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Exploring Mars
The Red Planet has been a subject of fascination for humanity for thousands of years, becoming part of our folklore and popular culture. The most Earthlike of the planets in our solar system, Mars may have harbored some form of life in the past and may still possess an ecosystem in some underground refuge. The mysteries of this fourth planet from our Sun make it of central importance to NASA and its science goals for the twenty-first century.
In the wake of the very public failures of theMars Polar Landerand theMars Climate Orbiterin 1999, NASA embarked on a complete reassessment of the Mars Program. Scott Hubbard was asked to lead this restructuring in 2000, becoming known as the \"Mars Czar.\" His team's efforts resulted in a very successful decade-long series of missions--each building on the accomplishments of those before it--that adhered to the science adage \"follow the water\" when debating how to proceed. Hubbard's work created the Mars Odyssey mission, the twin roversSpiritandOpportunity, theMars Reconnaissance Orbiter, thePhoenixmission, and most recently the planned launch of theMars Science Laboratory.
Now for the first time Scott Hubbard tells the complete story of how he fashioned this program, describing both the technical and political forces involved and bringing to life the national and international cast of characters engaged in this monumental endeavor. Blending the exciting stories of the missions with the thrills of scientific discovery,Exploring Marswill intrigue anyone interested in the science, the engineering, or the policy of investigating other worlds.
eBook
Mars for humanity
With Earth suffering from out-of-control climate change, fourteen-year-old twins Lila and Max Hartfield are facing a dangerous six-month trip to the Mars colony, where their scientist parents have been for the last six years--but on the last day something goes seriously wrong.
BOOK
Assessment of Planetary Protection Requirements for Mars Sample Return Missions
NASA maintains a planetary protection policy to avoid the forward biological contamination of other worlds by terrestrial organisms, and back biological contamination of Earth from the return of extraterrestrial materials by spaceflight missions. Forward-contamination issues related to Mars missions were addressed in a 2006 National Research Council (NRC) book, Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars. However, it has been more than 10 years since back-contamination issues were last examined.
Driven by a renewed interest in Mars sample return missions, this book reviews, updates, and replaces the planetary protection conclusions and recommendations contained in the NRC's 1997 report Mars Sample Return: Issues and Recommendations. The specific issues addressed in this book include the following:
The potential for living entities to be included in samples returned from Mars;
Scientific investigations that should be conducted to reduce uncertainty in the above assessment;
The potential for large-scale effects on Earth's environment by any returned entity released to the environment;
Criteria for intentional sample release, taking note of current and anticipated regulatory frameworks; and
The status of technological measures that could be taken on a mission to prevent the inadvertent release of a returned sample into Earth's biosphere.
eBook
Preparing for the crewed Mars journey: microbiota dynamics in the confined Mars500 habitat during simulated Mars flight and landing
Background
The Mars500 project was conceived as the first full duration simulation of a crewed return flight to Mars. For 520 days, six crew members lived confined in a specifically designed spacecraft mock-up. The herein described “MIcrobial ecology of Confined Habitats and humAn health” (MICHA) experiment was implemented to acquire comprehensive microbiota data from this unique, confined manned habitat, to retrieve important information on the occurring microbiota dynamics, the microbial load and diversity in the air and on various surfaces.
In total, 360 samples from 20 (9 air, 11 surface) locations were taken at 18 time-points and processed by extensive cultivation, PhyloChip and next generation sequencing (NGS) of 16S rRNA gene amplicons.
Results
Cultivation assays revealed a
Staphylococcus
and
Bacillus-
dominated microbial community on various surfaces, with an average microbial load that did not exceed the allowed limits for ISS in-flight requirements indicating adequate maintenance of the facility. Areas with high human activity were identified as hotspots for microbial accumulation. Despite substantial fluctuation with respect to microbial diversity and abundance throughout the experiment, the location within the facility and the confinement duration were identified as factors significantly shaping the microbial diversity and composition, with the crew representing the main source for microbial dispersal. Opportunistic pathogens, stress-tolerant or potentially mobile element-bearing microorganisms were predicted to be prevalent throughout the confinement, while the overall microbial diversity dropped significantly over time.
Conclusions
Our findings clearly indicate that under confined conditions, the community structure remains a highly dynamic system which adapts to the prevailing habitat and micro-conditions. Since a sterile environment is not achievable, these dynamics need to be monitored to avoid spreading of highly resistant or potentially pathogenic microorganisms and a potentially harmful decrease of microbial diversity. If necessary, countermeasures are required, to maintain a healthy, diverse balance of beneficial, neutral and opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms. Our results serve as an important data collection for (i) future risk estimations of crewed space flight, (ii) an optimized design and planning of a spacecraft mission and (iii) for the selection of appropriate microbial monitoring approaches and potential countermeasures, to ensure a microbiologically safe space-flight environment.
Journal Article
CO.sub.2 snow depth and subsurface water-ice abundance in the northern hemisphere of Mars
Observations of seasonal variations of neutron flux from the high-energy neutron detector (HEND) on Mars Odyssey combined with direct measurements of the thickness of condensed carbon dioxide by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) on Mars Global Surveyor show a latitudinal dependence of northern winter deposition of carbon dioxide. The observations are also consistent with a shallow substrate consisting of a layer with water ice overlain by a layer of drier soil The lower ice-rich layer contains between 50 and 75 weight % water, indicating that the shallow subsurface at northern polar latitudes on Mars is even more water rich than that in the south.
Journal Article
The Planning and Execution of Human Missions to the Moon and Mars
In The Planning and Execution of Human Missions to the Moon and Mars expert contributors from government, academia, and private enterprise explore the myriad challenges that must be overcome in order to conduct deep space travel. From spacecraft operation, mission architecture, and communications to interplanetary supply chains, in-space manufacturing, and beyond, this book is a must-read for everyone from industry professionals to those who dream of an off -world future.
eBook
Sniffing out Martian Hospitality
NASA recently named Phoenix the winner in its first open competition to send a mission to Mars, beating out three other finalists in the Scout Program, which is modeled after NASA's Discovery Program of cost-capped planetary missions each led by a principal investigator. Phoenix will scratch through martian soil to recently discovered ice beneath the northern polar plains. The ice may hold clues to the history of water on Mars or hints of an environment conducive to life in the not-too-distant past.
Journal Article
Third Success Reveals a Geologic Delight
Kerr reports the successful landing of Opportunity rover to the surface of Mars marking the third success of the landing technology, an airbag-encased contraption that first looked like an engineer's joke. Opportunity has landed on enticing Martian soil stretching as far as a robot can see and is next to outcropping bedrock, which will enable geologists to read the planet's geologic history.
Journal Article