Mars Exploration

NASA: Life Possible On Mars

admin_huliq — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:31:35 -0600

A key question is, how did the ice get there in the first place? The tilt of Mars' spin axis sometimes gets much greater than it is now. Climate modeling tells us ice sheets could cover mid-latitude regions of Mars during those high-tilt periods. The buried glaciers make sense as preserved fragments from an ice age millions of years ago. On Earth, such buried glacial ice in Antarctica preserves the record of traces of ancient organisms and past climate history."

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Ceased Communications

admin_huliq — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:19:19 -0600

Goodbye Phoenix Mars Lander. May be we will see you on Mars somewhere when we get there ourselves. You did a great job sending wonderful images of Mars and letting the humanity know more about the red planet. NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more than five months.

New spaceship force field makes Mars trip possible

harminka — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:04:01 -0600

According to the international space agencies, "Space Weather" is the single greatest obstacle to deep space travel. Radiation from the sun and cosmic rays pose a deadly threat to astronauts in space.

Sensitive laser instrument could aid search for life on Mars

harminka — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:12:31 -0500

Minuscule traces of cells can be detected in a mineral likely present on Mars, a new study shows. The results, obtained using a technique developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, could help mission scientists choose Martian surface samples with the most promise for yielding signs of life.

Phoenix Mars Lander Detects Falling Snow On Mars

admin_huliq — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:06:17 -0500

The U.S. space agency, NASA, says its Mars probe has detected snow falling high in the planet's atmosphere. NASA says the Phoenix Lander found the snow falling from clouds about four kilometers above the spacecraft's landing site.

Looking for water on Mars

harminka — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 04:47:58 -0500

NASA's Phoenix Scout Lander reached Mars on May 25,, opened a soils lab, and started looking for water. Phoenix uses a robotic scoop arm to deliver regolith samples to the suite of instruments aboard the Lander--with one exception.

Valley networks on Mars formed during long period of episodic flooding

harminka — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:10:13 -0500

A new study suggests that ancient features on the surface of Mars called valley networks were carved by recurrent floods during a long period when the martian climate may have been much like that of some arid or semiarid regions on Earth. An alternative theory that the valleys were carved by catastrophic flooding over a relatively short time is not supported by the new results.

NASA Denies Rumors Of Finding Life on Mars

admin_huliq — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:26:32 -0500

NASA has denied media and internet speculation that the Phoenix Lander has found life on the 'Red Planet', Mars and has also denied that the White House in the United States has been briefed on such matters that would lead up to an announcement by NASA later this week. This comes just after NASA stated on July 31, that Phoenix confirmed the presence of water-ice on Mars.

NASA Says There Is Water On Mars

admin_huliq — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:47:03 -0500

Phoenix confirms that there is water on Mars, says NASA and extends the mission.

Close-Up Images of Mars 'Snow Queen' Show Changes

admin_huliq — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:43:16 -0500

A distinctive hard-surface feature called "Snow Queen" beneath NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander visibly changed sometime between mid-June and mid-July, close-up images from the Robotic Arm Camera show.

Phoenix Mars Lander Captures Midnight Suns

admin_huliq — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:54:28 -0500

This panorama mosaic, taken by the Surface Stereo Imager on board NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, documents the passage of the midnight sun over several days.

Bridging robotic and human exploration

harminka — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:47:36 -0500

The first robotic mission to return samples to Earth from Mars took a further step toward realisation with the recent publication of a mission design report by the iMARS Working Group. The report defines key elements of the future internationally-funded mission involving the cooperation of ESA, NASA and other national agencies.