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Today’s Deep Space Extra for Wednesday, October 19, 2016

October 19th, 2016

In Today’s Deep Space Extra… The first Martian explorers may turn to high tech 3-D printing to establish shelters and meet other requirements using resources already on the red planet. A three-man U.S. and Russian crew launches to the International Space Station. Chinese astronauts dock with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab. The European/Russian Schiaparelli spacecraft prepares for a make or break Mars landing.

Human Deep Space Exploration

The low-tech way to colonize Mars

The Atlantic (10/18): NASA’s foray into additive manufacturing, or 3-D printing, could be key to future efforts to establish a human presence on Mars.

Space Science

Europe and Russia could make their mark on Mars with mission arriving Wednesday

Mashable (10/18): Launched in March, the joint European/Russian ExoMars mission has reached a critical point. Earlier this week the Trace Gas Orbiter separated from the Schiaparelli lander as ExoMars approached the red planet. If successful, today’s landing attempt could be a first for Europe as well as Russia. Schiaparelli was developed to demonstrate technologies that will be used by a surface rover to search for evidence of life on Mars.

Watch live as the ESA’s probe lands on the red Planet

Wired News (10/18): Watch live as the joint European/Russian Schiaparelli lander attempts a risky descent onto the Martian surface, a potential milestone for both space nations. The European Space Agency plans coverage starting at 11:40 a.m., EDT.

NASA’s New Horizons mission shows us that Pluto is incredible

Inverse (10/18): Following the first ever fly-by of distant Pluto, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft is relaying data back to Earth, so much so that principal investigator Alan Stern must sort through what needs to be addressed first. The fly-by unfolded in July 2015. New Horizons is currently on its way to a second Kuiper Belt object encounter.

Volcanoes on Venus erupted recently, new study suggests

Space.com (10/18): A new study points to recent volcanic eruptions on neighboring Venus. The data comes from the European Space Agency’s Venus Express mission in 2010. The findings were presented this week at the American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences meeting in Pasadena, California.

Low Earth Orbit

Soyuz MS-02 launches three-man crew for space station’s 50th expedition

Collectspace.com (10/19): NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko lifted off from Kazakhstan early Wednesday to join the 50th expedition to the International Space Station. Their Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft is to dock with the orbiting science lab on Friday at 5:59 a.m., EDT.

Shenzhou 11 glides to orbital link-up with Chinese space lab

Spaceflightnow.com (10/18): China’s Shenzhou-11 spacecraft successfully docked with the country’s Tiangong-2 orbiting space lab on Tuesday, ending a two day transit at 3:24 p.m., EDT. Astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong have trained for a 30-day stay aboard the prototype for a future larger space station.

Will NASA ever work with China?

Popular Mechanics (10/18): The U.S. is congressionally banned from partnering with China in space. If they are to cooperate, there will be a lot of history to overcome.

Astronaut describes career detour to U.S. Health Director

Associated Press via ABC News (10/18): NASA’s Kate Rubins, currently serving aboard the International Space Station and the first to demonstrate DNA sequencing in space, wasn’t necessarily planning to become an astronaut. Her sequencing efforts, enhanced by her background as a research biologist, may help ground-based health experts identify space health hazards, and perhaps someday identify alien life forms.

Russia to deliver first new-generation spacesuit to world’s sole orbiter in December

TASS, of Russia (10/18): Russian cargo missions to the International Space Station planned for December and into 2017 will deliver the first in a new generation of Orlan space suits. Plans to carry out the deliveries in 2014 were postponed to provide time for new upgrades intended to facilitate Russian spacewalks.

Meet the growing family of space station robots

Seeker (10/18): A growing number of robots aboard the International Space Station are as multi-national and varied in their skills as the orbiting lab’s rotating crew of astronauts and cosmonauts.

Commercial to Low Earth Orbit

FAA and Pentagon foresee gradual transition of space traffic management activities

Space News (10/18): Officials from both the Department of Defense and FAA see the government’s civil sector taking on some of the satellite and orbital surveillance duties which are now squarely the responsibility of the Pentagon. Representatives from each sector suggest a gradual transition.

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