Site News

Flowing Water On Mars

Admin — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 01:24:00 GMT

A NASA spacecraft that is orbiting Mars has revealed that liquid water might still flow on the Red Planet. We have more about this new discovery as scientists continue to "follow the water" in an attempt to learn if Mars might be habitable. The new report about possible water flows on Mars was published in Thursday's edition of the journal Science.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/science-technology/NASA-Finds-Possible-Signs-of-Flowing-Water-on-Mars-126807133.html

The Rewards of Space

MarsDriveAdmin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:08:48 GMT

by Liz Matzelle

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while… it’s just a partial list of technologies developed or spun off by NASA. Most people really have no idea how huge of an impact NASA has had on our lives.

Satellites These are "obvious," but have you ever thought about how much they do for us? They track the hole in the ozone layer, keep an eye on global warming, monitor global deforestation, watch for wildfires, track whale populations, radar map the entire planet, and much more. Oh, yes-- they also do all that satellite TV, satellite radio, satellite communications, satellite imagery,
satellite weather forecasting, GPS, and such.

Energy Everyone is now beginning to understand how important it is to conserve energy and generate it cleanly, but NASA has been working on this for decades. It’s infeasible to haul a bunch of fossil fuels into orbit to power a space station, so they’ve been coming up with better, cheaper, and more efficient ways of generating power. From solar panels to alternative fuels,
flywheel energy storage (used in electric cars) to better batteries, NASA is way ahead of the game on this one. They have also put an equal amount of focus on reducing the amount of energy needed to do things. Low-energy microprocessors, energy saving air conditioners, super-efficient electric motors, and energy efficient computer monitors.

Medical Keeping people alive in space is far from easy. To do so, NASA has invested in a lot of medical research, and it has paid off in many unexpected ways. Ultrasound scanners, programmable pacemakers, portable X-rays, MRI scanners, breast cancer detection and non-surgical biopsy, in-ear thermometer, bone analyzers, voice-controlled wheelchairs, invisible braces, artificial hearts, surgical clean room apparel, and ocular screening for kids are just some of the medical technologies that have come out of NASA.

Food and water When you pay a price for every pound of supplies you have to lift into space, you try to take Recycling as far as possible. In manned spaceflight, that means recycling and purifying waste water, freeze-drying or vacuum-packing foods, and even recycling and filtering the very air we breathe. NASA has been at the cutting edge of these technologies for decades, now viewed as keys to reducing the human “footprint” here on Earth. NASA even developed the technology used in the portable heaters and coolers you can buy on the shelf today.

Electronics It may be true that the Hubble telescope runs on computers that went out of date almost 20 years ago, but that’s only because of the old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” NASA’s newest satellites, spacecraft, and ground stations are all on the cutting edge, and NASA continues to research new ways to push the boundaries even further. They pioneered everything from virtual reality to your flat screen TV, they continue pushing to make computers smaller and faster, and they’ve pushed digital cameras to a whole new level. They’ve also written some pretty amazing software to help them run everything, and even that has been spun off. Their “Ground Processing Scheduling System,” for example, uses artificial intelligence to keep the Shuttle ground processing running smoothly, and the same software is used by
countless major companies around the world to manage their supply chains or other complex production processes.

Materials Materials research is the study of, well, materials. It’s
extremely important, but it’s also very risky for a private company, because you really never know what you might come up with. NASA can find a use for pretty much anything, and so they research all kinds of materials. They pioneered carbon fiber composite, advanced plastics, aerogel (the world’s lightest solid), advanced lubricants, alternative fuels, and many different optical coatings (anti-fog, anti-glare, auto-tinting, scratch resistance), just to name a few. Modern athletic shoes use materials designed for the Apollo moon boots, and if you add NASA aerodynamics to NASA materials, you get better golf balls AND better golf clubs.

Safety Since space is such a dangerous place, it stands to reason NASA has researched a lot of safety technologies. A few would be shock absorbing helmets, smoke and flame detectors, fire resistant materials, firefighter oxygen tanks and radios, radiation detectors and insulation, pollution measurement and control, air purification, emergency response robots, personal alarm systems and lightning detectors, the Jaws of Life, self-righting life rafts, Doppler radar, corrosion protection coatings, protective clothing and robotic hands.

Manufacturing Last but not least, much of NASA’s research has been used to make other things better or cheaper or simply possible. Many breakthroughs are used in modern manufacturing: automated welding systems, microlasers, magnetic bearings and magnetic liquids, engine lubricants, interactive computer training, high-pressure waterstripping, telemetry systems, the advanced welding torch, self-locking fasteners, cordless tools, joystick controllers, and new engine/auto/aircraft design. Like you, I don't think about those things every day, but suffice it to say, many of the non-NASA spin-off products today we take for granted wouldn’t be available without them.

So those are just a few (a very few, really) of the things we have to thank NASA for. I don’t know about you, but I see a LOT on that list that I wouldn’t want to have to live without, I see a few things on that list that I’d like to see developed further, and I’m certain that there are many more things NASA will discover in the future that will make our lives even better.

Liz is an IT Analyst, photographer, and an iPhone Programmer from Seattle, Washington. She offers this quotable quote: "Space must be the future of humanity, else no life on Earth will have have any future at all." This article was originally written on her at ImperfectSense (in response to a Twitter user who suggested that NASA should be dismantled in favor of other government spending).

MarsDrive takes on Gravity Biosatellite project

FrankS — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:13:00 GMT

MarsDrive has taken on the Mars Gravity Biosatellite project.

The Mars Gravity Biosatellite program is a ground-breaking undertaking to study the effects of Martian gravity on mammals. We are taking the first step towards human missions to Mars - and beyond. Data from this mission will make a significant contribution to our understanding of fundamental space biology and greatly advance human space exploration. To find out how students are advancing human space exploration, please check out the rest of our website!

Martian methane mystery deepens

MarsDriveAdmin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:20:31 GMT

New findings suggest that methane is produced and destroyed on Mars at a far greater rate than it is on earth.

This could be a result of active volcanoes, from a process called serpentinisation or even from known biological processes.

An article can be viewed at the BBC science site at BBC article

Mars Workbench

FrankS — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:30:00 GMT

you want to be part of some real space exploration in the future Marsdrive has a project just for you- Mars Workbench. Imagine attending a large technology or aviation event. In one pavilion is a life-size mock-up of the Mars Sample Return vehicle, transparent, with blue foam blocks representing the ten components to be designed and built in the upcoming competition.

Brochures explain the competition with details on each challenge and a link to a web site with the requirements specifications. A summer of such exhibits ends with the team registration deadline. A science documentary or television series crew follows the development of a new core MSR prototype vehicle with power, computer control, and other slots for the competition entries. Meanwhile, worldwide, teams consisting of small aerospace companies, universities, garage mechanics, hobbyists, and experimental aircraft builders quietly document their progress in building functional solar array deployment systems, earth entry capsules, robotic software, and other components.

The following Spring, competitors and components arrive at a hangar containing the core prototype vehicle and a television crew. Each entry is extensively tested and a winner is chosen based on performance, mass, power, reliability, and other criteria. With fanfare, each team is awarded a trophy and the entry is placed in the core prototype. That Summer, the MSR prototype with the winning components repeats and expands the exhibit tour from the previous year, this time with working components being demonstrated and supported by a TV series. Interest in Mars exploration is promoted, along with the engineering skills of the communities who worked on the project. Next to the working MSR prototype is another clear plastic exhibit - perhaps a suit, rover, or crew module. The winners may also be on hand to explain their systems and sign autographs, inspiring the competitors for next year.

Years later, the competitors reunite at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Milestones of Flight Hall. They are there along with NASA and aerospace contractor engineers for the dedication of the exhibit of the first Mars Sample Return capsule. Next to that capsule is a mars rock that can be touched by the public, and the prototype that paved the way for its return.

Have Your Say With NASA

FrankS — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:36:00 GMT

The future of human space programs is now being decided at NASA and this is your chance to have your say. At MarsDrive we endorse a robust program that approaches 2 main areas- stimulation of the private space sector and establishing a human presence on Mars (once it is proven technologically and medically feasible with ongoing R&D). This may include a return to the Moon first, but we are open to other alternatives if they are in line with NASA directives. Speak up, and let NASA know what direction you think is best-

The space agency posts a Website seeking public comments, questions and suggestions about the future of U.S. manned space flights to complement President Obama's U.S. Human Space Flight review ordered in May.

With a special panel reviewing the future of NASA's manned space flight program, the space agency has established a Website for public input into the review ordered by President Obama May 5. NASA said the site will facilitate comments, questions and suggestions from the public during the 90-day review.

NASA's Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans is operating under Obama's direction to "conduct an independent review of ongoing U.S. human space flight plans and programs, as well as alternatives, to ensure the nation is pursuing the best trajectory for the future of human space flight-one that is safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable."

Send Your Name To Mars

FrankS — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:39:00 GMT

You can send your name to Mars on The Mars Science Lab in 2011. Scheduled to launch in the fall of 2011, Mars Science Laboratory is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet. Mars Science Laboratory is a rover that will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life. In other words, its mission is to determine the planet's "habitability."

Mars Science Laboratory will study Mars' habitability

To find out, the rover will carry the biggest, most advanced suite of instruments for scientific studies ever sent to the martian surface. The rover will analyze dozens of samples scooped from the soil and drilled from rocks. The record of the planet's climate and geology is essentially "written in the rocks and soil" -- in their formation, structure, and chemical composition. The rover's onboard laboratory will study rocks, soils, and the local geologic setting in order to detect chemical building blocks of life (e.g., forms of carbon) on Mars and will assess what the martian environment was like in the past.

The Mars Expo

FrankS — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:41:00 GMT

From the projects section- The Mars Expo is in the earliest planning stages at the moment. The idea is to do a kind of "space fair" that will help to popularize space. This is tentatively planned for Austin in 2010.

The idea is to create an event rather like an indoor X Prize Cup without the airshow and the heavy hardware. We believe that XPC is a great public outreach effort and is worth emulating; and the same goes for Yuri's Night.

The point here is not only to inform and educate but also to entertain and to achieve popularity. Therefore we should not have just displays and speakers that emphasize education. We should also have food, drink, music, art, games, freebies, contests, and more. If you are interested in taking part in a fun and exciting event to promote space and Mars, please email us at info@marsdrive.com

Mars Science Lab Progress

FrankS — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:43:00 GMT

Report from Space.com-

The parachute for NASA's massive Mars Science Laboratory has been cleared for flight after it was put to the test in the world's largest wind tunnel. The giant parachute is the largest ever built to fly on an extraterrestrial flight and is designed to survive deployment at Mach 2.2 in the Martian atmosphere, where it will generate up to 65,000 pounds of drag force when the new Mars Science Laboratory eventually lands.

The parachute was tested in the wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., which is big enough to house a Boeing 737. An image of the testing shows an engineer dwarfed by the massive parachute. The Mars Science Laboratory is a rover the size of a small sports utility vehicle. It is so large that the giant parachute will only slow its descent. A set braking rockets are expected to fire just before touchdown so the rover can be lowered to the Martian surface by a crane.

The new rover, which will eventually be re-named, is slated for launch in 2011 after its initial launch window in 2009 had to be pushed back due to delays. The Mars Science Laboratory's parachute, built by Pioneer Aerospace, South Windsor, Conn., has 80 suspension lines, measures more than 165 feet (50 meters) in length, and opens to a diameter of nearly 51 feet (16 meters).

Our Mission

FrankS — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:44:00 GMT

MarsDrive is an organization dedicated to research, development and promotion of all aspects of space exploration. MarsDrive is an incorporated 501c3 non profit in the U.S and has a membership across the globe.

Vision- A sustainable, long term human and robotic presence in space and on Mars.

Mission-

1. To excite, educate and drive forward public interest in and support for human space exploration.

2. To advocate for and support a return to the Moon via the NASA Constellation program and all other pragmatic human space flight programs that can hasten a safe and appropriate stepping stone to a Mars expedition.

3. Development of real world funding strategies for human space programs, both public and private.

We understand that one of the highest priorities in our expansion into space is to help drive forward a complex human space research program so that we can begin to develop solutions for sustaining a long term human presence in space because if humans cannot live in deep space permanently then many other goals like Mars settlement, Moon bases or asteroid mining will not be possible and at present these many unanswered questions prevent serious investment in space development of any kind.

Welcome

FrankS — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:45:00 GMT

Welcome to the new Marsdrive web portal. Feel free to explore the many new sections, try out our new social networking features, forums, live chat or study up on the latest developments from mars. Contained in these pages is information all about Mars and what we are doing help humanity establish a presence there. We have many different activities and projects on offer and our newest is to support our partners at The Mars Society in their exciting Tempo3 Project to research artificial gravity for long term human missions.

From the Mars Society website- "Travel to Mars will take 6 months. Current research shows that 6 months spent in zero gravity conditions will cause the Mars-bound crew's bones to atrophy, along with many other health effects...unless something is done. The Mars Society is doing something: we're building and launching TEMPO³ as a first step."

Find out more about Tempo3 Here and donations are welcome.