Nuclear Power!

Word in the news is hat NASA will being to speed the process of using nuclear power. This has always been a controversial in the United States because of the concern for safety. However, nuclear power will be able to greatly advance our capability to explore space. Nuclear power could possibly be used in a manned mission to Mars. However, in our culture anything dubbed with the tag "nuclear" has also been met with uncertainty. Will NASA's use of nuclear power be a great advancement or will it seen as too much risk? Only YOU can answer that question !
Here's the link: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1237

Depiction of Mars in Fictional Works, Part IV

This is the fourth 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 IV, I will discuss about the depiction of Mars in the movie Red Planet. The movie depicts Mars as a habitable planet with a thin breathable atmosphere containing oxygen. The oxygen is the by-product of the native Martian insects who feed on the planet's algae. Mars is depicted as a planet capable of developing simple life and vegetation, which begs the question: could this happen on Mars a long time ago?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Planet_(film)

Some Scientists Question Merits of Manned Mars Mission

Despite the ability of humans to reach the Moon, some in the scientific community are openly questioning the usefulness of sending humans to places like Mars. The physical ailments that can occur from prolonged space travel, as well as the psychological issues that could become involved, are all causes for scientific concern. The article also discusses the financial issues of a manned mission to Mars as opposed to an unmanned mission. Doug Millard, space curator of the Science Museum in London, predicts the cost of a manned exploratory mission to be many times greater than that of an unmanned mission.

Source:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2007/September/theworld_September839.xml&section=theworld

India Ready for Mars Mission

At the meeting of the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Hyderabad, India, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the nation possesses the technological capacity necessary to send a spacecraft to Mars. The next step, as far as what was mentioned, is to get a scientific proposal for the goals of such a mission. India will be able to send a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) to transport a 500-kg craft that would orbit Mars. The announcement was made on September 27 by the ISRO's chairman, G. Madhavan Nair.

Source:
http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/28/stories/2007092856001600.htm

Astronaut Predicts Mars Mission

Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, a former NASA astronaut, while speaking at Brigham Young University on September 25, said that a mission to Mars will take place, along with later missions to other locations. Chang-Diaz is currently working on an engine that should decrease travel time from Earth to other locations. Less travel time in space could mean fewer chances of physical problems for astronauts. Chang-Diaz also discussed how countries working together on space projects could minimize international conflicts.

Source:
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/238513/4/

Space Transforms Normal Germs into Super Germs!!!!

A recent experiment has shown that a germ that causes food poisoning can be three times more dangerous in space than on the ground. The experiment took place on NASA's STS 115 space shuttle mission that was launched in September of 2006. In this experiment a microbiologist from ASU put Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria into space and simultaneously started growing Salmonella Typhimurium back on earth at Kennedy Space Center. The experiment showed that the bacteria and space grew about three times faster. What does this mean for long 600 day humaned missions to mars? Lets just hope no one gets sick.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070924_space_germs.html

Seven Sisters....

As a follow up to my last blog and an addition to Brycens earlier blog...............Here is an image of “Annie” and the six other cave entrances that were discovered on the Arsia Mons volcano. They are being called the “Seven Sisters.”

The caves have such a high altitude that it makes it unlikely that they could be used for human shelter or that microbial life would have migrated that high.