March 20th, 2016
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A short in Curiosity’s Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) has curtailed a drive of the Mars rover of roughly 50 feet (15 meters). The problem with the rover’s RTG has happened before on several occasions, reports Lauren Edgar a research geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. “Because the fault is understood, […]
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is still working its way across the Naukluft Plateau and is now into Sol 1285. On Sol 1284 Curiosity drove roughly 88 feet (27 meters, which brings the rover’s total traverse distance to roughly 8 miles (12,549 meters) reports Lauren Edgar, a research geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center […]
A House Space Subcommittee grilled NASA chief, Charles Bolden regarding NASA’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2017. The hearing held today was titled “An Overview of the Budget Proposal for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for Fiscal Year 2017.” Realistic budget? In a statement, Space Subcommittee Chairman Brian Babin (R-Texas) noted: “Unfortunately, this administration […]
Earth’s Moon and cis-lunar space will likely see a “renewed and sustained international effort” in the next decade, a concerted effort to engage in exploration missions beyond low Earth-orbit. A new brochure now circulating underscores key findings from an international gathering of experts that took part in the International Symposium on Moon 2020 – 2030: […]
A new color-coded chart is available from the Pop Chart Lab that traces the trajectories of every orbiter, lander, rover, flyby, and impactor to ever slip the surly bonds of Earth’s orbit and successfully complete its mission Probe the solar system from Mercury to Pluto with this stellar schematic of space exploration: From the Luna […]
Curiosity successfully wheeled itself 85-feet (26-meters) on Sol 1282 “giving the rover nice views of interesting features in the Stimson unit,” reports Ken Herkenhoff of the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. “Some of these features appear to be the result of erosion by windblown sand,” Herkenhoff adds and are the subject of Curiosity’s […]
NASA’s Curiosity rover is a few hours from entering Sol 1280. Reports Ryan Anderson, a planetary scientist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona: “It’s time to wrap up our investigation of the interesting nodules at the contact between the Murray and Stimson formations and resume driving!” The weekend starts off focused mostly […]
The European Space Agency’s ExoMars 2016 spacecraft is primed and ready to go – slated for liftoff on March 14 atop a Russian Proton-M launcher from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. This first mission of ESA’s ExoMars program consists of a Trace Gas Orbiter plus an entry, descent and landing demonstrator module, known as Schiaparelli. Launch […]
There is now a 360 degrees view that allows you to explore the International Space Station’s first module, Zarya. Launched on November 20, 1998, the Zarya module was joined three weeks later by the U.S. Unity module. Zarya is also known as the Functional Cargo Block, the module is now mainly used for storage. Explore […]
In a few hours NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover will enter Sol 1278. Recent images from the robot show it busily working in a new location, inspecting veins and textures in nearby rocks.
