The UK Space Agency (UKSA) recently highlighted a team from the University of Southampton who are developing nuclear electric propulsion technology to push humanity to Mars and Beyond.
(more…)Detoxifying more Martian water
Recent discoveries on Mars by Mars Express show that some of the water ice may extend as deep at 3700 meters below the surface. This is much higher than previously detected.
But perhaps more importantly, a new method to detoxify the Martian water has just been selected by NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program.
(more…)A Merry Christmas to Beagle 2’s 20th Anniversary
It’s exactly 20 years since Beagle 2 touched down on Mars.
Built in Milton Keynes, UK, on a tiny budget, and flown to Mars attached to the side of ESA’s Mars Express. It was due to land on Mars on Christmas Day in 2003…
(more…)Mars in Ultraviolet by MAVEN
NASA’s MAVEN orbiter has taken several views of Mars in the ultraviolet light (which is light beyond what our eyes can see). Doing this can reveal new features or systems taking place on the planet.
The images were taken at different times in Mars orbit. Here we present the images next to generated images of Mars for easy comparison.
(more…)NASA Mars analog crew sealed in for a year
NASA’s year long Mars analog has just begun with the sealing in of its four crew members. The habitat for the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) will not be reopened – assuming all goes well – until July 2024.
(more…)Twenty Years around Mars
It’s twenty years since the launch of Mars Express and later this year it will also complete twenty years of orbiting Mars – it continues to be one of the most successful orbiters ever.
(more…)UK Space Agency: Funding for Mars Research
If you’re a current researcher looking for opportunities to work on Planetary Science you can apply for funding through the UK Space Agencies and help explore Mars!
(more…)Happy New (Mars and Earth) year!
It’s the year 2023 on Earth (by the Gregorian calendar). And it’s the year 37 on Mars (by a NASA calendar). Earth’s New year will start on the 1st of January, the new Martian year started on the 26th of December.
How is that possible?
(more…)Scrapped UK-built Mars rover back on track
Good news! The UK Built rover “Rosalind Franklin” will go to Mars! It was to ride on a Russian rocket back in September, but when that was cancelled everyone thought the rover when never get of the ground.
(more…)Perseverance Produces Oxygen on Mars
The Perseverance Rover carries a device called MOXIE which can generate oxygen. Since the rover’s touchdown on Mars this device has been periodically generating oxygen in many different conditions on Mars.
This is exciting news when it comes to putting people on Mars. This means the oxygen they need could be generated at their landing point before they’ve even left. They’ll need oxygen to breath, but it’s also essential for fuelling any rocket that would get them back to Earth.
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