Gullies On Mars Show Tantalizing Signs Of Recent Water Activity
Providence RI (SPX) Mar 03, 2009
Planetary geologists at Brown University have found a gully fan system on Mars that formed about 1.25 million years ago. The fan offers compelling evidence that it was formed by melt water that originated in nearby snow and ice deposits and may stand as the most recent period when water flowed on the planet. Gullies are known to be young surface features on Mars. But scientists studying th ... read more
Final European Crewmembers Announced For Human Mars Mission Simulation
Paris, France (ESA) Mar 02, 2009
ESA has announced the European prime and backup crewmembers for the 105-day Mars500 study. From 31 March 2009, two Europeans are set to join four Russian crewmembers on a simulated human mission to Mars. After a selection process which started with some 5600 applicants, the final four European candidates began training for the Mars mission simulation last month. From these four candi ... more
A Sliver Of A Chance For Life On Mars
Moffett Field CA (SPX) Feb 27, 2009
The Phoenix Mars Lander ended its mission last November, but scientists are still pondering the data. One intriguing discovery was a nightly cycle in which water vapor in the atmosphere collapsed into the martian soil. One researcher thinks this may hint of dew-like films that could have supported life in a previous martian climate. Phoenix landed on Mars on May 25, 2008. It was the first ... more
Orbiter Puts Itself Into Precautionary Mode
Pasadena CA (SPX) Feb 27, 2009
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter unexpectedly rebooted its computer Monday morning, Feb. 23, and put itself into a limited-activity mode that is an automated safety response. The mission's flight-team engineers are examining possible causes of the event while planning to prepare the spacecraft to resume its scientific investigations of Mars. There has been no reoccurrence of the reboot e ... more
Europe names crew for Mars 'mission'
Paris (AFP) Feb 26, 2009
The European Space Agency (ESA) on Friday named a Frenchman and a German who will join four Russians in an innovative 105-day isolation experiment to test whether humans can one day fly to Mars. From March 31, the six "crew" will be locked inside a special facility in Moscow that replicates conditions of a space trip to Mars. The simulation will be followed by a 520-day experiment, start ... more
Scientists Possibly Find Why Asteroids Are Missing
Tempe AZ (SPX) Feb 26, 2009
University of Arizona scientists have uncovered a curious case of missing asteroids. The main asteroid belt is a zone containing millions of rocky objects between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The scientists find that there ought to be more asteroids there than researchers observe. The missing asteroids may be evidence of an event that took place about 4 billion years ago, when the solar ... more
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mars-general
Fractured Lavas Suggest Floods On Mars
mars-phoenix
Phoenix Mars Lander Team Wins 2009 Swigert Award
mars-general
Dawn Spacecraft View Of Mars
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Dawn Changes Course Near Mars
Bonn, Germany (SPX) Feb 18, 2009
On 18 February 2009 the gravity of Mars, our neighbouring planet, will move the spacecraft Dawn onto the correct path for its onward flight to the asteroid Vesta. During this close fly-by of the red planet, researchers will test the German camera system that is on board the spacecraft. The plan is to compare photographs taken during the fly-by with those taken by HRSC, the stereo camera ... more
As Dawn Approaches Mars, PSI Scientists Gear Up For GRaND Tests
Pasadena CA (SPX) Feb 17, 2009
The Dawn spacecraft, which began its journey to the asteroid belt in 2007, is now nearing Mars, and scientists at the Tucson-based Planetary Science Institute (PSI) are preparing to use the encounter to tune up Dawn's GraND instrument. Dawn's instrument payload includes a visible-light camera, a visible-light and infrared mapping spectrometer, and GraND (the Gamma-Ray and Neutron Detector) ... more
Spirit Gets Energy Boost From Cleaner Solar Panels
Pasadena CA (SPX) Feb 14, 2009
A small but important uptick in electrical output from the solar panels on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit this month indicates a beneficial Martian wind has blown away some of the dust that has accumulated on the panels. The cleaning boosts Spirit's daily energy supply by about 30 watt-hours, to about 240 watt-hours from 210 watt-hours. The rover uses about 180 watt-hours ... more
Detailed map shows dry Moon
Washington (AFP) Feb 12, 2009
A new detailed map of the Moon released Thursday shows the Earth's satellite holds very little water and reveals never-before seen craters at the poles, an international research team said. "The surface can tell us a lot about what's happening inside the Moon, but until now mapping has been very limited," C.K Shum, professor of Earth sciences at Ohio State University, said in the February 13 ... more
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mars-general
NASA Spacecraft Falling For Mars
mars-mers
Martian winds help Earth's rover Spirit
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CSIRO Helps Mars With Sustainable Food Production
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Europe extends three key space missions
Paris (AFP) Feb 10, 2009
The European Space Agency (ESA) on Tuesday announced it was extending successful unmanned missions to Mars and Venus as well as a satellite exploration of Earth's magnetic field. The decision would extend the Mars Express, Venus Express and Cluster missions until December 31, ESA said in a press release. Mars Express, launched in 2003, "has produced a treasure of discoveries," ESA said, ... more
NASA Receives Shorty Twitter Award
Washington DC (SPX) Feb 11, 2009
NASA's activities in social networking media will be recognized Wednesday in New York, when the agency receives an award for its presence on the popular Web site Twitter. Known as the Shorty Award, it was created to honor the best producers of short content on Twitter during 2008. Updates on NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander mission received the most votes in the science category from users of ... more
Martian Crater Features Suggest Influence Of Water And Ice
Tucson AZ (SPX) Feb 10, 2009
Scientists at the Tucson-based Planetary Science Institute (PSI) have found further evidence for the large role that water has likely played in shaping the Martian landscape. Their results, which will be published in "Icarus", provide strong evidence that multiple wet and/or icy climate cycles have shaped the topography of the planet's large craters. "Icarus" is the journal of the American ... more
Spirit Update: On the Move - sol 1791-1797
Pasadena CA (SPX) Feb 11, 2009
Communication problems during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday led to the postponement of a drive planned for sol 1791 (Jan. 15, 2009) to sol 1793 (Jan. 17, 2009). Once the drive began, however, Spirit was able to go ahead with characterization of a rock target known as "Stapledon." Studies began with a stack of microscopic images taken at different focal lengths, then moved to ... more
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mars-mers
Opportunity Update: Happy Anniversary! - sol 1770-1776
mars-water-science
Geologic Features In Martian Craters Suggest Deposition And Flow Of Water And Or Ice
mars-phoenix
Antarctic Expedition Prepared Researchers For Mars Project
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