting on a height roughly 440 feet (135 meters) above the plains and, after two lengthy drives Monday and Tuesday (Jan. 5 and Jan. 6) its odometer is currently at 25.8 miles (41.6 kilometers).

Opportunity’s next destination is called “Marathon Valley”, a spot that could have minerals soaked with water in the past (at least, according to pictures obtained from orbit). By the time the rover gets there, it should have passed a marathon’s worth of driving on the Red Planet.

January 9, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

How NASA Is Saving Fuel On Its Outer Solar System Missions

While Saturn is far away from us, scientists have just found a way to make the journey there easier. A new technique pinpointed the position of the ringed gas giant to within just two miles (four kilometers).

It’s an impressive technological feat that will improve spacecraft navigation and also help us better understand the orbits of the outer planets, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said.

It’s remarkable how much there is to learn about Saturn’s position given that the ancients discovered it, and it’s easily visible with the naked eye. That said, the new measurements with the Cassini spacecraft and the Very Long Baseline Array radio telescope array are 50 times more precise than previous measurements with telescopes on the ground.

“This work is a great step toward tying together our understanding of the orbits of the outer planets of our solar system and those of the inner planets,” stated study leader Dayton Jones of JPL.

Saturn and its rings, as seen from above the planet by the Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute. Assembled by Gordan Ugarkovic. — Saturn and its rings, as seen from above the planet by the Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/Gordan Ugarkovic

What’s even more interesting is scientists have been using the better information as it comes in. Cassini began using the improved method in 2013 to improve its precision when it fires its engines.

This, in the long term, leads to fuel savings — allowing the spacecraft a better chance of surviving through the end of its latest mission extension, which currently is 2017. (It’s been orbiting Saturn since 2004.)

The technique is so successful that NASA plans to use the same method for the Juno spacecraft, which is en route to Jupiter for a 2016 arrival.

Juno will repeatedly dive between the planet and its intense belts of charged particle radiation, coming only 5,000 kilometers (about 3,000 miles) from the cloud tops at closest approach. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Scientists are excited about Cassini’s mission right now because it is allowing them to observe the planet and its moons as it reaches the summer solstice of its 29-year orbit.

This could, for example, provide information on how the climate of the moon Titan changes — particularly with regard to its atmosphere and ethane/methane-riddled seas, both believed to be huge influencers for the moon’s temperature.

Beyond the practical applications, the improved measurements of Saturn and Cassini’s position are also giving scientists more insight into Albert Einstein’s theory of general relatively, JPL stated. They are taking the same techniques and applying them to observing quasars — black-hole powered galaxies — when Saturn passes in front of them from the viewpoint of Earth.

Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

January 8, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

NASA Exoplanet “Travel Posters” Aim To Help With Space Trip Planning

A NASA "travel poster" touting the benefits of exoplanet Kepler-16b, which has two Suns. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

What beauty, and what awesome travel slogans! NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has created a set of “Exoplanet Travel Posters” to bring you — at least in your imagination — to actual exoplanets.

Whether you have a fancy for skydiving, or doing astronomy with two Suns, it appears there is a spot to whet your imagination. We have another example of the fantastic artwork below.

You can download all three posters so far in glorious high-definition here. These are NASA’s descriptions for each of the worlds described so far:

Kepler-186f is the first Earth-size planet discovered in the potentially ‘habitable zone’ around another star, where liquid water could exist on the planet’s surface. Its star is much cooler and redder than our Sun. If plant life does exist on a planet like Kepler-186f, its photosynthesis could have been influenced by the star’s red-wavelength photons, making for a color palette that’s very different than the greens on Earth.

Twice as big in volume as the Earth, HD 40307g straddles the line between “Super-Earth” and “mini-Neptune” and scientists aren’t sure if it has a rocky surface or one that’s buried beneath thick layers of gas and ice. One thing is certain though: at eight time the Earth’s mass, its gravitational pull is much, much stronger.

A NASA "travel poster" showing off how fun skydiving would be on HD 40307g, a planet that is somewhere in size between a "super-Earth" or "mini-Neptune." Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech — A NASA “travel poster” showing off how fun skydiving would be on HD 40307g, a planet that is somewhere in size between a “super-Earth” or “mini-Neptune.” Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Like Luke Skywalker’s planet “Tatooine” in Star Wars, Kepler-16b orbits a pair of stars. Depicted here as a terrestrial planet, Kepler-16b might also be a gas giant like Saturn. Prospects for life on this unusual world aren’t good, as it has a temperature similar to that of dry ice. But the discovery indicates that the movie’s iconic double-sunset is anything but science fiction.

The posters are not only clever, but appear to be homages to the Work Projects Administration’s “See America” posters of the 1930s and 1940s, which you can browse through on the Library of Congress’ website.

January 8, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Robots Exploring Alien Volcanoes? NASA Lab Hopes To Get There One Day

Olympus Mons from Orbit — Olympus Mons from orbit. Credit: NASA

We’ve seen volcanoes or geysers erupting on the moons of Io and Enceladus. Volcanic remnants remain on Mars and the Moon. But it’s tough for rovers to get inside these challenging environments.

So NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is trying out a new robot here on Earth to one day, they hope, get inside volcanoes elsewhere in the Solar System.

The series is called VolcanoBot. The first prototype was tested last year inside the the active Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, and a second is set for further work later this year.

As you can see in the picture below, VolcanoBot has a set of small wheels and a host of electronics inside. The goal is to create 3-D maps of the environments in which they roam. And early results are showing some promise, NASA noted in a press release: VolcanoBot discovered the fissure it was exploring did not completely close up, which is something they did not expect.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's VolcanoBot 1 inside a lava tube at the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech — The Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s VolcanoBot 1 inside a lava tube at the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

“We don’t know exactly how volcanoes erupt. We have models but they are all very, very simplified. This project aims to help make those models more realistic,” stated Carolyn Parcheta, a NASA postdoctoral fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California who is leading the research.

“In order to eventually understand how to predict eruptions and conduct hazard assessments, we need to understand how the magma is coming out of the ground,” she added. “This is the first time we have been able to measure it directly, from the inside, to centimeter-scale accuracy.”

The research will continue this year with VolcanoBot 2, which has less mass, less size and has an advanced “vison center” that can turn about.

Artist's impression of the Cassini spacecraft making a close pass by Saturn's inner moon Enceladus to study plumes from geysers that erupt from giant fissures in the moon's southern polar region. Copyright 2008 Karl Kofoed/NASA. Click for full size version. — Artist’s impression of the Cassini spacecraft making a close pass by Saturn’s inner moon Enceladus to study plumes from geysers that erupt from giant fissures in the moon’s southern polar region. Copyright 2008 Karl Kofoed/NASA. Click for full size version.

Parcheta’s research recently attracted the attention of visitors to National Geographic’s website, who voted her #2 in a list of “great explorers” on the Expedition Granted campaign.

Remember that this is early-stage research, with no missions outside of Earth yet assigned. But this is a small step — or roll, in this case — to better understanding how volcanoes work generally, whether on our own planet or other locations.

Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

January 8, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Gallery: Spacesuits Are Amazing Human-Protection Machines

NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff during a 2011 spacewalk on the International Space Station. Reflected in his visor is NASA crewmate Mike Fincke. Both astronauts were mission specialists aboard shuttle mission STS-134. Credit: NASA

Did you know it’s been nearly 50 years since the first spacewalk? On March 18, 1965, Russian Alexei Leonov ventured from the safety of his Russian spacecraft for the first attempt for a person to survive “outside” in a spacesuit. While Leonov had troubles returning to the spacecraft, his brave effort set off a new era of spaceflight. It showed us it was possible for people to work in small spacesuits in space.

Think about what spacewalks have helped us accomplish since then. We’ve walked on the Moon. Constructed the International Space Station. Retrieved satellites. Even flew away from the space shuttle in a jetpack, for a couple of flights in the 1980s.

In this gallery, we’ve highlighted some of the more memorable images from American spacewalks over the years to honor a new Smithsonian Air and Space exhibit opening today (Jan. 8).

Chris Cassidy with Earth as a backdrop during the EVA on May 11, 2013. Credit: NASA.

Ed White did the first American spacewalk in 1965. Obviously, he wore a spacesuit. Credit: NASA

"Knocking on the door to come back in from space after yesterday's spacewalk," said Ron Garan via Twitter. Credit: NASA — “Knocking on the door to come back in from space after yesterday’s spacewalk,” said Ron Garan via Twitter. Credit: NASA

Astronaut Eugene Cernan from Apollo 17, the last mission to the Moon (NASA)

Astronaut Drew Feustel reenters the space station after completing an 8-hour, 7-minute spacewalk at on Sunday, May 22, 2011. He and fellow spacewalker Mike Fincke conducted the second of the four EVAs during the STS-134 mission. Credit: NASA

NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman takes a self-portrait visor while participating in the first of three spacewalks. Credit: NASA

NASA Astronaut Bruce McCandless flying in the Manned Maneuvering Unit in 1984. Image Credit: NASA

Astronaut Richard Arnold during the mission's first spacewalk. Credit: NASA — Astronaut Richard Arnold during the mission’s first spacewalk. Credit: NASA

Dust flies from the tires of a moon buggy, driven by Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan. These "rooster-tails" of dust caused problems. Credit: NASA — Dust flies from the tires of a moon buggy, driven by Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan. These “rooster-tails” of dust caused problems. Credit: NASA

January 7, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Glorious Star Factories Shine In Astounding Amateur Shots

A colorful photo of the "Tulip Nebula" taken by Julian Hancock.

We often publish photos from professional observatories, but it’s important to note that amateurs can also do a great job taking pictures of the sky with modest equipment and photo processing software.

On Universe Today’s Flickr pool, we’re proud to showcase the work of all the fans of the cosmos. Included here are some of the best shots of galaxies and nebulas that we’ve seen uploaded to the site in recent days.

The Milky Way shines over Termas de Chillán in this photo taken by "Miss Andrea" on Flickr. — The Milky Way shines over Termas de Chillán in this photo taken by “Miss Andrea” on Flickr.

The center of the Heart Nebula captured by David Wills on Flickr.

Simeis 147, the "Spaghetti Nebula", shines in hydrogen alpha in this image captured by Rick Stevenson on Flickr. — Simeis 147, the “Spaghetti Nebula”, shines in hydrogen alpha in this image captured by Rick Stevenson on Flickr.

The Tarantula Nebula imaged in Ha, OIII and SII by Alan Tough on Flickr.

January 7, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Here’s How You Can Help With Searching Out Planet Nurseries Beyond The Solar System

Magnetic loops carry gas and dust above disks of planet-forming material circling stars, as shown in this artist's conception. These loops give off extra heat, which NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope detects as infrared light. The colors in this illustration show what an alien observer with eyes sensitive to both visible light and infrared wavelengths might see. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)

With a big universe around us, where the heck do you point your telescope when looking for planets? Bigger observatories are set to head to orbit in the next decade, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the European Space Agency’s PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars). Telling them where to look will be a challenge.

But it’s less of an issue thanks to the dedicated efforts of amateurs. Volunteers sifting through data from a NASA mission called WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) have now classified an astounding one million potential debris disks and disks surrounding young stars.

“Combing through objects identified by WISE during its infrared survey of the entire sky, Disk Detective aims to find two types of developing planetary environments,” NASA stated in a press release touting the achievement.

“The first, known as a YSO disk, typically is less than 5 million years old, contains large quantities of gas, and often is found in or near young star clusters. The second planetary habitat, known as a debris disk, tends to be older than 5 million years, holds little or no gas, and possesses belts of rocky or icy debris that resemble the asteroid and Kuiper belts found in our own solar system.”

What’s more astounding is how little time it took — the program Disk Detective was only launched in January 2014. These are ripe environments in which young planets can form, providing plenty of spots for telescopes to turn their eyes. The search is expected to go on through 2018.

Want to contribute? Check out the website and see if you can help with the search!

Source: NASA

January 7, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Gallery: Some Of Kepler’s Strange New Worlds Outside The Solar System

Artist's conception of the Kepler 16 system, where the planet Kepler 16-b orbits two stars, much like Tatooine from Star Wars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt

With the latest Kepler space telescope exoplanet finding announced yesterday, the mighty planet hunter has now found 1,000 confirmed worlds — with about 3,000 more planetary candidates just waiting for confirmation.

The NASA observatory has found exoplanets of many sizes — smaller than Mercury, the size of our Moon, the size of Jupiter or larger, and in a couple of cases, Earth-sized worlds in the habitable regions of their stars. Below is a gallery of some of the observatory’s notable finds.

An artist's conception of a planet in a star cluster. Credit: Michael Bachofner — An artist’s conception of a planet in a star cluster. Credit: Michael Bachofner

An artist's conception of one of the newly released exo-worlds, a planet orbiting an ancient planetary nebula. Credit: David A. Aguilar/CfA. — An artist’s conception of one of the newly released exo-worlds, a planet orbiting an ancient planetary nebula. Credit: David A. Aguilar/CfA.

Meet Kepler-22b, an exoplanet with an Earth-like radius in the habitable zone of its host star. Unfortunately its mass remains unknown. Image Credit: NASA

NASA's Kepler mission has discovered a new planetary system that is home to the smallest planet yet found around a star like our sun, approximately 210 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. Credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech — NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered a new planetary system that is home to the smallest planet yet found around a star like our sun, approximately 210 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. Credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech

Artist's Concept of Kepler-20e, one of two Earth-sized planets found by the Kepler spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech — Artist’s Concept of Kepler-20e, one of two Earth-sized planets found by the Kepler spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech

Kepler-37b, a moon-sized exoplanet. Credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech

Artist's conception of the Kepler-35 system where a Saturn-sized planet orbits its two stars. Credit: © Mark A. Garlick / space-art.co.uk — Artist’s conception of the Kepler-35 system where a Saturn-sized planet orbits its two stars. Credit: © Mark A. Garlick / space-art.co.uk

The "invisible" world Kepler-19c, seen in the foreground of this artist's conception, was discovered solely through its gravitational influence on the companion world Kepler-19b - the dot crossing the star's face. Kepler-19b is slightly more than twice the diameter of Earth, and is probably a "mini-Neptune." Nothing is known about Kepler-19c, other than that it exists. Credit: David A. Aguilar (CfA) — The “invisible” world Kepler-19c, seen in the foreground of this artist’s conception, was discovered solely through its gravitational influence on the companion world Kepler-19b – the dot crossing the star’s face. Kepler-19b is slightly more than twice the diameter of Earth, and is probably a “mini-Neptune.” Nothing is known about Kepler-19c, other than that it exists. Credit: David A. Aguilar (CfA)

Illustration of Kepler-186f, a recently-discovered, possibly Earthlike exoplanet that could be a host to life. (NASA Ames, SETI Institute, JPL-Caltech, T. Pyle)

January 6, 2015December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Andromeda Galaxy Shines In Nosehair-Closeup Glory

The Hubble Space Telescope's extreme close-up of M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. Picture released in January 2015. Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Dalcanton, B.F. Williams, and L.C. Johnson (University of Washington), the PHAT team, and R. Gendler

Woah, is that ever close! The Hubble Space Telescope’s new picture of the Andromeda Galaxy makes us feel as though we’re hovering right above the iconic structure, which is visible with the naked eye from Earth under the right conditions.

Just to show you how awesome this close-up is, we’ve posted a picture below the jump showing what is the typical view of M31 in a more modest telescope.

“This ambitious photographic cartography of the Andromeda galaxy represents a new benchmark for precision studies of large spiral galaxies that dominate the universe’s population of over 100 billion galaxies,” stated the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which operates the telescope.

“Never before have astronomers been able to see individual stars inside an external spiral galaxy over such a large contiguous area. Most of the stars in the universe live inside such majestic star cities, and this is the first data that reveal populations of stars in context to their home galaxy.”

Andromeda is about 2.5 million light-years from us and on a collision course with our galaxy. The image at the top of this story is actually not a single picture; it was assembled from an astounding 7,398 exposures taken over 411 individual pointings, according to STScI.

The image is so big, in fact, that there’s a zoomable version that was released separately so that you can get a better sense of how high-definition this view is. Dontcha wish you could take a light-travel ship and see this thing up close, for real?

Sources: Space Telescope Science Institute and Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre