Canadian expertise in atmospheric science, geology and robotics could help land a probe on Mars by 2011, said Marc Garneau, head of the Canadian Space Agency. The former astronaut said the CSA recently received an invitation from NASA offering Canada the opportunity to become a $200-million partner on a 2009 mission for the Mars Science Laboratory.
September 29th, 2002
MarsNews.com Editor James Burk to Appear on Radio Show
James Burk, Editor-in-Chief of MarsNews.com, will appear tonight at 5:30 PM PST on the spanish-language radio program “ETs: An Intelligent Phenomenon.” The popular syndicated program is heard on 15 affiliates throughout Mexico and Guatemala, and can be heard live on the Internet via EXA FM, (click on “Audio en Linea”, then one of the affiliate streams) The program is hosted by Jaime Maussan, sometimes called the “Mexican Mike Wallace” for his longtime stint on the Mexican version of “60 Minutes”.
September 25th, 2002
Wobbly Mars shapes its climate
Mars undergoes periodic wobbles in its spin and variations in its orbit that, like the Earth, may cause it to endure prolonged Ice Ages or other climate shifts, scientists say. The evidence comes from the latest pictures of the Red Planet’s northern polar ice cap, a thick dome of what is apparently water ice mixed with dust, and which is up to 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) thick.
September 21st, 2002
Obituary: Dr. Robert L. Forward SpaceRef.com
It is my sad duty to inform you that Dr. Robert L. Forward has left this mortal Earth. Bob passed away early in the morning on September 21, 2002. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, September 28th, at 1 p.m. at the Westwood Hills Congregational Church in Westwood, CA (Los Angeles area). Bob Forward leaves behind a truly astounding legacy. In addition to his pioneering work on solar sails, space tethers, antimatter propulsion, and other advanced space propulsion technologies, Bob also performed seminal work in several other areas, including smart structures and gravitational astronomy.
September 21st, 2002
Mars Program Facing Collapse
At last week’s meeting of the NASA Advisory Council — held at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory — there was a great deal of news about new developments in Mars exploration besides the revelations (already reported in “SpaceDaily”) that the two U.S. rovers intended for launch in 2003 are still running into problems that may possibly delay arrival of one or both of them at Mars by as much as four years. The remainder of the decade’s program has run into additional problems — not linked to the U.S., but to difficulties and likely program cancellations in the Mars projects of three different European nations, two of them partnered with the U.S.. And a whole series of additional factors — including the massive cost of a Mars sample return mission — are forcing the U.S. to radically revise its post-2009 Mars program, including the form of the first sample-return mission.
September 20th, 2002
Whither Phobos 2?
MarsNews.com has undertaken a major study of the 1988 Phobos 2 mission, prompted by our desire to confirm the recently highlighted IR data of the Hydraote Chaos region — allegedly showing city-like terrain. We have confirmed that image, and have apparently opened a “Pandora’s Box” in the process.
September 16th, 2002
Fostering the Next Generation of Mars Explorers
Watch out NASA! We’re coming! were the words of a high-school student who recently participated in the Mars Student Imaging Project, jointly sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and Arizona State University in Tempe. The Mars Student Imaging Project allows students from the fifth grade through community college to take their own pictures of Mars using a thermal infrared visible camera system onboard NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft, which is currently circling the red planet.
September 13th, 2002
Canadian Space Agency President Marc Garneau Pushes Mars Agenda SpaceRef.com
If former astronaut Marc Garneau has his way, Canada will soon become an important partner in several upcoming Mars missions. Garneau would also like to see Canada become a leader in several new space technology fields as well.
September 11th, 2002
Museum, planetarium opening set for Oct. 15 The Daily Advertiser
Soon, a trip to Mars will be as close as downtown Lafayette. October 15 is the scheduled opening date for the new Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium on Jefferson Street, Museum Administrator Mary Henderson said Thursday. Mars Quest is expected to be the first large temporary exhibit at the museum. Visitors will be able to drive a Mars Rover over a simulated Martian surface and learn about space travel through the exhibit.
September 10th, 2002
MIT Marsweek 2002
Mars Week 2002, a three-day conference about the exploration of Mars, will be held at the MIT campus in Cambridge on October 4-6. Mars Week is an annual conference dedicated to the education of students about all things Mars. There will be presentations discussing the engineering, scientific, political and social aspects of Mars exploration. Although it is dedicated to University students all ages are welcome (youth to professionals). Marsweek will be a beneficial experience for all. Mars Week attracts scientists, engineers, astronauts, students, political activists and business leaders from throughout the United States. Topics will include present and future missions, prospects for the human exploration and settlement of the Red Planet, the scientific research of Mars, and much more.