Missions
Weekly Space Hangout: October 7, 2020, Dr. David Warmflash Discusses Mixed-Reality Surgical System
This week we welcome back to the show Dr. David Warmflash. Since he was last with us, David has been…
InSight’s Mole Is In!
The InSight lander is making progress on Mars. After many months of struggle and careful adaptation, the InSight lander's 'Mole'…
Instead of Going Straight to Mars, Astronauts Should Make a Slingshot Past Venus First
Every 26 months, the orbits of both Earth and Mars conspire to make travel between the two planets shorter. Launching…
How Would We Do Surgery in Space?
Any mission to Mars requires deeper planning than missions to the ISS or the Moon. Based purely on the length…
Why Lava Tubes Should be Our Top Exploration Priority on Other Worlds
When magma comes out of the Earth onto the surface, it flows as lava. Those lava flows are fascinating to…
Rovers Will be Starting to Make Their Own Decisions About Where to Search for Life
We all know how exploration by rover works. The rover is directed to a location and told to take a…
Well. It Looks Like James Webb is Getting Delayed Again, but it Should Still Launch in 2021
This is probably one of the least surprising announcements to come out of the coronavirus pandemic. During a virtual meeting…
Rocks on Bennu are Cracking Because of the Constant Day/Night Cycling
Asteroid Bennu is blanketed by rocks and huge boulders. And now that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is taking a close look…
Finally! Mars InSight’s Mole is Now Underground
It looks like the InSight Lander's Mole instrument is making some progress. After months of perseverance, the team operating the…
Tiny Cardboard Aircraft Could Fly in the Skies of Mars
What would be the best method for exploring planetary atmospheres, such as at Mars, Venus or even Earth? One group…