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February 16, 2014

NASA solves mystery of Mars 'doughnut' rock
Chicago (AFP) Feb 15, 2014
NASA scientists were finally able to explain the origin of the mysterious rock shaped like a jelly doughnut that appeared near the rover Opportunity in early January. The small, round object suddenly popped up in pictures taken 12 days apart by the US space agency's decade-old Opportunity rover. On December 26, 2013, it was not there. On January 8, it was. But what is it? The explanation is somewhat prosaic: the 1.5 inches (four centimeters) wide, white-rimmed, red-centered rock, dubbed Pin ... read more

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Calculated Risks: How Radiation Rules Mars Exploration Nearly everything we know about the radiation exposure on a trip to Mars we have learned in the past 200 days. For much longer, we have known that space is a risky place to be, radiation being one o ... more		'Pinnacle Island' Rock Studies Continue Opportunity is up on "Solander Point," part of the rim of Endeavour Crater. The rover continues to explore the region called "Cook Haven." The rock named "Pinnacle Island" continues to be a ta ... more		NASA Moves Longest-Serving Mars Spacecraft for New Observations NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft has tweaked its orbit to help scientists make the first systematic observations of how morning fogs, clouds and surface frost develop in different seasons on the Red P ... more
				ASU Mars camera to get new views of Red Planet For the first time since the Viking Mars mission of the 1970s, which ended more than a generation ago, scientists will soon begin systematic observations of Mars from orbit at times of day around lo ... more		Flowing Water on Mars Appears Likely But Hard to Prove Martian experts have known since 2011 that mysterious, possibly water-related streaks appear and disappear on the planet's surface. Georgia Institute of Technology Ph.D. candidate Lujendra Ojha disc ... more

Spaceplan 2020 - Space Technology Symposium

Russian-European spacecraft to go on Martian mission in Jan 2016 A spacecraft built for the Russian-European ExoMars project will begin its voyage to Mars in January 2016, Director of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Lev Zelyony sai ... more		NASA Mars Orbiters See Clues to Possible Water Flows NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars have returned clues for understanding seasonal features that are the strongest indication of possible liquid water that may exist today on the Red Planet. The fea ... more		Trump's withdrawal list masks US pullback from climate, security and development bodies Trump seeks 50% hike in defense budget to $1.5 trillion Trump says will ban US defense companies issuing dividends, stock buybacks		100 Days Of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, India's first interplanetary probe, was launched by PSLV-C25 at 1438 hours on November 5, 2013 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. In its voyage towards Mars, the ... more
				NASA and French Space Agency Sign Agreement for Mars Mission NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of the National Center of Space Studies of France (CNES), signed an implementing agreement Monday for cooperation on a future NASA ... more		US, France sign deal for 2016 Mars lander The United States and France Monday unveiled plans to collaborate on a new Mars mission, two years after NASA withdrew from a European partnership to send a probe and lander to the Red Planet. ... more

CubeSats, SmallSats and MicroSats

International Conference on Protection of Materials and Structures From Space Environment

Developing the Next-Generation Military Radar while Maintaining Current Systems; IDGA�s Military Radar Summit - April 2014

Putting Rovers to the Test In an open field on the campus of NASA's Glenn Research Center, a large sand dune rises up and if you watch for a few moments, you may see a rover crest over the hill. This is one place where NASA t ... more		Through the Gap: Curiosity Mars Rover Crosses Dune NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover has crossed a dune that stands across a gateway to a southwestward route favored by the rover team for driving to future science destinations. After reaching the we ... more		Trump pulls US out of key climate treaty, deepening global pullback Australia heatwave stokes risk of catastrophic bushfires 3,000 tourists evacuated as Argentine Patagonia battles wildfires		Mars rover successfully negotiates risky move over sand dune The Mars rover Curiosity successfully negotiated its way across the largest sand dune it has encountered, NASA said. ... more
				MAVEN on Track to Carry Out its Science Mission The MAVEN spacecraft and all of its science instruments have completed their initial checkout, and all of them are working as expected. This means that MAVEN is on track to carry out its full scienc ... more		NASA Mars Orbiter Examines Dramatic New Crater Space rocks hitting Mars excavate fresh craters at a pace of more than 200 per year, but few new Mars scars pack as much visual punch as one seen in a NASA image released today. The image from ... more

Source of 'Moon Curse' Revealed by Eclipse

NASA bets on private companies to exploit moon's resources

Astrobotic Begins Testing at Masten Space Systems

China's Jade Rabbit rover comes 'back to life'

Yutu Awakes

Moon plays trick on Jade Rabbit

Andrews Space Cargo Module Power Unit Provides Power For Payloads Bound For ISS

Russian Progress M-22M docks with ISS following fast rendezvous

Russian Resupply Spacecraft Begins Expedited Flight to Station

Thanks America, New Horizons Ahead

Countdown to Pluto

A Busy Year Begins for New Horizons

	Russia proposes water-hunting instrument for future Mars rover Russian scientists have proposed an instrument for an upcoming NASA Mars rover to search for underground water that could support life on the Red Planet. ... more		Lights, Camera, MAVEN: A Mission to Uncover the History of Mars A planet's atmosphere can up and disappear. Now a satellite is approaching Mars to tell us how. The satellite is MAVEN: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN). As NASA's first spacecraft dev ... more		The Curiosity Mars rover vehicle has damaged a wheel The Curiosity Mars rover vehicle has damaged one of its wheels against a sharp rock. It happened when the rover was going through dunes to Aeolis, the central peak of the Gale crater. Since on ... more		NASA Mars Rover's View of Possible Westward Route NASA's Curiosity Mars rover reached the edge of a dune on Jan. 30 and photographed the valley on the other side, to aid assessment of whether to cross the dune. Curiosity is on a southwestward ... more

China says strengthens controls on dual-use exports to Japan

AI helps pave the way for self-driving cars

Japan nuclear official loses phone with confidential data in China

Work on Mystery Rock Continues As Rover Marks 10		Riding a blue-green wake of xenon to Ceres		Human body not ready for life in space		ExoMars orbiter core module completed		Amazing 45 kg medieval-armor-inspired spacesuit to help people walk on Mars
Curiosity Mars Rover Checking Possible Smoother Route		NASA Mars project: radiation risk of highest concern		Russian Scientists Propose Water Probe for NASA Mars Rover		NASA looking for smoother route for Mars rover travels		Russia's NORD device may travel to Mars

1Ten years on Mars leads to liveable mud

Happy Tenth anniversary Opportunity

Russia plans several Moon, Mars missions in near future

NASA Preparing for 2014 Comet Watch at Mars

In the Eye of the Beholder

Opportunity at 10: New Findings from Old Rover

Mars 'jelly doughnut' rock intrigues scientists

NASA Receives Mars 2020 Rover Instrument Proposals for Evaluation

'Dwarf planet' in deep space has water

Oppy Encounters A Surprise At Solander Point

Mysterious stone 'rawled up' to Mars Rover Opportunity

Mystery Mars rock reveals unexpected chemical composition

Dutch researcher says Earth food plants able to grow on Mars

Lichen on Mars

Megafloods: What They Leave Behind

A Decade in the Dust

An Engineer With His Sights on Mars

Ten-Years Roving About On Mars

Mars Orbiter Images Rover and Tracks in Gale Crater

Who Wants to Go to Mars - One Way?

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