NASA Preparing for Mars Sample Return Mission in 2020

The next NASA Mars rover will collect samples of soil and pebbles from Mars in order to bring the collection back to Earth for study. The goal of the collection task is to prove if there was ever life on Mars. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is scheduled for launch in 2009. The sample return mission is currently estimated to occur in 2020.

Source:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/10/30/mars-sample-return.html

Depiction of Mars in Fictional Works, Part VIII

This is the eighth part of a nine part series. In this series, I will discuss how Mars is depicted in various fictional works such as movies, books, and games.

In Part VIII, I will discuss about Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy: Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars. It chronicles the settlement and terraforming of the planet Mars. The story of Red Mars takes place in 2026 with the first colonial voyage to Mars. It depicts the struggle between the human residents and the greedy corporations, which led to the destruction of Mars’ infrastructure. Green Mars and Blue Mars concerned with a centuries-long program of terraforming the planet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_trilogy

Depiction of Mars in Fictional Works, Part VII

This is the seventh part of a nine part series. In this series, I will discuss how Mars is depicted in various fictional works such as movies, books, and games.

In Part VII, I will discuss about a science fiction novel by Ray Bradbury. The Martian Chronicles is collection of stories that chronicles the colonization of Mars by humans and their conflicts with the native Martians. The novel consists of three parts. The first part details the attempt of humans to reach Mars, and the ways that the Martians try to keep them from returning. The second part details the colonization of Mars by humans and their contact with the few surviving Martians. And the final part details how the human settlers on Mars have become the new Martians.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martian_Chronicles

New Mars Space Suite Makes Life Easy for Future Astronauts

An astronautics professor at MIT has recently developed a new spacesuit that is lightweight and more practical for space travelers and future mars inhabitors. This spacesuit is very flexible and will allow the astronauts to move around more freely. Her spacesuit was partially inspired by giraffe anatomy which use tight leg skin to regulate blood pressure. The suite is an estimated ten years from completion but will be used and tested on earth by helping physical therapy patients exercise.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4220822.html

Depiction of Mars in Fictional Works, Part VI

This is the sixth part of a nine part series. In this series, I will discuss how Mars is depicted in various fictional works such as movies, books, and games.

In Part VI, I will discuss about a science fiction novel by Arnould Galopin that depicts the inhabitants on Mars as savage dwarf-like beings with long, tentacle arms, bat-men with artificial wings, and a race of civilized macro-cephalic gnomes. The story of Doctor Omega is about a crew of explorers who used a spacecraft made from a substance called stellite to travel to Mars. This substance can repel time and space. They end up landing in one of the Martian seas, where they encounter phosphorescent fish and aggressive reptilian mermen. The novel also discusses about the explorers’ interaction with the inhabitants of Mars.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Omega

Depiction of Mars in Fictional Works, Part V

This is the fifth part of a nine part series. In this series, I will discuss how Mars is depicted in various fictional works such as movies, books, and games.

In Part V, I will discuss about the depiction of Martians in a novel by Fredric Brown. The author took on a different view of the Martian invaders. Martians, Go Home depicts them as little green men with long, fragile limbs, small torsos, and big, bald heads. These Martians didn’t want to invade Earth, but they did spend their time criticizing and making fun of the local Earth inhabitants; they were considered as annoying pests.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martians,_Go_Home

Mars in literature

There have been several influential writers about Mars. Some of these include Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke and C.L. Moore. H.G. Wells is one of the oldest Mars writers. Along with Mary Shelley and Jules Verne, he is one of the forebears of modern science fiction. His work War of the Worlds, where desperate, technologically advanced Martians attack Earth, created the standard alien invasion story redone with variations for the next 100 years. His work was based on the popular non-fiction works by Percival Lowell. In turn, his work was adapted some 40 years later by Orson Wells.

"A Princess of Mars"

This book is the first Barsoom book currently released by Project Gutenberg. You can read it online at http://www.cs.cmu.edu/People/rgs/pmars-table.html.

Matian Soil In your Hands

If you cannot go to Mars yourself, you can have a piece of it brought to you, or at least a simulation of it. Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) is producing simulants of Martian soil for the public. NASA uses the simulants for running tests on Earth, but a high request from the public has convinced ORBITEC to begin selling them publicly. The company is convinced that this will encourage children in their endeavors of learning about space.
http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=23898

Astronaut YouTube Commercials

Somebody on NASA watch posted a bunch of youtube videos that are a collection of commercials from TV. I don't watch much TV so I haven't seen them on, but they are advertising a job-finding agency and a cell phone company. Advertising agencies do substantial public marketing research, so I would assume this means that space travel is still embraced by popular culture. The last of the three is kind of dumb, but the first two are pretty funny. One is an astronaut who got locked out of the shuttle and one is of either a Mars or Moon lander that messed up and landed on Earth, unknowingly.

Future Mars Mission Astronauts May Eat Insects During Journey

The Space Agriculture Task Force has indicated that a diet that includes insects may be a useful contribution to the welfare of the astronauts on a manned mission to Mars, whenever that occurs. Eating insects may increase the necessary intake of fats and amino acids. Insects can ingest materials that are inedible to humans and gain body mass, becoming a potentially efficient part of the mission's meal program, according to scientists cooperating with the Space Agriculture Task Force. Keeping insect farms on such a mission could create a regular part of the mission's food supply. This particular issue is an interesting addition to the general discussion surrounding a manned Mars mission.

Source:
http://newsfromrussia.com/science/tech/26-10-2007/99605-bugs_space%20-0

More Space Stuff to Purchase

Because of my last post about simulant martian soil, I wanted to offer a look into another neat product that I have found. This product is your own small Space Garden, in which you can simulate a real garden like one you would grow in space. It comes with everything you will need to have your own space garden and then, if you ever go to space, you will know how to grow plants. Exciting.
Links:http://www.spacegarden.net/index.htm

Order Form so Martian Soil

As a follow up to my last post here is an order form for the Martian Soil Simulant. It is 15.00 for less than 1 kg of soil but if you really want to experience Mars soil, this will probably be your only chance. There are various different soil types which are suppose to be like Mars or the Moon so take your choice.
Link:http://www.planet-llc.com/pages/store/simulant.htm

Mars Soil

NASA is taking nothing for granted when they prepared to send man to Mars or the moon. In this case they want a little practice for their footing. ORBITEC has created a soil that simulates the Mars soil in which astronauts and engineers can study effects on their equipment, suits, dust etc. This dust is also availible for the public. I say we get UPS to order some for our class, what do you say?
Link:http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=23898

New High-Resolution Images Increase Human Understanding of Martian Climate

On October 28, the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting will take place in Denver, Colorado. At the meeting, new images will be presented that show greater amounts of the Martian surface than photographs have been able to do in the past. The images show how Mars has a great deal of water, but not often in liquid form. Understanding climate change on Mars more completely is a goal of some of the scientists studying the images.

Source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071026095131.htm

new landing site for Mars rover

Scientists in Pasadena, California are trying to find a new spot to land the next Mars rover. So far they have found 50 ideal sites, but need to decide the best one. Some want to go back to Meridiani but others want to find a site where their is more clay for research. The launch is set for 2009, so the next meeting will whittle the sites to five.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/10/26/mars-landing-nasa.html?dcitc=w19-502-ak-0000

Mars' Visibility Growing

Mars is currently rising in the night sky at roughly 9:30 pm, but by December it will rise at about 6:15 pm. As we have talked about in class, Earth is catching up to Mars and in December they will soon be very close. Because of this, we will see a "full" Mars because the sun will be directly behind the Earth, which will make for great viewings.

We also have great views of Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus, but the current set-up is great for viewing Mars because it is rising in the evening sky while the other planets are mostly visible in the early morning sky.

NASA Looking to Make Manned Mars Mission an International Project

NASA's Constellation program, part of the future effort to send a manned spacecraft to Mars, will most likely be an international undertaking. The participating countries of the International Space Station will be included in the planning of such a mission, though the mission may not necessarily be limited to the participation of only those countries. Manned missions to the Moon can be used to test equipment and methods required for a manned mission to Mars. Such a high-profile international project as a manned Mars mission may redefine theories of international diplomacy.

Source:
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=119243

50th Anniversary of Sputnik Launch

Last Thursday marked the 50th anniversary of the Russian launch of the satellite Sputnik, responsible for creating the ‘Space Race’ between the superpowers of the Cold War. On October 4th 1957 Moscow announced that Russia had officially launched the first artificial satellite into Earth’s orbit. In tribute to this accomplishment 50 years ago, a monument was recently erected in near Moscow and President Vladimir Putin thanked Russian space scientists and remembered the truly historic launch of Sputnik.

Sputnik was so important because it had such an influential role in the propaganda and rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. This streak of competitiveness still exists today, as the two countries rival each other in their accomplishments in outer space.

In response to Sputnik, a panicked US launched a disastrous satellite in December of 1957, but it was too late, Russians had already launched Sputnik 2 which carried a dog, Laika, into orbit, (the dog died). Sputnik and Sputnik 2 were the first of several early achievements for the Soviet Space Program, including sending the first human into orbit, Yury Gagarin in 1961, causing the US additional embarrassment. The US finally made its mark with the first manned mission to the moon in 1969.

By 1991 Soviets and Americans began to cooperate and coordinate their activities in Space. Recently Russian and US space agencies signed agreements in Moscow that Russia provide technology for US missions to scan the surface of Mars and the Moon in search of traces of water. Currently, Russia plans to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2025.

Mars Poll=Pretty Sweet

Here are some Mars poll results I found on the question, when should humans go to Mars?

Really soon. It's time to get moving and send people to Mars within a decade or so. Total: 899
Somewhat later. Humans should go in a few decades, after extensive robotic exploration. Total: 220
Much later or never. Humans should not go to the Red Planet anytime in the foreseeable future. Total: 28
Already there. There are people on Mars now, but this hasn't been officially disclosed yet. Total: 76

I also went to http://www.misterpoll.com/1944033983.html and took a really cool Mars poll dealing with questions from how much should we spend on getting to Mars? to what color should the first person on Mars be? You guys should all take it it was sweet!

Mars Movies Gone Crazy!!!

It all started in 1924 with Aelita: Queen of Mars. From 1924 to today Hollywood has been constantly creating movies about Mars because the Red planet has stirred our imagination. The most famous of these movies would probably have to be Orson Welles's War of the Worlds because when this movie came out people really thought that martians were going to attack the world. There have been many movies about Mars, and everyone I have seen I have loved but my favorite has to be either the 1996 creation Mars Attacks! or Santa Claus Conquers the Martians made in 1964. Here is a list of all of the movies about Mars from 1924 to 2000.
Movie Title
Year
Red Planet
2000
Mission to Mars
2000
Mars Attacks!
1996
Total Recall
1990
Lobster Man from Mars
1989
Invaders from Mars
1986
Planet of Blood
1966
Mars Needs Women
1966
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
1964
Robsinson Crusoe on Mars
1964
The Angry Red Planet
1959
Devil Girls from Mars
1954
The War of the Worlds
1953
Invaders from Mars
1953
Abbott and Costello Go to Mars
1953
Red Planet Mars
1952
Flight to Mars
1951
Rocketship X-M
1950
Flash Gordon: Mars Attacks the World
1938
Aelita: Queen of Mars
1924

Phoenix Mars Mission Gets a Chance to Lounge....

The University of Arizona will open a new Mars Lounge dedicated to its Phoenix Mars Mission during Family Weekend this Sunday, October 21 at 1 p.m. in the UA Student Union Memorial Center. A large landing clock will also be unveiled by the mission's Principal Investigator, Peter Smith, in the Student Union rotunda.

This lounge was designed to give students, faculty, staff, and visitors a glimpse into what UA scientists have contributed to this first mission of NASA's Mars Scout Program through a collection of images and multimedia presentations.

Arizona State Unions and the UA Alumni Association have generously donated this space for the next eight months as the Phoenix Mars Lander cruises and then lands on the Red Planet.

Want to go to Mars?

If you wanna know what it's like to live and work on Mars......here's your chance!

The Mars society is currently taking applications from the general public, educators, and students to develop the skills necessary to thrive in a regime analogous to the Red Planet. Crews of volunteers work in full simulation in Utah in order to conduct field investigations in the physical sciences and engineering.

The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) has active in many "firsts" when dealing with crews and their research. They hosted the first children to live, study, and play while in full simulation during the Family Living Analysis on Mars Expedition (F.L.A.M.E.) missions conducted in June 2005, March 2006, and March 2007.

There are currently several open mission rotations available for individuals whoa re interested in forming crews and going to the Mars Hab.

Here is the schedule for all of those who are interested:

2007-2008 Mars Desert Research Station Field Season Schedule
Crew D-8 (Dec. 8-23, 2007)—[Crew not assigned yet.]
Crew D-22 (Dec. 22, 2007-Jan. 6, 2008)—[Crew not assigned yet.]
Crew J-5 (Jan. 5-20, 2008)—[Crew not assigned yet.]
Crew J-19 (Jan. 19, 2008-Feb. 3, 2008)—[Crew not assigned yet.]
Crew F-2 (Feb. 2, 2008-Feb. 17, 2008)—Expedition Delta
Crew F-16 (Feb. 16, 2008-Mar. 2, 2008)—Expedition Epsilon
Crew M-1 (Mar. 1, 2008-Mar. 16, 2008)—Family Living Analysis on Mars Expedition Crew
Crew M-15 (Mar. 15-30, 2008) Georgia Tech Crew
Crew M-29 (Mar. 29, 2008-Apr. 13, 2008)—[Two Crewmembers assigned.]
Crew A-12 (Apr. 12, 2008-Apr. 27, 2008)—Hungarian Crew

Applications are considered from anyone who is in good physical condition, between the ages of 18 and 60 regardless of race, creed, color, gender, or nation. Scientific, engineering, practical mechanical, wilderness, and literary skills a plus. This job will be tough and very trying, so dedication to the cause of human Mars exploration is an absolute must.

Check it out: http://www.space.com/adastra/071018-adastra-marsvolunteers.html

Interdisciplinary Odysseys Conference

Recently in Vienna there was a large conference held for the Humans in Outer Space-INterdisciplinary Odysseys. This conference was an oppurtunity for scholars with a background in other disciplines besides science to get together and talk about Mars colonization. In this conferences they discussed possible issues that might be faced if humans go to mars. Questions like, "What if we make contact with an alien civilization?" arose. All in all this conferences show that we are serious about going to Mars and might have possible issues worked out before we hit Mars soils.
Link: http://ec.europa.eu/research/headlines/news/article_07_10_18_en.html

Evidence of Water on Mars Possibly Found

A team of researchers at the University of Guelph has found evidence of what they believe might be water from Mars. The white material that may include water in some form was found using NASA's Spirit rover. If water were as near to the Martian surface as the substance in question was found, human colonization of Mars may become an even more realistic goal. What might be the water in question on Mars has bonded with mineral salts.

Source:
http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/268090

Some Scientists Believe Three Volcanoes on Mars Might Be Dormant Instead of Extinct

Through the combination of recent research on Hawaiian volcanoes and satellite images of the Martian surface, a group of scientists has presented the idea of the possibility of non-extinct volcanoes currently existing on Mars. The photos taken during the Mars Express missions of the European Space Agency (ESA) made the group of scientists curious as to whether or not some Martian volcanoes had been active within the last two million years. The three volcanoes in question are all located in Mars' Tharsis region. The findings of the group of scientists are included in a new issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research, Planets. Each of the three volcanoes are approximately 186 miles wide. This new discussion is an interesting addition to the current understanding of Martian geology, which affects the way that Mars is thought of by humans, in general.

Source:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/071017-mars-magma.html

Mars Probes Spirit and Opportunity to Have Mission Durations Extended

NASA has announced that two Mars probes, Spirit and Opportunity, will have their missions extended for the fifth time. The probes touched down on Mars in January, 2004, originally planned as 90-day missions. Now it is looking as if their missions could last until 2009. The extensions of the probes' geologically oriented missions show the importance of learning about Mars in relation to the priorities of the United States government.

Source:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jOWtUgvrjMN0SaAtPl_Q3E1erZlA

Calls for Mars Research Volunteer Crews

The Mars Society is putting out calls for volunteers to simulate Mars explorations by humans in the deserts of Utah. All fit adults between the ages of 18 and 65 are eligible with preference for people with science/engineering backgrounds and wilderness survival skills. If you can get yourself to Salt Lake City, they'll pay for the rest of your travel. As great as this sounds, the positions are unpayed and entirely voluntary so you'll have be okay with only receiving a little bit of glory.

The article is found here.

March is Mars Month

We get the names of our months from the romans, and back when the Romans used to rule the world they chose to name the month of March after the god of war Mars. They did this because once the winter was over and spring began the Romans could go back to war and continue to try and take over the world. Also March not January marked the beginning of the new year During Roman times, because it was seen as a time of renewal after winter was over and spring began.

Mars Landing SIgh

In case you were wondering where possible landing sights for further Mars missions are, I have your answer. Mars Orbiter has sent back color photos of possible landing sights. These pictures make for good viewing material and give a great look at the surface of Mars. So if your curious what these sights look like, heres your key.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0710/14mslsites/

Mars Missions Scrapped?

Alan Stern, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, is worried that future NASA missions will be scrapped to make room for more funding for the 2018-2020 missions. These missions are supposed to go to Mars and gather samples of the Martian soil and then return with them to Earth. This of course is a very difficult mission that will require a lot of spending. As such no missions after the 2009 launch are garenteed. Some people are worried that if we leave the Mars program for a decade all the people who are really interested in going to Mars will leave the program and the program will simply be left with people who like to draw charts. The biggest concern is loosing public interest in the Red Planet.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=8C2BB72B-E7F2-99DF-3FE72F6BF71D0204

Mars Ocean Odyssey

Somewhere in the south Atlantic there are two people that are crazy. Well they are not technically crazy...yet. Reid Stowe and Soanya Ahmad are currently on a 70 foot boat and plan on being there for 1,000 days total. They are doing this in order to experiment with extended stays away from land and people that would be experienced on a mission to Mars. Stowe calls his project the Mars Ocean Odyssey, and thinks that his project will provide valuable lessons to future Mars travelers when astronauts would be confined to a small vessel for two to three years. If his current journey goes as planned he will break the current record for longest continuous sail which is currently 657 days and was set in 1988. So if you don't think they are crazy yet, they probably will be after 1,000 days.


http://1000days.net/home/

Are Manned Missions Needed to Explore Mars?

According to many scientists, manned space missions should be a thing of the past and not the future, because these missions are dangerous and costly. They argue that today's intelligence robots and satellites are already doing a good job at exploring Mars, and are more durable than humans to be stranded millions of miles from home. They also cite some potential problems of manned space missions to Mars such as how to protect human beings from the hazards of long term space travel. These hazards include cosmic radiation, weightlessness, and psychological stress.

According to Doug Millard, space curator of the Science Museum in London, "You can now put together a pretty decent unmanned mission for a few hundred million euros (dollars), but you are usually talking about many billions for a manned mission." Some scientists suggest that "rather than preparing for some distant future when human beings might have to flee our planet, we might be better off trying to maintain the one we have." Such as investing more in satellites like the Envisat, the largest Earth observation spacecraft ever built, will help us monitor Earth's atmosphere, oceans and ice caps.

I'm sure these debates on manned space missions will continue for some time.

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Are_manned_missions_needed_to_explore_Mars_and_beyond_999.html

Mars in Motion

The HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has released a color movie of Mars recorded at 21 degrees north latitude and 74 degrees east latitude. It is used to survey one possible landing site for Mars Science Laboratory. The animation shows a range of colors that has been determined to be hydrated clay minerals and unaltered volcanic rocks. According to UA Professor Alfred S. McEwen, HiRISE principal investigator, "The clay minerals are especially promising in the search for ancient life on Mars." Check the movie out for yourself.

http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/media/clips/PSP_003086_2015_short.mov

Manned Mars Mission a Goal of Second Space Age

With 2037 being the currently accepted goal year of a manned mission to Mars, it is apparent that the space age has been largely a disappointment. For 80 years to be the amount of time to transpire between the launch of Sputnik 1 to the landing of humans on Mars shows the priorities of various countries' space programs that became more obvious as time continued. The article that this blog posting refers to states that the first space age will end in 2010, with the planned discontinuation of the NASA space shuttle program. In the second space age, humans from different countries will need to work together in order to have successful new manned moon landings and a manned landing on the Martian surface. The first space age often demonstrated primarily military priorities.

Source:
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/specials/space/article2630747.ece

Mars Society Interested in Presidential Candidates' Mars Policies

The Mars Society uses the relative accessibility of presidential candidates during the primary phases of their campaigns in order to ask the candidates about their various policies regarding sending a manned mission to Mars. The Mars Society has 7,000 members worldwide. Getting those running for the presidency to discuss a potential Mars mission is one of the Mars Society's goals when questioning the candidates. Many Mars enthusiasts are apparently unsatisfied with current American space policy, due to how long it will take humans to reach Mars, at the current rate of legislation.

Source:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/10/mars_voter

Mars in Film and Books.....

Over the last century or so, Mars has been viewed many ways in film and books. Filmmakers and writers have made it home to antagonistic aliens and the next New World of pioneers. One film even credited it with seeding Earth with life as we know it.
The following list of Films and Books stems from a NASA compilation, another from the Ames Research Center planetary scientist David Catling and SPACE.COM...............

Books

• War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

• Martian Tales by Edgar Rice Burroughs

• The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

• Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

• Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

• Lords of Atlantis by Wallace West

Films

• Red Planet (2000)

• Mission to Mars (2000)

• Mars Attacks! (1996)

• Total Recall (1990)

• Lobster Man from Mars (1989)

• Invaders from Mars (1986)

• Planet of Blood (1966)

• Mars Needs Women (1966)

• Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

• Robsinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

• The Angry Red Planet (1959)

• Devil Girls from Mars (1954)

• The War of the Worlds (1953)

• Invaders from Mars (1953)

• Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953)

• Red Planet Mars (1952)

• Flight to Mars (1951)

• Rocketship X-M (1950)

• Flash Gordon: Mars Attacks the World (1938)

• Aelita: Queen of Mars (1924)

Mars Playlist....Rockin' R.Kelly

Mars rover Spirit mission manager Mark Adler, has compiled a playlists for both the rovers, Spirit and Opportunity as a way of waking exhausted engineers and scientists who are working and sleeping on Mars Time. Spirit's Playlist includes songs such as: Good Morning Good Morning- The Beatles, Born to Be Wild-Steppenwolf, We will Rock you-Queen, and Bump n' Grind- R.Kelly. Opportnity's Playlist has songs like: Stand-R.E.M, Running Down a Dream-Tom Petty, Rockin' Me- Steve Miller Band, and Trench Town Rock- Bob Marley. For the Complete play lists go to: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/mars_rocks_040226.html

Biodome

Because this blog is "Culture and Mars" I would like to post the question to anyone who wants to respond as to what the culture of living in a biodome would be like. As stated before it can support 12 people for 3 years. What would it be like to live in a dome with the same 12 people? Do you think the social implications of this would be too hard for people to deal with? What do you think about all of this?

Mars Mission Simulation to Occur in Russia

In 2008, the Russian Institute of Medical and Biological Problems will begin conducting an experiment that should simulate a manned mission to Mars. The experiment is supposed to last for 520 days. The crew of the simulation will be an international one. The crew's diet during the experiment will be the same as that of the crew of the International Space Station.

Source:
http://www.russia-ic.com/education_science/science/breakthrough/592/

New "Biodome" ready for Mars

An Australian scientist has designed a livable habitat for off world living. It could be used on the moon or Mars in the next 20-30years dependent on funding. The environmental system is modeled after Biodome 2 and makes the inhabitant 90-95% self-sufficient. Algae which does not require pollination is the key ingredient for the project as it would convert carbon dioxide to oxygen. The system works to recycle as many substances as possible and the inhabitants would grow their own food although the amount of food that each person would need still serves as a problem. This is a huge step toward future endeavors off-planet and even future development on Earth.
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1646

Want to Live on Mars

A new space habitat is being designed that might one day be able to be 90 to 95 percent self-sufficient. The Australian made space habitat would save tons of money and trouble by eliminating the need to constantly resupply humans on Mars or the Moon. It would also allow for humans to have longer more extended stays and even open up a chance for colonization. Some of the air and water recycling systems are currently being tested on the international space station. These systems are not only valuable in space but could also prove to be very valuable here on earth as our resources are becoming more precious. The space habitat would be able to support a team of twelve humans for up to three years. So if you have always wanted to live on Mars your chance may be coming sooner than you think!

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1646

Disney/Pixar Making New Mars Movie

Edgar Rice Burroughs' character, John Carter of Mars, is going to be turned in to a Disney/Pixar movie sometime in the next four or five years. ERB was a prominent writer during the early twentieth century. The storyline basically is that John Carter, who is immortal, "astrally projects" himself to Mars where he the Martians see him as a superhero. Pixar movies are usually pretty well done, which means when this eventually comes out Mars will probably be huge in popular culture (just like clown fish following Finding Nemo). While this will lead to a (brief) boom in interest surrounding Mars, it would be unfortunate is the public gets filled with misconceptions and inaccurate facts about the planet.

Paranormal Phenomenon

Because this is a culture and Mars blog I would like you all to check out this link I have to About.com: Paranormal Phenomenon. In this article this discuss the controversial "face" on Mars and the implication that it has if it really is a face. They think maybe it was created by aliens or a number of other theories. It is just a really good example of how our culture is obsessed with Mars and the possibility of life on Mars.
Link: http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa052900a.htm

Opportunity Mars rover

The Opportunity Mars rover is doing a mission in a crater of Mars called Victoria Crater located at Meridiani Planum. The reason for this mission is to extract rocks and soil which when studied will give scientists the opportunity to get to know Mars from a million years ago. The problem is the crater is steep so the rover mission has to be done carefully and slow, but in the end it will be worth it.

http://www.space.com/imageoftheday/image_of_day_071009.html

Nine Planets

I really love this website called Nine Planets. It has seriously in depth facts about our good friend Mars, as well as its satellites. This webpage also has great information, on the same level, for all of the other planets and their moons. Check it out sometime and get lost in how beautiful the other planets are.

Sometimes it trips me out that there are huge bodies of mass, and on each square inch of their surface, something is happening - just as it is here on earth. It's very therapeutic.

Intresting Factoids About The Red Planet

Did you know that the minimum to maximum surface temperature on Mars is -125 to 23 degrees Fahrenheit? How about that one year on Mars takes 686.93 earth days? Here's another one, one day on Mars is 24.62 hours long almost the exact same as the time it takes for a day to pass here on earth. Well i found out all of these answers on a cool site that tells some intresting facts about Mars and you can too, take a look!

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Mars&Display=Facts&System=English

Tuesday=Mars Day

Did you know that Mars has its own day? Well folks, good news it does. Over 5,000 years ago ancient Babylonians created the first week and named the days of the week after the seven moving bodies in the sky: the sun, the moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Mars day was Tuesday and it was believed that the planet influenced peoples lives every Tuesday. Mars is named after the Roman God of war because it's red color is supposed to symbolize aggression. Although Tuesday sounds nothing like Mars it is closer than you may think,"Tews" was the English name for the god of war, and it is from this that we get Tuesday. So this Tuesday lets all tip our glasses to Mars, cheers.

Mars Attacks!

Tim Burton directed this hilarious spoof! In 1996. This is a great movie comedy which i HAVE actually seen and its rated PG-13 for sci-fi fantasy violence but it also contains some brief sexuality so if your uncomfortable with this sort of risqay content i would definitely shy away from this movie. Basically i wouldnt watch it with my parents if you know what im saying!! ahaha. This flick fared a bit better than Mission to Mars (see other Blog) racking up a solid 6.2 out of 10 and it runs for 106 min so you can bang it out in between classes!. In it we are invaded by martians with a cruel sense of humor and some really crazy weapons you gotta see it! here is some of the cute facts about the movie that this sweet website has:

Trivia:When people had their flesh vaporized from their bones, the remaining skeletons were either red or green. Tim Burton explained this had been done because the movie had been scheduled for a Christmas release. Also, the red and green skeletons were first seen in Beetlejuice. When Barbara and Adam were in Juno's office you can see them with other ghouls looking at the screen. more
Goofs:Continuity: When the Martians land at the Capitol, the trees alternately have no leaves, then have many. more

RADICAL!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116996/

Mission To Mars (2000)

This fancy flick is another classic about the first manned mission to Mars. Something goes disasterously wrong and there is a rescue mission that is launched to investigate the scene and recover any survivors. It looks cool (I havent Seen It) but this site gave it only 4.9 stars out of 10... bummer. oh well i like cheesy crappy sci fi movies i think they are great. Getting it. the site also has cool stuff about the movie such as:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:A certain famous Disney star appears in one shot of the film. Momentarily as we see the Mars Recovery vehicle approach the planet, Mars itself, the rotating circular hub of the spaceship, and the round satellite dish sitting on its spine line up to form the friendly and familiar Mickey Mouse logo.
Goofs:Continuity: While viewing the DNA sequence on the computer, the cable on the left side is plugged in, and then out, and then in again.

Enjoy!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183523/

Total Recall

Its rough they only gave the governor 3 and a half stars out of 5 for this Mars maniacal thriller. Total Recall is yet another flick that i have not yet seen however i think i might check this one out as well (along with Speilbergs War of The worlds (see my other post War Of The Worlds)). Arnold aparently is typical arnold which is sweet and in this one he is obsessed with our favorite planet MARS. He wants to go there on vacation so he goes to a company that specializes in implanting fake memories of vacations into your brain but they stole his life! apparently " the movie took the special achievement award for visual effects at the '91 Oscars. What tends to be overlooked, however, is that it also has an intriguing storyline which has us never quite sure of whether we're watching reality or a bizarre dream world."

Total Recall... Get It

http://www.movie-gazette.com/cinereviews/622

Universal Sky Tour: Mars Madness!

Here is a super link to a super site that gives you a virtual tour of the history of martian culture, science and history. I really enjoyed taking the virtual tour. It was so fun. You all should check it out. I learned about the movies about mars, in 1784 william herschel wrote that there were oceans on Mars Ha he was so wrong. But i guess there once was. anyway you all should scope it its dope yo.http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/marsmadness/

War Of The Worlds

This is a link to the latest rendition of HG Wells' classic "War of The Worlds". It is a site that rates the movie. The site gave it 4 out of 5 stars and compared it to classics such as Signs, The Day After Tomorrow, The Time Of The Wolf, and Even the most amazing and awesome one of them all, INDEPENDENCE DAY. I havent seen the movie yet but after reading this epic review i think i might well have to trot my self down to the old cinema and watch it. well actually its not playing on the BIG screen anymore but i think ill probably rent it from blockbuster or netflix i dunno yet which one. "Speilberg's second holocaust survival feature is an unexpectedly subversive Wells adaptation that puts extreme human behavior under the microscope"

http://www.movie-gazette.com/cinereviews/1215

A Glimpse at the Futrure

This article lays out an interesting display of predictions for the future of Earth, starting by stating that the first person to walk on Mars could have been born today. It suggests that soon scientists will start solving the problems that stand in the way of colonizing the Moon and beyond and we will have found life beyond our own planet. Vacations will be taken in space and we will no longer be troubled by trivial things like traffic. Who knows, the author could be right, there is so much we still have to learn and explore. The skies are the limits!
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/03/news/edsputnik.php?page=1

Before Mariner 4

Before the first flyby of Mars in 1965, the observations of Giovanni Schiaparelli and Percival Lowell shaped how people viewed the planet. Schiaparelli observed what he thought was water canals on the surface of Mars. This caused people to frequently speculated that an ancient Martian civilization had constructed irrigation systems to save their dying world. But in July of 1965, these exotic theories were dispelled. Mariner 4 took some of the first close-up images of Mars' surface. These images depict a relatively inactive planet with no sign of any irrigation systems or water canals. The total cost of the Mariner 4 mission is about $83.2 million.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_4

What will explore Mars first, Humans or Robots?

NASA is planning to reach Mars by he year 2037, but they are not sure whether humans will explore the Red Planet or if robots will. Doug Millard, space curator of the Science Museum does not think a human will reach Mars this century. The reason he says this is because of the little experience we have in long term travel. The second reason is financially he thinks we do not have the money for a manned mission. The last reason is because he says we do not have expericence with other atmospheres as humans. Mars may not have a human explorer until all of these problems have been solved.

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/131

Some Researchers Warn Against Exploitation of Mars and Other Places

Australian researchers are warning against humans using places like Mars and the Moon the same way that Australia was used by the British Empire. A University of Queensland research team has implied that places like Mars could become 21st-century versions of European colonies. Due to Australia's experience as an exploited British colony during the height of the British Empire's international power, some Australian scientists are worried about a more technological repeat taking place on other locations in the solar system. These scientists claim that more of an emphasis needs to be placed on sustainable practices as humans consider colonizing other locations.

Source:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/06/2052646.htm

Get Your Telescope Ready....

Because if you have one, use it. Mars will be in its best viewing position for us at any time until the years 2014. Mars is "the only planet whose surface we can see in any detail from the Earth." From Nov. 30 to Jan. 5, 2008, Mars will come closest to Earth. In fact, "amateurs with telescopes as small as 4-inches and magnifying above 120-power should be able to make out some dusky markings on the small yellow-orange disk, and perhaps the bright white polar cap." But size is not important. From Dec. 15 through Dec. 29, Mars will be at magnitude -1.6, which is a little bit brighter than Sirius. When Mars reaches its highest point in the sky, its altitude will be 70-degrees in Seattle at around midnight. So planet watchers: get ready, get set, GO!

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070928_ns_mars_watch.html

Longest 5 Wheel Drive by NASA Rover

On October fourth, a NASA rover completed its longest 5 wheel drive to date. The rover ended in an are called "Texas Chili." This area is being described by scientists as a "stratigraphic wonderland." This area is site 3 which is near"Home Plate." The rover used its spectrometer to measure alpha-particle x-ray which is being studied.

http://blackboard.ups.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_1892_1

"Race to Mars" Receives Good Ratings in Canada

Discovery Channel Canada's presentation of "Race to Mars" was viewed by many households in Canada. The first part of the two-part miniseries drew 370,000 viewers when it was first shown on September 23. The second part, which was shown on September 30, drew 310,000 viewers. Discovery Channel Canada reaches approximately 7.6 million homes in Canada.

Source:
http://www.mediaincanada.com/articles/mic/20071005/mars.html

The 50th Anniversary of the Space Age

October 4, 2007 marked the 50th anniversary of the Space Age when the former Soviet Union launched the Sputnik 1 satellite on Oct. 4, 1957. With the launch of Sputnik, imagination became reality, because space travel was finally possible. The U.S. responded with its own launch of the Explorer 1 on Jan. 31, 1958, about four months after the Sputnik. These events signified our ability, desire, and motivation to explore beyond the boundary of Earth, which made it possible for us to have space explorations on Mars today.

http://www.space.com/news/ap-071004-russia-sputnik.html

Scientists to hunt TB in Mars

Scientist in Britain have developed a tiny kit to detect TB bacterium in a mission to Mars, hoping a revolution in TB diagnosis methods. This tiny TB dectection kit is made for the Beagle 2 project and is a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) that can pick out the unique chemical fingerprint of TB, BBC reported.
The kit had to be reduced in size because of the need to minimize its weight. It is now the size of a shoebox and could now be practical to use in developing countries. Experts hope that if they can build instruments rugged enough to look for life elsewhere in the Solar System, they would be able to tackle the problem of detecting TB bacteria in the lung of a patient.
Presently, their is a very urgent need to find an accurate and cost-effective method of diagnosing TB. Because TB diagnosis is not accurate, people with TB may have to be seen up to 10 times before they can start TB treatment. They may be infectious throughout this period.

Students Chose HiRISE Camera Targets on Mars

In the past six months, more than 1,500 students from schools in Hungary, Nepal, Curacao, India, Arizona, and New Jersey submitted possible targets for the High Resolution Imaging Experiment camera (known as the HiRISE Camera) to look for places on Mars that may have once been covered in water. The HiRISE camera is orbiting on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

"The HiRISE camera is the most powerful camera to orbit any planet other than Earth." It is also known as the "People's Camera" because the public can easily access the images and also have opportunities to suggest where on Mars are good places to point the camera.

Two weeks ago, 3rd grade students from Sunridge Elementary School in Phoenix, AZ saw their chosen target on Mars released to the world in a new image from the HiRISE camera. The place that they suggested was "a valley system called Iberus Vallis, located on the southeast flank of the volcano, Elysium Mons, in the northern lowland of Mars."

http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=23625

Celestial Honour for Takei

Although I'm not quite sure why.......Star Trek actor George Takei has been chosen as the namesake of the asteroid formerly known as 1994 GT9.
This asteroid is located between Mars and Jupiter. It has been renamed 7307 Takei in honour of the actor.
Takei, who is now 70, commented, "I am a heavenly body," he jokes, "I was blown away. It came out of the clear, blue sky - just like an asteriod."
Pretty sweet deal, right?

Mars to Have a Representative in "Justice League of America" Film

Warner Bros. has announced that a film adaptation of the "Justice League of America" from DC Comics is planned. One of the superhero characters to be included in the film will be J'onn Jonzz, perhaps more well-known as Martian Manhunter. The character is the lone survivor of Mars, and has incredible powers, nearly matching those of Superman. One of the frontrunners to play the role of Martian Manhunter in the new movie is Laurence Fishburne. The film is expected to be released in 2009 or 2010.

Source:
http://icscotland.icnetwork.co.uk/whatson/whatson2/tm_headline=movie-preview-justice-league-of-america&method=full&objectid=19890634&siteid=50141-name_page.html

Russian Space Instruments

News out of NASA is that two Russian scientific instruments are going to be taken to Mars on NASA spacecraft. I know what you are thinking, "WHAT? THIS IS AMERICA!" But seriously, its a good thing for us to get along and share in the space missions because to get to Mars it is going to take teamwork. The craft going to Mars that will have the Russian equipment on it is The Mars Science Laboratory rover and will explore a region of Mars for potential for past or present life.
Heres the link: http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=23695

Hidden Caves On Mars

The Mars Odyssey spacecraft has recently discovered seven entrances to possible caves on a martian volcano. People are now wondering if there could be "underground habitats" in these caves. These caves are almost circular and range in diameter from about 328 to 820 feet. Researchers found the caves and then used the Mars Odyssey's infrared camera to check temperatures in the day and night, and from these temperatures scientists concluded that they could be openings into underground spaces. The caves were found on one of Mars tallest volcano's Arsia Mons. Next time I am on mars I know where I am staying the night, In one of these caves duh.

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/newsroom/pressreleases/20070921a.html

RE: what to eat on mars?

Mars bars, DUH.

With Hersey's CEO stepping down this week the company cannot stop top competitor, Mars.

Mars has been biting into market share by advertising harder and putting more into R&D.

http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article3021364.ece

Does Mars need humans?

"It's not NASA's job to send a man to Mars. It's NASA's job to make it possible for the National Geographic Society to send people to Mars."- Simberg

All the public cares about Mars is when someone will step foot on the planet, as if living vicariously through an astronaut is better then watching it happen through Hollywood's lenses. As Americans who are putting tax dollars towards Mars we need to ask ourselves why the red planet is so appealing.

Why goto Mars?

Because it would be totally sweet. Not only could we learn about our sister planet, we could learn about ourselves. We could also learn more about space propulsion because there needs to be a more time efficient way of getting there.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-dustup2oct02,0,4638210.story?coll=la-opinion-center

What to Eat on the Red Planet

An article posted on Earth & Sky discussed what people could eat on Mars. According to NASA, astronauts will be able to grow their own crops and cook those vegetables on missions down the line. Earth & Sky spoke with Kim Binstead, the leader of the 2007 Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station Mission. The FMARS mission simulated what it would be like to live on Mars for 100 days. Dr. Binstead said that they had food products with a very long shelf life and a small indoor garden for fresh vegetables. She even has a special recipe for textured vegetable protein meatballs. Binstead claims that the best part about preparing the meals was the social aspect, because even though they were "on Mars", they were able to still enjoy something they were used to back home.

Links:
NASA describing space food
History of food in space

Man on Mars in 2037

In 30 years we should have a man on mars. Or at least this is what the administrator of the US space agency Michael Griffin said. He said that by 2057, "we should be celebrating 20 years of man on Mars" in a statement made on September 24th. Griffin also discussed the international space stations future uses to provide a starting point for humans to travel to the moon and then eventually to mars. The international space station is supposed to be complete by 2010 where it will be used as a staging point for missions to the moon and mars in the future. In 2004 president bush made a statement that we will return to the moon by 2020 and use it as a "stepping stone for missions to mars and beyond."

Movie List Link

Sorry, here's the link to the movie list. I can't get it to link but just copy and paste it into your address bar and your golden!

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mystique/filmradio.html

Movie List

For all of you out there that are dying to watch every movie on Mars that you can get your hands on, I've got some information for you. I have found a list of popular movies that are about Mars. Now you can go to the video store and find any video that you need to satisfy your cravings.

MARS CRAZY

Did you hear that people once thought mars had canals on it? Yeah, wild. Here's a brief timeline for you to laugh at, and a wikipedia link for you to find more extensive sources on the topic.

1877: Canal controversy starts with Giovanni Schiaparelli and his reported sightings of canals through an 8 inch telescope

1886/1888: Henri Perrotin and Louis Thollen confirm these signings1894: Lowell publishes his theory of an intelligence species on mars that build the canals.


Meanwhile, William Harkness uses a 26 inch telescope and reports no canals of any sort. That same year, Schiaparelli reports that the canals actually DOUBLED in number.

Pickering, a brother to the then director of the Harvard College Observatory, and a colleague suggests that said canals were actually strips of vegetation. Theories float around that Mars has a atmosphere similar to Earth. Spectroscopy readings even match this theory. It’s not till later that a fellow by the last name of Antoniadio starts his own observations and finds out that the spectroscopy readings of Mars were illusory; it was actually the Earth’s light reflecting on Mars (the same problem comes up when you do a spectroscopy reading of Earth’s moon). In his research, Antoniadio sees that these major players in the canal theory are constantly changing their stories depending on who they talk to. He does his own viewings of Mars with a 33 inch telescope and of course finds no canals. He publishes all this work, and thus ends the canal hypothesis. A very weird incident in 1924 arises when a then learned and prestigious astronomer looks again at mars and says he too sees the canals. But, publically the hype is over with.

Wikipedia article on Martian Canals.

The Planets Do Make Music!

Ever hear that wacky story that the planets, as they zip through the solar system, make some beautiful eternal music? Well, they probably don't. But, if they do, I wonder what they would think of England's Gustav Holst's The Planets.

I'd suggest listening, it's fracking amazing. (Come back to me, Battlestar Galactica)