first human-rated spacecraft to be lauched from Europe's Spaceport

For the first time in 40 years of space activities, a silent revolution is taking place at the European launch site in Kourou. Jules Vernes, the first human-rated spacecraft to be launched from Europe's Spaceport, is being prepared for launch.The launch and maiden voyage to the International Space Station is scheduled on the first Ariane 5 flight of the new year in February 2008.

The 48 m3 pressurized module of the largest, most complex automated spacecraft ever developed in Europe has been inspected and closed, fulfilling the most stringent rules of human spaceflight.
in order to eliminate any risk of disease or contamination for the astronauts on board the ISS, we have disinfected all the surfaces inside the pressurized module with pure hydrogen peroxide.

The drinking water meets the Roscosmos standards which call for water with certain amounts of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and fluoride, and disinfection with silver obtained via electrolysis.
Once the ATV's pressurized module is closed and sealed, its air can be purged and replaced by pure synthesized air. The main purpose of this operation is to ensure that the astronauts breathe clean air, free from particles, bacteria or microbes and unaffected by off-gassing from the several tonnes of cargo.

As the year 2008 approaches, Jules Verne ATV will be transferred to the filling area in the restricted propellant zone of building S5-B. In the first days of February, the cargo vessel will be transferred to a different site for integration atop a special Ariane 5 launcher until its launch to the International Space Station later in February 2008.

Mexican Space Agency Considered

There’s discussion regarding creation of a Mexican Space Agency - or AEXA, for short. The Mexican Senate must first deliberate on the matter, before such an organization obtains legal status.

The bill for the creation of AEXA would incorporate Mexico within the international space community. Mexican Space Agency goals are several, but would include selecting technological alternatives for solving specific issues in that country. Also, information and technology obtained in all space science fields and other related arenas would be better coordinated.

Furthermore, AEXA would raise awareness regarding space matters that boost national economy, education, culture and community life in general.

The Mexican Space Agency would also work with Mexican firms to bolster the country’s competence in a host of areas, from meteorology, telecommunications, disaster prevention, and remote sensing to space robotics and exobiology.

Who's Responsibility?

The issue of Mars funding continues to be a very interesting story. Currently there are a number of politicians who are trying to stop any money being distributed to projects that are intended of human exploration. There is an interesting article that was written by Daniel Handlin of the Space Review. Handlin questions why the issue has not been dealt with by the current presidential candidates. I would highly recommended looking at this opinion piece if this story and the political ramifications are of interest to you. 

NASA Delays Launch

Today, NASA delayed the launching of the space shuttle Atlantis because a gauge in the fuel tank failed for the second time in two days. NASA delayed the launch until sometime in January with the hope of finding a way to fix the gauge. 

With only a fews days left in the launch window NASA decided to pull the plug on the launch to study the perplexing problem. This is yet another blow for the already scrutinized NASA administration. 

China to Mars

China is preparing to launch a probe to Mars in October 2009. The probe pictured below has a life span of 2 years and will first orbit Mars for a year sending back satellite images.
After a year, the probe will land on one of Mars' moons and collect soil samples to bring back to Earth. China just recently launched their first mission to the moon and does not seem to be wasting anytime launching further into space. It would be interesting to see what kind of progress could be made if there was a more united international quest to explore space. It seems that eventually as we explore further and further into space, the Earth will become smaller and it will be necessary to pool our resources.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_To_Launch_Mars_Probe_In_2009_999.html

15 Years of Waiting

After a long 15 years of work Europe is finally ready to put their lab on the international space station. NASA's space shuttle Atlantis will takeoff from Kennedy Space Center tonight and will deliver the science lab to the space station. There were a number of road blocks that the delayed this project for the European subsidiary. If you want more information on this historic European event click here. 

10th International Mars Society Convention

The Mars Society was founded to further the exploration and settlement of the Red Planet. The International Mars Society convention presents a unique opportunity for those interested in Mars to come together and discuss the technology, science, social implications, philosophy and a multitude of other aspects of Mars exploration.

Convention information

India Claims it has the Capability to Send Spacecraft to Mars

In an article released today, The Economic Times reported that India now has the capability to send a spacecraft to Mars. The mission will cost approximately Rs 500 crore. The Minister of the State in the Prime Minister's office, Prithviraj Chavan said sending a spacecraft to Mars will help them to understand the evolution of the planet. They want to study the atmosphere and the ionosphere. It would also help in studying dust storms, magnetic field and the plasma environment surrounding Mars, surface topography, interaction of solar radiation and particles with the Red Planet, composition, and distribution of water and ice. In the ensuing months, the world will see if India truly has this capability.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

This has nothing to do with international issues and Mars but it is very interesting and funny. SpaceRef created a fake NASA memo written by Mike "Grinch" Griffin highlighting his "Twelve Days of Christmas and the Vision for Space Exploration." Click here if you want a good laugh. 

China Youth Mars Movement

In an effort to raise Mars awareness, China has partnered with ASU to put together a contest to raise student understanding and interest in Mars exploration. Students must race against the clock to build models of the first human outpost on Mars using nothing but materials that can be purchased at the dollar store. China is currently hosting the finals and the top 15 students will be flown to ASU and join 15 American students in a 10 day hands on learning session at ASU's Mars Space Flight Facility in the School of Earth and Space Exploration. For more information on this summit click here. 

China/Russia Cooperation?

China will launch its first Mars probe and it is scheduled to be launched on top of a Russian rocket by 2009. The probe should reach Mars by 2010 and resembles a weather orbiter that has two solar panels on either side of a cubic shape. This probe will be equipped with 7 scientific devices. 

Who would have thought a few decades ago that China and Russia would be combining resources and traveling to Mars? 

U.S. to lose Mars race by 10 years?

Every time I see that the U.S. is not planning to send humans to Mars for over 23 years, I can't help but wonder what is taking so long... haven't they been working on this idea for years already? Anyways, I guess I'm no expert on this and they do have a lot to figure out. But according to this article, Russia's recent experiments on human spaceflight and prolonged isolation in preparation for a Mars trip are part of a coordinated international effort to send humans to Mars by the year 2020. I plan to try to find something else out about this, although I wasn't able to find much information other than this article. If it's true, how is it that Europe/SE Asia can work together to get people to Mars by 2020 and it's going to take the US until 2030? And if the cost is to high to send humans to Mars, why isn't the US collaborating more with other countries?

YouTube and Mars

In addition to my last post I just thought that I should point out that a question about the exploration of Mars was asked during the November 28th Republican YouTube debate. It appeared that none of the frontrunners wanted to take a clear stand on the issue but Governor Huckabee had some interesting insight. If you want to read the transcript click here. 

Presidential Candidates Not Interested

So far the issue of space exploration has garnered very little debate among the presidential hopefuls. To date Hilary Clinton is the only person who has come out with a clear stance on the issue. Below is a very basic look at some of the candidates positions:

Hilary Clinton: Has outlined the need for a "robust" program. 

Barack Obama: Not that excited about NASA's current efforts to build spacecrafts. 

John McCain: No stated position.

Rudy Giuliani: "I am not sure anything is out there on this project."

Mitt Romney: Supports Bush's vision

John Edward: The program needs balance between space and aeronautics programs.

If you want to read more on their positions click here. 

Russians readying for Mars

The Russians are performing experiments and tests in preparation for sending a space crew to Mars. They are preparing to conduct a full scale simulation in which 6 crew members (2 Europeans and 4 Russians) will live as if they were traveling to Mars. The final simulation will last from 520-700 days during which the members will conduct their daily lives in accordance to how they would in an actual trip to Mars. They will experience "space flight" conditions, use tools and equipment, and follow strict diets and exercise routines. Their simulation is titled Mars-500.

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Russia_Conducts_First_Experiment_In_Preparation_For_Mars_500_999.html

Mars Express Surpasses 5000 Orbit Milestone

On Christmas, 2003, the European Space Agency launched their first Mars explorer to the Red Planet. Four years later, Mars Express continues to send back images and other data. Today, the spacecraft surpassed another milestone as it completed its 5000th orbit of Mars. The orbiter has revolutionized our knowledge of the planet, probing every facet in unprecedented detail. The most astonishing visual results have been returned by the High-Resolution Stereo Camera, which has produced incredible, 3D color images of the Martian surface. Other instruments have been examining different aspects of the planet's environment. One of the most significant findings has been that of clay by the Visible and Infrared Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer OMEGA. At the poles, OMEGA has measured the composition of the surface. The Martian poles have been further investigated using the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding, MARSIS. MARSIS has been revealing, for the first time, the secrets of Mars' subsurface. The Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) has formed the most complete map to date of the chemical composition of the atmosphere around Mars. The Ultraviolet and Infrared Atmospheric Spectrometer has provided the first complete vertical profile of the carbon dioxide density and temperature of the atmosphere. The Energetic Atoms Analyzer has confirmed that solar wind is slowly stripping atoms from the atmosphere. The mission has been extended to at least 2009 and there is a large possibility of further extensions into the next decade.

Article

Old and Dusty - But Still Moving

Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity were expected to live for only three-months, but more than four years later they are still "moving." NASA is still using the rovers and conducting scientific discoveries with them. The Opportunity is unable to use its infrared spectrometer because dust has obscured the instrument. The computer that runs the RAT and the mechanism that clears dust out of the RAT has also been damaged by prolonged dust exposure. The Spirit's front wheel has a broken motor and is now forced to move in reverse. 

NASA has now set its sites on finding a way to fix these problems and prolong the rovers mission. If NASA can find the ingenuity to fix these problems while on the surface of Mars it will be a decent gauge of how ready they are to deal with problems on the future manned mission to the planets surface. Opportunity and Spirit may be very old...but they are still moving. 

India Plans Mars Trip

According to one article, India is among the countries planning future missions to Mars. In a plan set for 2015 that would study the atmosphere as well as search for possibly signs of water. There is some controversy, however, because of the extreme poverty in India and it is suggested that the huge amounts of money that this will take could really improve the lives of a lot of people if put to another use. I would agree with this argument, although not to say that science and space exploration are not important. I just don't think that the millions of Indian citizens that are starving see Mars as their greatest priority, especially when they aren't sure where their next meal will come from.

EU Picks Rover Landing Spot

"In 2013 the European Space Agency will launch its mission to Mars - ExoMars. The multi-million-euro mission calls for a rover weighing just over 200kg that can trundle over the martian soil in search of past and present life. Now prime landing spots have been selected. The list includes two sites at Meridiani Planum, the flat expanse near Mars' equator where Nasa's Opportunity found possible evidence for an ancient sea. Early in Earth's history, all the primordial biochemistry took place in phyllosilicates, some kind of mineral that is a good matrix for preserving organic matter. Scientists are guessing that a similar site is the best place to start looking for fossil life on the Red Planet."

NSS Takes on the Fight

The National Space Society has now taken up the fight to ensure that NASA can continue with the human exploration of Mars. A bill is currently heading through Congress that will stop/bar NASA from doing anything related to the "Human Exploration of Mars." The bill increases NASA's overall funding, but bars them from investing any money in human exploration. NSS is currently looking for money to help with its fight... you can donate here. 

International MarsWatch

The International MarsWatch is a group founded by amateur and professional astronomers more than 30 years ago to facilitate better communication between the amateur and professional Mars observing communities. This network currently consists of over 150 professional and amateur astronomers who are interested in Mars or active in Mars research.

Website

Space Race

This article reivews of the past years in the space race and projects a questionable future. It address Mar's peak of exploration in the 70's. Mars has held the greatest popular interest because of the expectation that life might exist there. "Viking landers alit on different locations on that planet’s surface and the related experiments aboard the Vikings, which would have given clues to the existence of life on Mars, produced negative results. Therefore it seems that, despite the hopes of optimists, there is no life on Mars in the two locations of the Viking landers."

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.print.php?usrsess=1&id=175882&clid=24

Bush’s Space Boost

Our president George W. Bush Jr. has become increasingly interested in space. Some may call him a space cadet but whatever you call him I don’t care because I like it. If Bush is for space then I am for Bush… well maybe. But I really really like that he is pushing space. Members of Congress have urged for a new national vision for NASA because it has become depressed due to the loss of space shuttle Columbia and the nest of bureaucratic red tape clogging its mission plans. Bush’s new vision calls for a manned mission to Mars sometime near the year 2030. That would be AMAZING. I would be so happy if that were to occur in my lifetime. It would be the most exciting thing ever! Yea Bush You My Boy!

SORRY! You can't play the CTV Broadband Channel videos in your country.

Wow great... looks like the Canadians don’t want us to have access to their Martian Media. I was reading a weblog about some programming featuring special Mars documentaries and highlights of current Mars projects. I followed the link to Discovery Channel Canada which had a link to watch the episodes of "Daily Planet" a program featuring many scientific specials including those on Mars. When I opened the link I was greeted by "SORRY! You can't play the CTV Broadband Channel videos in your country." Wow… That’s a bummer, I guess we aren’t good enough to see the big Canadian guys footage about Mars. Maybe they’re up to something fishy. Are they planning a secret mission that they don’t want us to know about?...
here’s the link if your interested in getting rejected:
http://broadband.discoverychannel.ca/discovery/blocked.aspx

US Domestic Policy -- Save Mars

Over the last few months the "Save Mars" campaign by the Mars Society members has kicked into full gear. Apparently the society has been sending thousands of letters and faxes to members of the US government trying to block a proposed House amendment. The House is trying to change the language on the upcoming fiscal 2008 budget to prevent NASA from using any money on programs that exclusively are targeted at human exploration of Mars. Chris Carberry has written an interesting article on the negative impactions that such a change would have. If you are interested in reading it click here.

A Tale of Two Moons

This past week the First International Conference on the Exploration of Phobos and Deimos: The Science, Robotic Reconnaissance, and Human Exploration of the Two Moons of Mars was held. The conference discussed and debated various theories on the origins and properties of Mars' two moons. The launch of Phobos Soil by the Russians in 2009 was discussed. This mission is set to bring back a soil sample from Phobos and to test the survival of microorganisms in space over a three-year time period. Human missions to Mars were also brought up. It was argued that this would be a great vantage point to observe Mars and it would be easier to go the moons than to land on Mars.
http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001225/

Awesome New Collaborative Mission to Mars

The successor to the Spirit and Opportunity missions to Mars will be the MARS SCIENCE LABORITORY (MSL). It will prove to be the most capable and internationally diverse mission to Mars yet. The projected 2009 launch date for the MSL will be sending technology contributed by the Russian Federal Space Agency, Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, and the Canadian Space Agency along with American technology to the red planet. The MSL will be twice as long as the rovers and three times as heavy. A major addition to MSL’s scientific capabilities is the laser system which vaporizes the top layers of Martian rock and allows for the study of the geologic composition and history of Mars. Also the mission will be powered by a new technology never previously employed on Mars. The MSL will use radioactive isotope power from decaying plutonium atoms which will free the mission from dependence on the sun for solar power.

Ladies In Space

As we get to having longer and longer stays in space, we're going to need it to feel more and more comfortable and like home. And one thing about earth is that there are nearly equal parts men and women (slightly more women, but that's not really noticlable). So it's more and more important that all of the women space fore-runners, make their pressence known.

Like Eileen Collins, who commanded two shuttle flights. Along with

"Kathryn Sullivan, NASA's first female spacewalker; Iran-born businesswoman Anousheh Ansari, who paid a reported $20 million for a Russian rocket ride to the space station last year; the first female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds and the first female solo pilot for the air-demonstration squadron; and a high-ranking Federal Aviation Administration official."

As we are planning to start living on the moon (let alone mars) we'll be wanting to have people in permanent residence in these place and the best way to do that is to have both genders.

Full article at: Female space pioneers tell girls to aim high

Failed State of Exploration

I was doing research for my Mars paper and came across an incredibly interesting article. It is not entirely "news" worthy but it is a well written piece on the failed state of space exploration. The author argues that humanity is not doing enough to explore space and our surrounding planets. If you are interested in reading it click here. 

Chinese Orbiter Reaches Moon Today

China's first lunar orbiter, which was discussed in Robert's post from last week, reached the moon today and has entered the moon's orbit successfully. The mission has four primary objectives, according to the linked article:

1.) Take a 3D survey of the moon
2.) Examine the "abundance and distribution" of the moon's resources and elements
3.) Study the "regolith" - essentially the dusty, powdery rock and "soil"
4.) Study the "circumstance between the Earth and the moon" - whatever that means....

There has been a lot of chatter of a "space race" and possible fierce competition between Japan, India, and China because of the explosion in the number of moon-exploring missions that have sprung up over the last year among the countries. It is comforting to see that China has now made it clear that their space agency is not interested in aggressive competition, but explicitly supports international cooperation and sharing of knowledge that comes about from space exploration. China's chief commander of the current lunar mission, Luan Enjie, was quoted in the article as saying that "China will not be involved in moon race with any other country and in any form. China will, in pursuing its policy of peaceful use of airspace, share the achievements of the lunar exploration with the whole world". While important for lunar missions, this will probably be even more important as the possibilities of manned Mars missions become more realistic. The scientific breakthroughs and economic costs will be tremendous and international cooperation will be essential.

New Phase of Space Exploration

According to Nicolas Peter, a research fellow at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), space exploration is about to enter a new age of exploration. Peter's argued at a recent meeting in Vienna that the days of nations using exploration as a way of bolstering national pride are over. Since the Cold War ended many countries have started cooperating on missions and sharing information. Peter's contests that this trend will continue in the coming decades. Many have dubbed this new type of space policy "Space Exploration 3.0."

"Peter said there had been two phases of space exploration since the first Sputnik satellite was launched 50 years ago. The first phase, up to the early 1990s, was driven by Cold War rivalry between the US and the former USSR with cooperation extended to political allies of the two principal space powers. The second phase, up to the present, has seen the emphasis shift to scientific and practical applications of space with many new countries developing space programmes."

I would highly recommend reading this article, it is both interesting and thought provoking.

World Shooting for the Moon

The United States announcement in 2004 over its new vision for space exploration has inspired several other countries to take action. The US intends to first send a manned mission to the moon and then to Mars. This ambitious plan has caused other countries to turn their attention to moon exploration. 

In September Japan launched a lunar orbit explorer named Kaguya. This action was quickly followed by China launching its own lunar orbiter in October. Russia has plans to build a base on the moon and Europe announced plans to investigate exploration of the moon. 

With all this activity one needs to wonder if we are heading towards another race to the moon. Keiko Chino has written an interesting article on this issue. 

Mars Inspires New US Spy Plane

The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently started a program called Rapid Eye to develop a rocket-delivered unmanned spy plane. This plane would be used to fly high over natural disaster sites or other "hot spots." 

According to the Director of DARPA, Tony Tether, the "got this idea from NASA." NASA for years has wanted to fold an airplane inside a rocket and send it on a mission to Mars. 

I am sure that other international countries are ecstatic about the fact that the US is in the process of developing yet another spy plane that can be used for purposes other than monitoring natural disasters. 

If you want to read more about this new project click here. 

Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars

And excerpt from the Space Studies Board

"There are also legal issues that must be addressed, involving international restrictions as well as federal, state, and local statutes that may come into play. There are currently no binding international agreements concerning forward or back contamination. The task group recommends as essential that efforts be made (1) to assess the legal limits (and implied liabilities) in existing legislation that relates to martian exploration and (2) to pursue the establishment of international standards that will safeguard the scientific integrity of research on Mars. Furthermore, the task group recommends that NASA make a strong effort to obtain international agreement for a planetary protection policy."

International Cooperation for SBSP?

I posted a few weeks ago about the United States possibly pursuing space-based solar power and maybe even testing technology within 5 years.

Bernie sent me a new article that discusses how India, Japan, and especially China are in desperate need of new sources of energy and truly NEED to pursue space-based solar power. According to the author, China is essentially maxed out on its hydroelectric potential and unless it builds even more coal plants, might have to resort to a wide-scale nuclear push. But as the article points out, nuclear isn't that cheap and causes reasonable concern due to safety. Resources like wind and ground solar are not able to meet China's exploding demand for new energy, so the author concludes that the only real alternative for China is to develop SBSP, which is far more efficient than Earth-based solar. Plus the supply is endless.

Ultimately, it would benefit both the US and China for the two countries to cooperate and work together in testing this technology because they both need it pretty badly. I am in the process of researching SBSP for my second paper, but so far it looks like a great idea and hopefully they will develop the project further.

Water and Valcanoes on Mars

According to Discovery Canada there is new evidence that suggests that Mars has both dormant volcanoes and water beneath the soil. NASA's spirit rover recently turned up a bizarre "white substance" beneath some Martian soil. The rover took x-ray photos of the soil and sent them back down to earth. Professors at Guelph University believe that the samples contain 16% water and are remnants of evaporated oceans and pools.

This is just another piece of information that points to evidence of life on Mars. It is nice to see that neighbors Canada and the USA are pooling resources to help with this pursuit.

International Workshop on the Exploration of Phobos and Deimos

The International Workshop on the exploration of Phobos and Demos will be held in Moffett Field, California, on November 5-8, 2007. The will be the first international conference that is held focusing specifically on Mars two moons. The conference is open to scientists, engineers, space exploration professionals, and even students. If you want more information you can visit the website by clicking here. 

Russia Tests Life From Mars Theory

One theory that scientists have been trying to test for a long time is wether life could have arrived on Earth from Mars. The theory is that meteorites could have brought life from Mars to Earth. The University of Aberdeen set out to test this theory by attaching a rock to an unmanned Russian spacecraft. The tested the effects of traveling through the atmosphere to gauge if life could have survived. 

Scientists concluded that life could have probably only survived in large meteorites. Th heat was would have been too extreme on small meteorites. While this does not affirm or negate the theory, scientists now have even more information available for their disposal. 

Spirit and Oppertunity Extended

On Tuesday it was announced that NASA will be extending the mission of Mars probes Spirit and Opportunity for the 5th time. The probes touched down for the first time in January of 2004. The anticipated 90 day mission could now very likely extend into 2009.

The two probes have provided NASA with valuable information on the geology of Mars and present and past environmental conditions. To date the Spirit has driven 4.51 miles and sent back more that 102,000 images. The Opportunity has driven 7.19 miles and sent back 94,000 images.

While neither of these vehicles will win any speed races, they both continue to produce long after their mission was supposed to end.

A Grapefruit Shaped Spacecraft?

There was an article recently published in the "Times of India" that discusses the importance of the shape of a manned Mars spacecraft. According to an engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia, the best shaped that has been discovered so far would be a "grapefruit spiked with cherries on sticks."

The theory is that this shape could help decrease the amount of hazardous radiation that astronauts are exposed to while in space. 

It is nice to see that the NASA engineers are hard at work and that the international community is taking an interest. It is interesting that more and more people start taking interest when the US makes claims like "we are going to send a spacecraft to Mars that resembles a fruit salad." If you want to read more on this bizarre story click here. 

From Sputnik to Outright Cooperation?

NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency have reached an agreement to place two Russian scientific instruments on two NASA robotic missions. One of the instruments will be on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (heading to the moon), scheduled to launch in 2008, and the other on the Mars Science Laboratory, scheduled to launch in 2009. 

Russia is putting a Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector on the Lunar Reconnaissance orbiter to help search for evidence of water and determine the amount of radiation that astronauts will be exposed to on later manned missions. The instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory is a Neutron instrument that will measure hydrogen to help decipher how neutrons interact with the Martian surface. 

To read more click here.

NASA and England Cooperate

English based software company 3SL recently beat out software giants IBM and Siemens for the contract to create a pivotal piece of the NASA manned mission to Mars. 3SL will direct and design the America's Constellation programme. 

3SL is considered by many to be a "shrimp" of a company compared to IBM and Siemens. The small technology company is based in Barrow-in-Furness. 3SL is now in charge of coordinating the design and manufacturing Orion, a new spacecraft that will replace the Space Shuttle and carry people to the moon by 2020. 

This is a big day for English business and the NASA program. This story is just another example of how the United States will be forced to work with the international community to make setting foot on Mars a reality. 

Increased NASA Funding

The Senate recently passed an amendment to the 2008 commerce bill. NASA has been granted an additional $1 billion to compensate for the financial burden caused after the Columbia accident and Hurricane Katrina. This means that the total 2008 CJS bill provides $17.5 billion for NASA. The space shuttle is fully funded at $4 billion and the space station at $2.2 billion.

The funny thing about this story is that the Bush administration is now threatening to veto the bill because the Senate has included $3.2 billion in additional spending above the request made by the White House.

You have to love a country where the President is willing to veto something because he was given more than he asked for.

To read more click here.

Tune into "Mars Rising"

William Shatner will narrate a six-part Discovery documentary series on the challenges that are involved in making it to Mars. Unlike some other documentaries, "Mars Rising" will attempt to truly get at the heart of what is involved in making it to Mars and the plethora of challenges that stand in humanities way. 

Shooting for this series was done in 90 different locations. Over 300 people in Russia, Chile, China, Europe, the U.S., and the Canadian Arctic were interviewed. The series begins in January, 2004, when President George W. Bush challenged the U.S. to get a team to Mars be 2033. It then proceeds to chronicle all of the challenges and problems that pursued. 

This series appears to be approaching the issue of sending a team to Mars as an international problem and should be quite enjoyable. The show airs tonight (Sunday Oct. 7) at 8 and 9. It will continually weekly through Nov. 4. Make sure to tune in!

Russia Taking Strides into Space

Russia definitely has space on its mind. This article highlights how Russia is ambitiously planning many missions to space including Mars and Phobos. They have plans for 20 scientific projects. The head of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos), Anatoly Perminov said, "In particular, we have plans to build special-purpose spacecraft fitted with scientific equipment. The research will focus on fields like astrophysics, and planetary science." This shows that the Russians are very interested in taking the lead in moving toward the future as they have already bugun working with the United States for space endeavors.
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russia_To_Carry_Out_Up_To_20_Space_Projects_By_2015_999.html

Russia and US to work together

Russia and the United States have decided to work as a team to search for water on the moon and mars. The two countries signed a pact agreeing that the US would use3 Russian technology to continue the hunt for water on Mars. Russian technology will also be used when another NASA mission lands on Mars in 2010. Perhaps space is someplace that countries can meet in the middle and leave past differences behind to look for a allied future.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071003/ts_nm/space_nasa_russia_dc

Russia and US heading to Mars

NASA is receiving help from Russia to scan both the moon and Mars. The equipment will help scan for water on the moon. As for Mars, Russia will lend equipment for a rover that is sent to launch sometime in 2009. The equipment NASA is receiving from Russia is totaling around four million dollars.

Happy 50th Birthday Sputnik!

Fifty years ago today, on October 4, 1957, Sputnik (above left) was launched by the Soviet Union. This commemorative occasion was discussed today in an article on ScienceDaily. Sputnik was the world's first artificial satellite and it's name literally means "fellow traveler". The satellite was about the size of a basketball and weighed only 183 pounds. The launch of Sputnik, was the first of many scientific advancements and NASA claimed "As a technical achievement, Sputnik caught the world's attention and the American public off-guard." People began to fear that if they could launch a satellite, they could easily attack with ballistic missiles. Less than a month after the launch of Sputnik, the Russians launched Sputnik II (above right). This satellite carried a heavier payload and a dog named Laika (below). The Americans didn't enter the space race until January 31, 1958, when we launched Explorer I, a satellite that would eventually discover the magnetic radiation belts that surround the Earth. Sputnik also helped move the U.S. in the right direction, when NASA was created in its response on October 1, 1958. Since then, NASA has sent humans to the moon, sent satellites and spacecrafts all over the universe and is now extensively exploring Mars.

Collaboration of international forces to define Mars

This article focuses on the collaboration of international forces such as Russia, Spain and Canada,to create missions such as NASA’s Mars Odyssey (launched in 2001), the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Express (2003), NASA’s Mars exploration rovers (2003) and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005). It is a two part article focusing on international exploration of Mars. These "missions are designed to study everything from planetary geology, mineral composition, water supply, radiation and atmosphere, to whether the Red Planet can support life."

http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2007&m=March&x=20070321113432lcnirellep0.5797344

U.S./Russia Planning Joint Space Missions

The United States and Russia met today to advance a plan to collaborate on unmanned missions to the Moon and to Mars. After working together for so long on projects like MIR and the ISS, it makes sense for the US and Russia to work together on other types of missions - since presumably Russia is looking for the same data that we are, why should one country foot the entire bill?

An orbiter is planned to be launched to the Moon in October of next year that will orbit the poles, looking for good places to land people or rovers in later trips. Among other things, the trip will be looking for possible water under the surface. The orbiter will be made by NASA, while a lot of the technology used to analyze the geography and chemistry of the surface was designed by Russia.

In 2009, NASA plans to send a rover to Mars that will also use the Russian technology. Like the moon mission, an important goal of the rover will be searching for water.

Fine Dining on Mars with an International Flair

NASA recently discovered that astronauts will be able to grow their own vegetarian meals on the upcoming mission to Mars. The chief scientist and lead chef on the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station mission confirmed this report. Kim Binstead, claims that while she took part in a 100 days Mars simulation in the Arctic the crew was able to cook for themselves using long shelf life food and a small indoor garden. One of the groups favorite recipes was textured vegetable protein sweet and sour meatballs. Yummy!!!

International Act of Aggression?

Japan, China, and Russia are all in the planning stages of sending space shuttles to the moon. There are a number of international issues that arise over this activity. Issues of ownership, laws, and ethics must all be examined before further action is taken.

Is the moon a territory of the United States? The US landed on the moon and planted the American flag. Was this not an obvious sign that they were claiming the land?

Would China landing on the moon be a sign of aggression against the United States? Do other states need to ask the United States for permission to land on the moon? Is it time that states come together and decide what international laws will govern space activity? 

While there are not definite answers to any of these questions they are interesting issue to think about. 

Japan Enters Space

After launching its first moon orbiter, Japan has plans to launch two more that will make landings on the surface. Japan has high hopes for international cooperation toward building a space station. The explorer named Kaguya and costing 478-million-dollars is going to collect readings on chemical elements and minerals. Japan also has future plans to explore more outer space including a cooperative mission to Mars.
http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Japan_plans_two_more_moon_missions_999.html

Seventh European Mars Convention

From October 19-21 the seventh European Mars Convention will be held at the Facultyof Aerospace Engineering ofDelft University of Technology. Both genres of fiction and fact will be present at the meeting. Fiction writers and readers will be present with science experts too. The reason for the convention is to find out the next cycle of inspiration. The EMC7 is welcoming anybody to show up with interest to Mars and sending the first human to Mars.

http://www.marssociety.org/portal/Members/jlagarde/emc7/

Man on Mars by 2037

NASA announced on September 24, 2007 that it hopes to put man on Mars by 2037. The current hope is that "with manned mission to moon from 2020 onwards and Mars a decade later, we want to build a space civilization for tomorrow and beyond."

The idea of putting a man on Mars in the next 30 years is obviously a lofty goal. What makes this particular story interesting is that many among NASA claim that if this is going to happen it will be due to economics and private business and not necessarily international cooperation. 

NASA is hoping to increase its space tourism program to help fund this effort. The belief is that the government will not be able to fully fund the Mars venture. It will take the effort of businesses to find a way to make this financially viable. 

Who knows, maybe they should just start selling off the real estate preemptively. Wouldn't that raise funds? 

Huge Space Conference Brings Countries Together This Week

A space summit in Hyderabad, India brought scientists and astronauts together from all over the world this week. The biggest news was that India, China, and Japan are all planning to send orbiters, landers, and even people to the moon over the next several years. Japan already launched an orbiter to the moon a couple of weeks ago, and countries are even talking of establishing a base/research facility on the moon.

But the conference didn't stop with the moon. There was quite a bit of discussion on Mars, and there seemed to be a consensus that India, Japan, China, and the US would all like to explore Mars in the coming decades. This could signal the coming of a widespread collaboration between the space-exploring nations, meaning that the financial burden would not be as great for any one country.

South Korean Overcomes Tremendous Odds

South Korea announced that it will soon send its first  astronaut into space. Next year, a South Korean citizen, will fly on a Russian Soyuz capsule to the international space station. At the space station Ko San will work on numerous scientific experiments with Russian astronauts. 

This is a very interesting and significant international event. Words cannot express the tremendous odds that Ko San was forced to overcome to become the first South Korean astronaut. Furthermore, who would have thought 20 years ago that Russia would be collaborating with South Korea on an international level. 

If society is going to set foot on Mars in the next 50 years it will take an international effort. Countries across the globe will need to collaborate and work together. This announcement shows that there is hope for continued international cooperation. 

2007 SEDS International Conference

According to NasaWatch September 22-23, 2008 in Tamil Nadu, India, the Vellore Insitute of Technology chapter of students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) will be hosting the annual international student space leaders conference. The conference will feature workshops, lectures, and hands on demonstrations that are specially targeted towards ambitious students. There will be a multitude of different engineers, scientists, and famous personalities in attendance, so make sure to register early.

In addition to what I am sure will be a lengthy discussion on Mars, students will take part in a lunar design competition. The aim of the competition is to develop a small lunar rover that could be carried abroad the proposed human mission to the moon. The winner of the contest receives a half-tuition scholarship to the International Space University. 

This is a great opportunity for international students to come together and collaborate on a number of different space related topics. For more information visit the SEDS website. 

Russians Preparing to Go to Mars Without Leaving Earth

Spectrum Online reported in an article today that Russian scientists are preparing to confine a team of volunteers to a simulated Mars-bound spacecraft for 520 days. The Institute of Medical and Biological Problems in Moscow have administered long-term isolation experiments in a high bay in Building 5 for the past 50 years. In 1967-68, three men spent a year inside testing space gardens. Russian experts are hoping to run into unpleasant surprises, because they feel it is better if it happens on Earth than 100 million kilometers away in interplanetary space.

Last June, the European Space Agency officially joined the project and two of the six crewmembers will be from the ESA. Various corporations have also signed up, furnishing supplies, food, and other essential items. With the foreign participation, the project is currently budgeted to cost $15 million.

Specialists will be monitoring the volunteers, but communication with them will be sparse. Voice communication will be subjected to time delays commensurate with the growing distance between the spacecraft and Earth. The crewmembers will be able to e-mail their family and friends, but there will be no internet access.

Before the end of this year, crewmembers will enter the chamber for a short amount of time. The scientists will focus on maintaining crew health conditions and make sure all hardware items are in good condition. After the short trial, there will be a 105-day isolation mission. After these tests have been administered, the program will be ready to launch the 520-day mission in late 2008. Scientists say that the mission could be extended to as long as 700 days, almost two full years of total isolation from the rest of the planet.

International Cooperation over Phoenix's Descent

The United States and Europe will be closely working together next spring as the Phoenix lander makes its descent to Mars. ESA will closely monitor the progress of the rover and will serve as a key communication back-up. According to this article which appears in Mars Today, ESA will "support the Phoenix mission by monitoring the lander during its Entry Descent and Landing." 

This is just another example of ESA and NASA coming together and collaborating over the Mars missions. The two agencies have been working together for the past several years on multiple Mars missions. From an international standpoint this should be seen as incredibly beneficial. The more that institutions around the world work together the more we will learn about the planet Mars. 

This article illustrates the United States continued effort to cooperate with the European community over the pursuit of scientific knowledge. 

International Cooperation in regards to Mars Missions

This article is a press release from the US Department of State, and it focuses on international cooperation on current and future Mars Missions. The two main actors are NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). This press release explains the current missions that these agonies are undergoing, as well as plans to search for life on Mars. This release is not very substantive.

China Moves Forth

China is continuing to expand the scope of its space program. It is planning a mission to the Moon and talks of missions to Mars are in the works as well. This article gives a detailed description of all the specific tools and measurements the Chinese plan to take on this mission.

Congress and Money

This is an interesting article highlighting key decisions Congress made for NASA's 2008 budget. Despite the huge budget cut from the 2007, Congress approved a 3% increase in funding for 2008. It is interesting to speculate the motives behind large government funding decisions. This article is definitely pro-NaSA and would like as much funding as possible, but the reasons are probably different than Congress. Congress wants to make sure NASA has enough money so it can hold its ground with other large superpowers (China, Russia, and upcoming Iran), but scientists and proponents for NASA want funding to support research and development (to find life outside earth or to colonize Mars). It all boils down to the political vs. scientific reasons. However, the extra funding will kill two birds with one stone and everyone can have what they desire. Scientists will continue to research space technology, and the US will hold its ground in the international space community. If everyone gets what they want, do the motivations even matter?

European Satellite launcher wants to increase it US market

European satellite launcher Arianspace has announced its intentions to enter the United States satellite launch market. Currently non-US companies are locked out of US satellite launch opportunities. The US market it currently dominated by the Boeing-Lockheed Martin alliance, known as the United Launch Alliance. Arianspace is banking on the increased demand for commercial satellite launches due to the introduction of high definition TV and Apple's new iPhone, which will one day deliver television and Internet to its users. I doubt that the US Government will be quick to allow non-US companies into its domestic satellite market.

The Space Race Continues

The race to space has just become much more interesting, and hits close to home. Iran has begun increasing the scope and technological sophistication of their space program. With help from Russia they have begun launching satellites (so far just small ones) but have a grand 20 year plan to catch up with other superpowers like the United States and China. They have not explicitly mentioned plans for space exploration and claim the satellites are solely for the purposes of monitoring the weather and natural disasters, but monitoring the activities of countries close by would not be that hard to maneuver. Also, classified information has been swapped between the Iranians and Russia. The potential military crisis that could play out is almost too much for the imagination to take.

US planning to divert funding from ISS to its own Mars/Moon Program

This is an interesting article from the Russian news source Pravada.ru. This article discusses John Glenn's statement on how the United States is not getting its money worth in regards to the International Space Station. The ISS is a joint project between the US, Canada, Japan, and Russia, as well as other countries. The ISS has had its troubles, and it is behind schedule. This article asserts that the United States will divert funding from the ISS to its own Mars and Moon missions. If true, such action would further strain US-Russian relations during a time of already increased tensions.

First International Library on Mars

The planetary society is sending a DVD full of names of people from around the world on the Pheonix landers mission to Mars. The purpose of this remains a mystery to me, but 200,000 people from 70 countries have all ready signed up. Unfortunately the deadline has passed so no one reading this blog will have a chance to land on Mars with Pheonix. The society will send a small dvd disc with the names of individuals, (all ages were encouraged, especially children) and "the disk will also include "Visions of Mars," a collection of 19th and 20th century stories and art by some of Earth's visionaries." Once pheonix lands on Mars the dvd will be the first interplanetary human library in existance. We will spread our knowledge and names to the martians and let them know we have arrived. Perhaps this is meant to be some sort of high-tech time capsule, and in 200 years when humans are living on mars we will find this mini-disc and learn about the names of people living in the early 21st century. At least multiple countries are involved in this gound(space)breaking moment in history.

US Debates Response To Chinese Anti-Satellite Test

This article featured on Spacewar.com addresses international ramifications associated with China's recent demonstration of its anti-satellite weaponry. President Bush's new space policy asserts that the United States has the right to use space for "defense and intelligence-related activities in pursuit of national interests". This differ from previous international policy which has outlawed the militarization of space. Michael Pillsbury, a consultant for the Pentagon writes that the Chinese have advertised how they could win a war that they normally would not be able to win if they were able to disable their enemy's satellites. This is troubling considering the US's heavy reliance on both civilian and military satellites.

How will Mars be divided among the nations of the Earth?

As I write my first paper, I have begun to wonder how Mars will be divided among the nations of the Earth. Will countries without space travel programs be allowed to colonize Mars? What will be the fate of countries that are too poor to afford Mars colonies? Will Martians associate themselves with their home countries, or will they simply be Martians? These questions will have to be addressed by the United Nations in the near future.

France is in the Race

As Russia, China, India and the United States pour large quantities of money into research and development in the 'moon, mars and beyond', France does not want to be left behind. On February 7th the French Parliamentary committee for scientific and technological endeavors issued a report proposing cooperation amongst European nations to boost spending and research on space. France's government has realized the time for hesitation is through and if they wait much longer the 2nd space race will be over, without Europe's participation. In the past countries such as England, Spain, and Italy have had separate space programs and France proposes a joint venture into nuclear capabilities and the Galileo satellite.

So, other countries are starting to realize the next race has begun. Because we all know what happened last time, will it be different? Will the separate super powers work separately to beat the other team, or will we all work together to make the most scientific progress? Regardless, China's most recent display of strength seems to have sufficiently scared France and the ball has started to roll.

Cleaning up old Trash

Scientists are getting pretty excited about new images of old rovers lost and abandoned on mars. It seems parachutes of Missions from the 70's are still lying on the barren surface of mars. Members of the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment will look for images of the 1997 pathfinder, as well as 'lost' British and Russian probes. They hope to learn more about the surface and terrain of mars through these images. While reading this article and viewing some of the pictures of what they expect to find sitting on the surface it almost seemed comical. We are planning to colonize and export humans and their habitat to a barren planet because we are about to destroy ours, yet we have all ready started ruining mars. Failed missions, old missions, debris from landing all ready litter the surface. We all ready need a clean-up crew to clean up our inconsiderate mess. At least there is nothing living there to be harmed by our actions..

What issues will arise for mars program?

Even though is is a little old and we talked about her in class will her actions lead to the mars program to becoming re planed? Does her actions create a mental battle for NASA or will this lead to more press for the program? Finally will this lead to NASA questioning who they put in space, such as male female as well as race will this create new problems for space travel and the government.

Writing Assignment #2

Speaking in the international implications I'm reminded of the "crazy Russian" in Armagedeon(sp). The vodka drenched russians no longer take center stage in crazy space people, now we have the chemically imbalanced Americans. Cheers to America. Another title for us. Perhaps this will be another step which will make NASA become EVEN MORE CAUTIOUS YET!! Just at a time when technology is flourishing and the US is in a postition to lead another space race we've got a pair of receding plutos between our legs instead of the Juppiters that happily bounce along in our quest to conquer the rest of thew world one "terrorist" at a time. So tragic. Perhaps this will give the EU a chance to do something, probably not though they are to busy taking vacations and enjoying their free time. Maybe the Japanese?? Nah, they like their Island just fine. Russia can't do it anymore. Maybe China? I think so, they need somewhere for their growing population? They certainly have an affinity for the color red? So I think this crazy women will drive China to colonize mars. I don't know if you've ever played any Civilization games but it looks like the "Hive" is going to when. Good for them. In the long run it means cheap and plentiful General Tso's chicken in space!

Writing Assignment #1

Zubrin (Mars Society)
I think that Zubrin and company have quite admirable goals. Unfortunately I think he's a little crazy and willing to be overly optimistic in order to support these goals. For example: "We must go for the youth. The spirit of youth demands adventure. A humans-to-Mars program would challenge young people everywhere to develop their minds to participate in the pioneering of a new world." From their mission statement. If we start a program then kids will be smarter and more driven?? He's full of it so much I wonder if his eyes aren't brown! But I think it's also important that he is not looking at he why not side of the issue as to pioneering human exploration of Mars but the Why Not!? attitude required of adventurers.

Hoagland (Enterprise)
Okay, so he's just crazy. I'm speaking not only from the fact that he's obsessed with ridiculous photo's which he photoshopped for his own purposes but also because of his interview with Art Bell which the have transcripts of on the website. I've listened to quite a bit of Art Bell in my life because I'm an insomniac and he's pretty entertaining but non-the-less it's a refuge for the neer-do-wells of the scietific community. I'm not that impressed but it's cute the way they copy Star Trek for their website. I wish him luck, he makes Zubrin look moderate.

Astronaut Love Triangle Highlights Mars Mission Challenge: Avoiding Crazy on Long Flights

Someone Else may have already posted this but I found it to be particularly pertinent to our discussion in wednesday's class. It's a PopSci article specifically about how this event might affect a possible Mars mission.

Astronaut Love Triangle Highlights Mars Mission Challenge: Avoiding Crazy on Long Flights

Boeing, Arianespace Battle To Launch Italian Satellites

In this article published by Defensenews.com and writer Tom Kington highlights the competition between the European and American Aerospace industry. Boeing and Arianespace are currently in the race to win the Italian government's approval to launch Italy's next Cosmo-Skymed satellite into orbit. The Europeans argue that European tax dollars that will be used to finance the launch should be payed to European companies. Italy has already chosen Boeing to launch two of it Satellites because Boeing has available launch times and Arainspace did not.

Website Review: Enterprise Mission and the Mars Society

There are two types of Martian development and exploration. Each have their own motives. Some scientists wish to show that life existed on Mars, answering the human desire to know secrets of the universe. Other scientists wish to research and develop technologies that will allow us to eventually colonize Mars and use it to further the wants and desires of the human population.

The first group of scientists got together and formed the Enterprise Mission. The purpose of this mission is to uncover the truth about life on Mars. They believe that the government, not just the United States' but all others involved in Space exploration have evidence of intelligent life on the Moon and Mars but have kept it a secret the past thirty years for fear of causing mass hysteria. They do not necessarily believe the famous face was built, they just want the answers and think the government is hiding them. It seems a bit too conspiracy theory to actually be true, but some of the members of the enterprise mission feel that NASA scientists had to be holding back information. Apparently some conversations with NASA scientists were unsatisfactory, and the only explanation for their actions is a hidden political agenda. Members of this mission also feel that the failure of the last mission to Mars was intentional, so NASA would not have to disclose its findings of intelligent life to the public. While it would be great to know for certain of a lost human society living on the moon and Mars, these scientists could probably put their knowledge and resources to better use.

The other type of research and development focuses on the practicalities of mass space travel. That is dealing with all the potential planning issues that would come up for any project to construct an area suitable for human life. This website is truly the future in action. Most likely none of us will be around to see the results of these scientists work because it is so primitive and basic right now, we are just trying to get there without exploding. However it has taken less than a century to get this far, and in this information age when technologies increase exponentially, who knows.

Pheonix goes to Mars

The new Pheonix lander is in the final stages of its planned trip to Mars. It is expected to land in 2008.

The purpose of the Pheonix is to collect samples of ice for scientists to study. The ice will provide a base to analyze and study the history of the planets atmosphere and the general properties of the soil and surface. The biggest problem facing the scientists in charge of this mission is finding an appropriate landing place for the Pheonix. What looked like a suitable area, upon closer observation, turned out to covered in obtrusive boulders. Surface maps appear to provide a useful tool and guide for the planets terrain, but nothing is certain until we get there. Meaning there are a select few number of places to safely land spacecraft. The problems raised in this article, while United States specific, raise other potential questions for later visits to Mars. Will the early bird get the worm? Whoever finds the best places to land will be the only ones that can use the area. Will other countries have to find other places to land that are far enough away from the American posts?

NASA Money Woes in Regards to Mars Mission

This article from the Montery Herald focuses on how budget woes will affect NASA's Moon and Mars missions. It brings up the point of how space travel is not a budget priority while the country is at war and in a massive deficit. It also explains how replacing the space shuttle is the number one priorty for NASA right now. This article estimates that a space shuttle replacement will be operational by 2014.

Mars Society

Here is a link to the Mars Society's homepage. They are an international organization interested in bringing together those who are like minded about exploring the "red planet".

China and Russia to Mars

China has joined with Russia to send an unmanned probe to survey the surface of Mars.

This will be Russia's 3rd attempt to study the surface of Phobos, perhaps with China's help the launch will not fail before the mission can be completed. Chinese officials did not comment on the specifics of their involvement except that they will provide survey equipment. In the next decade or so when this and other missions to Mars actually launch it will be interesting to see how the 'race to Mars' plays out. Will we cooperate to gain the most information or will competing superpowers emerge, again?

Militarization and Mars

Militarization and The Moon-Mars Program: Another Wrong Turn in Space?

The article I have posted discusses the United States Government's newest space program. This article was published by former NASA analyst Richard Cook of Global Research, a Canadian non profit organization. Cook believes that the United States is going against its 1958 promise to use space for "peaceful purposes and the benefit of mankind". To prove his point, Cook highlights NASA's policy and actions from the Reagan administration till today. Cook is very skeptical of US intentions in space, and he believes that the US will colonize the Moon in order to control access on and off of earth. Cook also points out the blunders of the International Space Station. Overall this article is not skeptical of the technology to go to the Moon and Mars, but instead the intentions of those who are capable of going.

First Post

This blog will report on international issues and Mars.