Private Mars

A group of students would like to launch a satellite into orbit to simulate the gravity of Mars and study its affect on life from Earth. How will they fund their project? How about ads?

45 Million Miles from Earth

Anybody near Bournemouth University in Bournmouth (United Kingdom)? On March 2, 2006 at 6:30 PM (for tea and coffee) or 7:00 PM (for the presentation, Allsebrook Lecture Theatre, Wallisdown Road) you can hear amateur radio expert Paul Marsh talk about how he built and used a home made receiver to receive signals from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter when it was 45 million miles from Earth. The lecture is being presented by the Institute of Electrical Engineers. How far will amateurs be able to track NASA's New Horizons craft on its journey to Pluto? For further details, you can contact Richard Atkinson (richard.atkinson@clickairport.com).

I'm Ready for My Close-Up, Mr. DeMille

The plucky Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) will soon be seen on the big screen in IMAX theatres.

"My original idea was to wait for the rovers to die and that it would be a dramatic ending," Roving Mars director George Butler told SPACE.com. "However, these rovers won’t die, which is excellent news."

Most exciting. Let's hope that dramatic ending is postponed for a very long time.

Continue reading "I'm Ready for My Close-Up, Mr. DeMille"

Atlas

An online atlas of the planet Mars, made up of beautifully rendered Adobe Acrobat files.

Damage Control

It appears that Mike Griffin sees the recent report blasting NASA over the use of the ISS and its role in the Vision for Space Exploration as a potential trouble spot.

Continue reading "Damage Control"

Red Planet Trek

A site devoted to some of the areas on Mars suggested by "amateurs" to be imaged by the Mars Global Surveyor. Some good stuff here!

Worse Press Conference Ever?

I'm watching NASA TV right now and watching NASA and the ESA embarass themselves. I'm supposed to be watching an exciting press conference about some of the amazing things that we've learned from the Huygens probe to Saturn's moon Titan and the Mars Express orbiter around Mars.

Instead I'm watching a webcast on NASA TV. Why a webcast? And why does it appear to be sent at dialup speeds so that lips don't match words, words are spoken in a chopped off fashion, slides are blurry, etc.? The pictures are fuzzy. The sound is awful. And let's not mention the A/V person who seems to be having constant problems with the slide presentations.

You send a pair of probes across the solar system and find some really neat things. Here's your chance to excite the public. And then you blow it. Big time.

Continue reading "Worse Press Conference Ever?"

On to Mars (Two)

Following up on their first collection (On to Mars), Apogee Books has published a second collection of essays and papers presented at the annual meeting of The Mars Society.

Signs of Life

David Grinspoon looks at two recent books on the planet Mars. One is the Steve Squyres book that I've mentioned a few times in the past.

The Mars Project

Nope, not the classic rocketry book by Wernher von Braun. It's the title of a multi-media project about an expedition to Mars that will include a documnentary, a dramatic series and even web and game components.

Wings Over Mars (Oct 6, 2005)
NASA's Greatest Challenge (Sep 27, 2005)
What To Do During the MRO Launch Delay (Aug 9, 2005)
Virtual Spaceflight (Jun 21, 2005)
Dreams of Mars (May 18, 2005)
Building the Rover (Mar 27, 2005)
Writing Contest (Jan 26, 2005)
Dreaming About Mars (Jan 12, 2005)
That Vision Thing (Oct 24, 2004)
Space is Boring (Sep 13, 2004)
A Little Promotion (Jul 1, 2004)
Mars II (Jun 16, 2004)
Unfortunately, I'm Not in the Neighborhood! (May 17, 2004)
The Teachable Moment (May 6, 2004)
Astrobot Diaries: Sandy Moondust Safe on Mars (Jan 27, 2004)
Canada-Wide Mars Outreach Program (Jan 25, 2004)
Student Astronauts Have Mars Spirit (Jan 20, 2004)
High School Students Land on Mars (Jan 8, 2004)
Astrobot Biff Challenges You to Crack the Code in a Message from Mars (Jan 8, 2004)
Canadian Teenager Earns Spot in Top NASA Lab (Jan 5, 2004)
Drive on Mars (Jan 1, 2004)
Red Rover Goes To Mars' Emily Lakdawalla on Planetary Radio (Nov 17, 2003)
School challenge: Launch mission to Mars (Oct 30, 2003)
Mars Group Gives Hands-on Experience at Brigham Young University (Oct 26, 2003)
Close Encounter with Mars at 14 (Oct 17, 2003)
Mars Rovers Made of Legos Take Tigard Students out of this World (Oct 15, 2003)
Martian Creatures "Come To Life" During Student Challenge (Oct 11, 2003)
Two Indians in NASA's Mars Mission (Oct 10, 2003)
Bill Nye, the Sundial Guy (Oct 8, 2003)
Astrobot Diaries: Thruster Clusters with Raisins (Oct 3, 2003)
Mission to Mars for NASA's Newest Researchers (Oct 3, 2003)
Kids, Students Discover the Red Planet (Sep 29, 2003)
Utah Students Help with NASA Mars Mission (Sep 18, 2003)
Two Indian Students Selected in NASA Contest (Sep 18, 2003)
Astrobot Diaries: How We Talk to Earth (Sep 15, 2003)
School Competition to Design Mars Probe (Sep 10, 2003)
Astrobot Diaries: Happy Mars Day (Aug 30, 2003)
Students Work Toward Mission to Mars (Aug 29, 2003)
Dialing Up Mars (Aug 29, 2003)
Jacksonville Student Created Mars Station (Aug 15, 2003)
Astrobot Diaries: Go Out and Look at Mars (Aug 14, 2003)
Aurora Student Design Competition Finalists Selected (Aug 13, 2003)
Mars Attracts, On Explore Mars Now Web Site (Aug 11, 2003)
Team Takes Legos High-tech (Aug 3, 2003)
Astrobot Diaries: Other Mars Spacecraft (Aug 1, 2003)
Boynton Beach High School Students Help NASA to Explore Mars (Jul 25, 2003)
Astrobot Diaries: Trajectory Correction Maneuver-1 (Jul 23, 2003)
Boeing-Sponsored Team Wins Mars Competition (Jul 18, 2003)
Astrobot Diaries: Views of Earth (Jul 18, 2003)
Students, Teachers to Explore Mars (Jul 18, 2003)
Lego Mars Exploration Rovers (Jul 12, 2003)
South African Spelunking Will Simulate Mars Exploration (Jul 11, 2003)
Sidney Woman Helped Select Spirit Landing Site (Jul 11, 2003)
Boeing Sponsors Local High School Team at Mars Settlement Competition (Jul 10, 2003)
Mars Society Conference - Educator's Day (Jul 8, 2003)
Students Learn About Virginia Designed Mars Airplane (Jul 1, 2003)
3 From Heyworth, IL Join Mars Team (Jun 28, 2003)
From ASU to the Red Planet (Jun 25, 2003)
Astrobot Checks In (Jun 16, 2003)
South Hadley, MA University Contribute to Mars Research (Jun 14, 2003)
LEGO Robots Mars Bound (Jun 8, 2003)
Boeing Teams With Mars Enthusiasts for a Virtual Experience (Jun 6, 2003)
Teacher, Students Chosen For Mars Team (Jun 1, 2003)