In Today’s Deep Space Extra… The next U.S. administration may decide where humans land on Mars. Robots may build the outpost.
Human Deep Space Exploration
NASA could choose Mars human landing site during next presidential administration
The Planetary Society (1/22): NASA’s maturing deep space exploration preparations could make it possible for the next presidential administration to select a landing side for the first human expedition to Mars. A NASA sponsored Mars landing site workshop last October identified 47 possible sites of scientific interest on Mars that also host potential resources like subsurface water ice.
This robot just built a launch pad
Popular Science (1/22): At the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration (PISCES) in Hawaii, engineers demonstrated the use of robotic machinery to construct a launch pad, a concept that could be used to further the human exploration of a planetary body such as the moon or Mars.
Chris Hadfield: Moon colonization is ‘obvious’ next step
Wired.com (1/22): Hadfield, the veteran Canadian Space Agency astronaut and the first from his country to serve as commander of the International Space Station envisions a moon colony as the next step in human space exploration. “I expect we’ll treat the Moon, for the next 100 years, like we’ve treated Antarctica for the last 100 years,” said Hadfield. “With an initial outpost briefly and then longer stays and people staying through the entire winter, and eventually we will have permanent habitation on the Moon.”
Space Science
Sorry, E.T.: The aliens may all be dead
Space.com (1/22): Australian researchers propose a potential obstacle to alien life even with growing estimates for planets in the habitable zones of distant stars. Dramatic changes in climate, like those observed on Venus and Mars, may narrow the window of time for life to emerge and evolve. “Early life is fragile, so we believe it rarely evolves quickly enough to survive.” suggests Aditya Chopra, of the Australian National University, lead author for the research effort.
Mars may be too cold for life
Discovery.com (1/24): Studies of Antarctic soil and rock that could stand as analogs for some regions of Mars suggest cold temperatures may be too low for microbial activity, a Canadian led research efforts suggests.
NASA’s Opportunity rover celebrates 12 years on Mars
Pasadena Star News, of California (1/24): Like its mechanical twin, Spirit, NASA’s Opportunity rover was to operate for 90 days after it landed on Mars in January 2004. Though showing its age, the golf cart sized rover marked its 12th anniversary on the red planet Sunday. Among its findings are soil and rock exposed to chemically neutral surface water long ago, water that would have provided a friendly environment for microbial life. ” Every day, you’re looking at images that no one has ever seen before,” said John Callas, Opportunity’s project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The twin Spirit rover functioned until March 2010.
Radiation-blocking glass tech could shield astronauts
Discovery.com (1/22): Chinese researchers see promise in a glass insulation laced with metal oxide as a deep space radiation shield for a range of materials and living cells.
Low Earth Orbit
In 73 seconds, everything changed for Challenger
Florida Today (1/24): On Thursday, NASA will observe the annual Day of Remembrance, a tribute to the 17 astronauts who perished in three accidents, the Jan. 27, 1967 Apollo 1 fire, and the Jan. 28, 1986 shuttle Challenger and Feb. 1, 2003 shuttle Columbia tragedies. In Washington, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and others will mark the occasion at the Arlington National Cemetery.
Space shuttle reunited with piggyback plane
USA Today (1/23): In Texas, Space Center Houston opened a new public display on Saturday, Independence Plaza. The display features NASA 905, the first NASA operated Boeing 747 jumbo jet used to ferry the shuttle orbiters around the U.S. between launches and landings. NASA astronauts joined in the opening day ceremonies that included fireworks and skydivers.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Jeff Bezos launches and lands again in another first for booming space industry
Washington Post (1/23): Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket rose from the company’s West Texas development facilities to the boundary of space, then descended to a vertical landing. It was the same launch vehicle that conducted a successful flight and vertical landing on Nov. 23. Friday’s flight was a milestone in the demonstration of launch vehicle re-use. Blue Origin plans an orbital version. More test flights of the same New Shepard rocket are planned.
Europe to invest in Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle
Space News (1/22): Sierra Nevada, the Colorado based developer of the Dream Chaser reusable lifting body spacecraft, can anticipate a $36 million investment from the European Space Agency in the coming weeks. Sierra Nevada is one of three companies selected by NASA earlier this month to carry out resupply missions to the International Space Station between 2019 and 2024. The company also plans to develop a crewed version of the Dream Chaser.
ESA ousts Airbus as Space Station prime, appoints itself instead
Space News (1/22): The European Space Agency plans to assume many of the duties once contracted to Airbus Defence and Space in support of the Columbus research module on the International Space Station.
Cygnus sections arrive in Florida for next Space Station cargo launch
Spaceflightnow.com (1/22): Components of Orbital ATK’s next resupply mission to the International Space Station have been delivered to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. A March 10 lift off is planned using an Atlas V launch vehicle.
Major Space Related Activities for the Week
Major space related activities for the week of January 25-29, 2016
Spacepolicyonline.com (1/23): On Thursday, NASA will mark the agency’s annual Day of Remembrance that commemorates the loss of three astronaut crews in ground and spaceflight tragedies, Apollo 1 in 1967, the shuttle Challenger in 1986 and the shuttle Columbia in 2003. In all, 17 astronauts perished.