3554 Amun = Valuable Space Rock

3554 Amun is a space rock that intersects the Earth's orbit and around the year 2020 will be easier to reach than the moon. The space rock is 2 kilometers in diameter and is the smallest M-class(metal bearing) asteroid to have been spotted. The small space rock has gigantic value to whoever can reach it first. The rock has $8 trillion dollars worth of iron and nickel, $6 trillion dollars worth of cobalt, and $6 trillion dollars worth of platinumlike metals. This is an opprotunity that can make someone 450 times richer than Bill Gates, we should think of how we can get to that magical rock first and cash in, email me if you're down.

GT students develop Business Plan for Mars Exploration

A group of Georgia Tech students were one of six teams selected to write up a business plan for the human exploration and development of the mars program. The "NASA Means Business" competition consists of five other teams, from Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, M.I.T. and Texas A&M universities, which will potentially bring in new and different aspects to the table. The GT students propose a plan for the Space Construction industry of the 21st century, which will enhance their concept for non-manufacturing, which they developed through two years of flight tests on NASA's Microgravity flight Laboratory. These students will also bring in venture strategic planning, market analysis, product development, public relations, and marketing, finance, management, and administration.

Business key to 'man on Mars'

Recently a leaked U.S. report stated that the "Man to Mars" mission must rely on private companies instead of NASA for funding. President Bush gave the Commission on Implementation of US Space Exploration Policy group six months to find out what would be needed to ensure humans explored further into the solar system. This commission consists of nine members, headed by former US Air Force Secretary Edward Aldridge. There are 4 main goals that Aldridge hopes to accomplish:

1.Commercialisation of space becoming the primary focus of "the vision".

2. Over the next several decades, a new space industry must form in order to develop supply and innovate space exploration.

3. A major reorganisation of its management structure, HQ, and 10 field centres, which build parts for spacecraft and often have overlapping responsibilities.

Aldridge is also hoping to bring in Lockheed Martin as a partner to assist in their projects.

MIT observations give precise estimate of Mars surface ice

A team of planetary scientists from MIT has found that the southern pole of Mars contains the largest deposit of frozen water in the inner solar system (not counting Earth). According to Maria Zuber (MIT professor of geophysics), the results showed that water, not carbon dioxide, is the predominant frozen liquid found in the southern polar region of Mars. Zuber said scientists have suspected that the southern polar cap of Mars is comprised of a thin veneer of carbon dioxide that rests atop a layer of dust and ice. However, scientists have also observed a surrounding area that is much larger than the polar cap that is dark and smooth, and it wasn’t determined whether the region was also composed of dust or ice, or even both.

http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=23617

Mars rover reaches first destination inside Victoria Crater

NASA's rover Opportunity has reached its first stop inside a huge Martian crater and was poised Thursday to carry out the first science experiments.

Ground controllers planned to send commands late in the day to the six-wheel robot to examine bright rock layers arranged like a bathtub ring within Victoria Crater. Results on how the rover fared are expected Friday, said John Callas, the rover project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7016313

Robot Doctors on Mars

For some time there has been an increasing use of robotic surgeons in hospitals however now the concept is being brought to Mars travel. Theoretically when sending a crew to Mars one of them would have to be a doctor incase of any medical emergencies however now we have the possibility of using a robotic sugeon controlled by a real doctor on Earth. NASA recently tested the concept in a a C9, one of the planes that creates a feeling of no gravity.

I thought this was interesting because as we get closer and closer to the reality of sending people to Mars the possiblities of technology increase. The market for new RD increase as well as the possibilty of amazing discoveries.

INDIA ENTERS SPACE

India has announced that it is planning on entering the space realm with the other few countries who have sent space missions. Their announcement is not as newsworthy of a story as their commitment to highly fund mutliple missions as well as an orbiter of Mars. I found this interesting because not only is the country becoming more of a large player in the global business world, but now they are entering the science realm.

Lately India as been racking the brains of many of the world's top scientists-- however not for their flight techniques, but for special projects for them to work on. India is interested in taking a bite out of the science world and working with/for the other space-savvy countries in accomplishing space mission goals.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/28/stories/2007092856001600.htm

Mysterious ridges at the mouth of Tiu Valles

There were images taken by a High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board Mars Express which show the mouth of the Tiu Valles channel system on Mars. The pictures were taken in orbit with its ground resolution roughly being 16 meters per pixel. The mouth of Tiu Valles is an estuary-like landform. On Earth, an estuary is the tidal mouth of a river valley, or the end that meets sea and fresh water comes into contact with seawater. In areas like this, tidal effects are present. Visible in the lower part of the image are remnants of a once 'streamlined' island. Really quite amazing, I encourage you all to read about it.

http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=25549

Heat-sensing ASU camera finds possible cave skylights on Mars volcano

A heat-sensitive camera designed at Arizona State University and flying on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter has led a team of Mars geologists to find seven small, deep holes on the flanks of Arsia Mons, a giant volcano on Mars. The holes may be openings, called skylights, in the ceilings of underground caves. This Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), the instrument used to make the discovery and the only heat-sensing imager currently orbiting Mars, has been photographing Mars at five visual and 10 infrared wavelengths since February 2002.
Temperature data was essential in spotting the potential cave skylights. "We saw that we had dark holes that are warm at night, but cool by day. The best way to explain that is to have a deep hole with vertical walls, so you're looking at a rocky surface free from sand and dust."

The features the team found are dark, nearly circular holes in the ground with diameters ranging from 100 to 250 meters (yards). The observations have been discussed at meetings with other Mars scientists earlier this year, and they have prompted researchers using Mars Odyssey and NASA's newer Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to search for other openings to underground spaces.

http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=23619

Interesting Facts about Mars

I found a site that gives some great information that you might not have known about when it comes to Mars. For example:
-Mars (Greek: Ares) is the god of War
-The first spacecraft to visit Mars was the Mariner 4
-Three Mars orbiters are currently in operation (mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Express)
-Mars has some of the most highly varied and interesting terrain of any of the terrestrial planets
-Mars has permanent ice caps at both poles
-A small number of meteorites are believed to have originated on Mars

Theres a lot more info about Mars from this site. I really recommend that you guys go to it and learn some awesome facts about Mars!!!!



http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/mars.html

News on the Mars Science Laboratory

The Mars Science laboratory (Rover) has been escalating in cost and is now reaching $1.7 billion. Because of this many projects are being scaled down or dropped all together and are making many scientists angry. Some of these projects include a remote sensing laser instrument called the ChemCam and a descent imaging camera. The Mars Science Laboratory is a nuclear-powered rover that is scheduled for takeoff in 2009, but is problematic because it is around four times the price of the other rovers.

http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/09/23/mars-science-laboratory-tough-love-mad-scientists/

IMAX 3-D Film starring Hubble Telescope

For a movie to be released in 2010 Warner Bros. Pictures got together with NASA to allow them to make a movie all about the telescope. This is WB's first forte into filming an IMAX in space, however it has the potential to show the public how amazing space really is.

NASA already is planning a service trip to Hubble so movie goers will be able to see the vital work they'll be doing on the telescope as well as the amazing shots they will be able to see from space.

In the business world this is important because it has the possibility to attract lots of business for Warner Bros.

http://www.space.com/news/cs_070924_hubble_imax.html

Man on Mars

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to put man on Mars by 2037, a top official of the US space agency said here on Monday. "We are planning many missions. Our long-term game-plan is to put man on Mars by 2037, so that by 2057, when the International Aeronautical Congress (IAC) holds its centenary, we should be celebrating the 20th year of putting man on the red planet," NASA administrator Michael Griffin told the delegates at the first plenary of the 58th IAC on the inaugural day.

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14532458

NASA Sets Goal of Man on Mars by 2037

In an article posted today, Sify News reported that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has plans to put a man on the Martian surface by 2037. NASA administrator Michael Griffin told delegates at the first speech of the 58th International Astronautical Congress held in Hyderabad, India, "We are planning many missions. Our long-term game-plan is to put man on Mars by 2037, so that by 2057, when the International Aeronautical Congress (IAC) holds its centenary, we should be celebrating the 20th year of putting man on the red planet." NASA is currently looking beyond the moon and mars into the inter-planetary system and how the Administration can make the best use of the International Space Station. The eventual plan is to build a space civilization. This will require greater private investment in satellite and rocket launches so that missions to the moon and mars make more sense, economically. "As of now, it appears space tourism may be the only way to make space transportation economical. Though space tourism will generate funds, we have to evolve a mechanism to train the prospective tourists and ensure their safety. We do not, however, regulate space tourism, as there is no such provision in the US Space Act," Griffin added. In order to attract greater attention from private investors, NASA is selecting US firms to build a business model for offering transportation services into space. This is a huge step and quite an exciting goal. This means that in our lifetime, we may be able to go into space.

Mars Rover Tiptoes into Giant Crater

Tuesday Sept.11 one of NASA's robotic rovers on Mars began a risky drive into a crater. The rover (named "Opportunity") is to travel down 40 feet toward a bright band of rocks in the Voctoria crater. Scientists believe the rocks may represent the ancient surface of Mars and that studying them could shed clues on the planet's early climate. The rover's first task will be to "toe dip" into the crater, a move that involves rolling its six wheels below the rim and immediately back out to gauge its footing.

Over the next couple days NASA will be checking in with "Opportunity" and making sure everything is running smoothly. NASA officials are hopeful about the rover's driving ability, saying "We expect to have good driving."

New Mini-Series, Documentary Target the Red Planet

The first humans to explore Mars will obviously face many challenges, some of which may be highlighted by The Discovery Channel Canada during the airing of their program, "Race to Mars" that follows the efforts of six spaceflyers on a 600-day mission to reach mars and hunt for life before China's unmanned probes."This will be the definitive story of the human mission to Mars," said Paul Lewis, president and general manager for Discovery Channel Canada, in a statement. A six-part documentary, "Mars Rising", will follow the "Race to Mars" in order to present an in-depth look at the hurdles facing a human expedition to Mars. The goal of these shows are "to reignite excitement in the Space Age and inspire a whole new generation to look outward towards the planets," Lewis said.
http://www.space.com/entertainment/070923_racetomars_debut.html

Slim Chance of water on Mars

High-resolution pictures and infrared spectra recorded by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) indicate that fresh, bright streaks on two steep gullies don't signify a recent flow of water, as scientists suggested just a year ago. The deposits on the steep gullies could just as easily have been formed by landslides of dry, sandy material, assert Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona in Tucson. Other gullies, however, whose slopes are too shallow to permit landslides, do offer clear evidence of watery flows. These flows might have occurred several million years ago, when the Martian climate was warmer.

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070922/fob5.asp

Boeing Led Team Charts Course for Future Mars Exploration

A boeing led Team has been awarded one of Nasa's four $1 million dollar contracts from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. to study Mars sample return mission in 2011. The Boeing team is full of various scientists with skilled expertise such as Space Development, field robotics, Innovative orbital Design, space transporation architects, and specialists. Together the Boeing led team ambitiously hopes to select, collect, and return samples from Mars. Program Manager Brent Sherwood stated "We know that the most sampling locations are precisely the hardest to land near, and to operate robots within." Upcoming technological advances will expand the role of robotics in future planetary exploration as well. Boeing intends to completely back this team in whatever the needs may be in hopes of becoming involved in potentially the biggest mars exploration mission ever. Boeing also intends to bring in partners involved in the development of its technology to assist in such a large project to gain recognition and accomplishment.

Meet South Korea's First Astronaut

Ko San, a 30 year-old artificial intelligence expert will be South Korea's first person in space when he flies on a Russian Soyuz capsule to the ISS early next year. Ko has a master's degree in artificial intelligence and beat out Yi Soo-yeon, a 29 year-old female mechanical engineer based on performances and tests during their training in Russia. Ko will have the opportunity to work with two Russian cosmonauts aboard the ISS for about a week. Yi will continue to train and will go in his place if something should change.

Before beginning his training for space travel, Ko worked on computer vision and artificial intelligence at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, but he plans to carry out robotic research after the space mission

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/09/05/skorea.astronaut.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch

NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Provides Insights About Mars Water and Climate

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is examining several features on Mars such as material deposited in two gullies within the past eight years, polar ice layers formed in the recent geologic past, and signs of water released by large impacts when Mars was older. All those features address the role of water at different times in the planet's history. While previous discoveries have raised hopes that modern flows of liquid water had been detected on Mars, recent observations have suggested otherwise. The big question is whether water is coming to the surface of Mars today.
Also, new evidence supports a hypothesis that ancient water flows on the surface were episodic, linked to impact events and subsurface heating, and not necessarily the result of precipitation in a sustained warmer climate. This finding may help undermine arguments that very ancient Mars had a wet climate on a sustained basis. The MRO has also examined ice-rich layered deposits near the Martian poles with the ground-penetrating Shallow Subsurface Radar instrument, and other experiments. The radar detected layering patterns near the south pole that suggest climatic periods of accumulating deposits have alternated with periods of erosion. These observations add to other evidence that the layers are mostly water.

http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=23578

Mars Orbiter Safe After Glitch

The Mars orbiter that relays messages from martian rovers back to Earth was forced to reboot after it came upon a software glitch Monday. It is now in Safemode and is expected to return to normal function by the end of the week. While members of the team were not concerned, it limited the ease of contact between Earth and the busy rovers below.

From a financial stance losing an orbiter of this caliber would have been extremely detrimental to the task. Researchers would have to launch another orbiter, wait for it to get into place and then continue at full power. At this point the rovers are busy and losing their full capability would have been crippling.

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/070918_mo_glitch.html

Budget Axe Falls on Mars Science Laboratory -- Science Plans for the Mission Cut

NASA announced that science plans for the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission are being reduced. Five of the eight science instruments are affected, either by outright removal or by constraints to their development. Two instruments are being removed: the Mars Descent Imaging Camera and a rock grinding tool that would have been used to image and measure chemical and mineral content inside of rocks. The rock-grinding tool is being replaced by a "brushing tool," which will only permit measurements on the surface of rocks. In addition, the zoom capability is being removed from the camera that will sit on the rover's mass.

This was all announced by Louis D. Friedman who is Executive Director of The Planetary Society. In 2006 NASA's buget was 15 billion of the 406 billion the US spent. NASA's current budget is 16.8 Billion

NASA Cuts-off Funds for Mars Rover Sensor

The United States Government and all of its agencies are notorious for running over budget. The remote sensor that is currently being developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory is no different. As an article by the Associated Press reports, the project is subsidized by NASA, but they have recently alerted the laboratory that they need to finish the project with the money that they have. "We didn't stop their work, but they're vastly overpriced and we have not been able to curtail that," said Alan Stern, head of science at NASA. The laser instrument known as ChemCam is 70 percent over the original price proposed, but the sensor is supposedly over 90 percent complete. Stern also commented on the fact that this is not a rare occurrence. "We have missions that get into trouble," he said. "This is the third time this mission has needed more money, and we could not pay all the bills," Stern added. Most of the instruments for the Mars mission are ready to go for the mission in two years, but the ChemCam project and a few others are not, and they must be treated similarly to ensure that everything gets done on time.

Who should Govern Mars? Building the Case for Sovereign Mars

In August, the fifth international Mars Society conference was held in Boulder Colorado. Various people from around the globe showed up to this event. One of the main topics of discussion entailed: Who should govern Mars? There were three ideal positions taken on who should govern mars:
1. The United States.
2. The United Nations.
3. Martian civilization should be self governing.

All three positions were very strong and a long debate/discussion ensued. There were problems with each potential stance when analyzing the history of all the proposals. The United States and United Nations are ideal forms of government, but throughout history there have been ups and downs. There is also uncertainty to how non bias these governments would actually be. The most favored position was to let martian civilization govern themselves when it comes down to it. However there needs to be some type of foundation already in place to build off of. While this topic may seem unrealistic and silly in the present, it will be a significant topic in the near future when exploration on mars expands.

Researchers save $60 million

I found this article to be interesting. It doesn’t involve mars, but I thought that maybe this technique could be used to save money for missions to mars. This would be huge since missions to mars are so expensive and the money saved could be used on other pricey projects. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers have used a new technique to save $60 million for broadcasters by extending the service life of two communications satellites. The technique works by applying an advanced simulation and a method that equalizes the amount of propellant in a series of fuel tanks so that the satellite consumes all of the fuel before being retired from service.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=23472

MIT SCIENTISTS DEVELOP REVOLUTIONARY SLEEK SPACE SUITS

Suits for space flight have been notoriously bulky and gas pressurized to give our space explorers the protection needed in space. These light and stylish designs have been transformed into to protypes that will be pitched to NASA and future Mars explorers. MIT researchers note the low fuctionality of many of the current space suit designs"by asserting that, "About 70 to 80 percent of the energy they exert while wearing the suit goes towards simply working against the suit to bend it. "
This goes to show that style and fuctionality may be the new frontier of Business on Mars...
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/biosuit-0716.html

Odyssey orbiter goes into safe mode

The Mars Odyssey orbiter was in safe mode yesterday after a computer problem prevented the 6-year-old spacecraft from relaying data from the twin rovers on the Martian surface.Engineers discovered the problem Friday after a software problem caused the on board computers to reboot. The spacecraft last went into safe mode in December when it was hit by cosmic rays.

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352792807&path=!nationworld&s=1037645509161

Nobel Laureate Disses NASA's Manned Spaceflight

Steven Weinberg, a co-recipient of the 1970 Nobel Prize in physics, stated his thoughts on NASA's manned spaceflight program and the International Space Station. Weinberg believes that neither have produced anything of scientific value, and that the idea of humans in space is just an incredibly expensive publicity stunt. He praises NASA's robotic missions such as the Mars Exploration Rovers, but sees little value in humans in space."'Human beings don't serve any useful function in space,' Weinberg told SPACE.com. 'They radiate heat, they're very expensive to keep alive and unlike robotic missions, they have a natural desire to come back, so that anything involving human beings is enormously expensive.'" While NASA's budget is currently increasing, Weinberg believes that the increases are coming from the desire of the president and administrators of NASA to put humans into space, when the funds should really be allocated towards missions with more scientific value.

http://www.space.com/news/070918_weinberg_critique.html

Mars Orbiter in Safe Mode After Glitch

A computer glitch that caused the onboard computers to reboot triggered the Mars Odyssey orbiter to go into safe mode on Monday, preventing it from relaying data from the rovers currently rolling across the surface of Mars. Fortunately, the Mars Odyssey was not in danger and should be working normally again by the middle of this week. The Mars Odyssey is important in that the rovers on Mars use it to send data to Earth. Although, while the Odyssey has been down, the rovers were able to use their high-gain antenna to talk to earth directly.
Currently the rovers are very important to follow because one of them, Opportunity, has been investigating the inner slope of Victoria Crater, heading towards an area that may have information on the ancient environment.

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/070918_mo_glitch.html

Leaky Seals May Delay Shuttle Launch

Leaky hudraulic sealy on the space shuttle Discovery will need to be replaced before launch, and NASA officials say the extra work could delay next month's flight. The seals in the right main landing gear must be replaced because of the hydraulic fluid that is currently leaking out. This project includes removing the brakes, wheels and tires, and NASA is still unsure just how long the project will take. The flight was scheduled to take off for the International Space Station on Oct. 23rd.

This delay is a problem because the astronauts aboard will be going out on five spacewalks during their two-week mission. They will be responsible for outfitting a new space station with live-in compartments and also practicing repairs on damaged shuttle thermal tiles. Time is money, and it does not do NASA any good to have these astronauts on the ground.

New Mexico becomes destination for Space

Architechs have already begun designing "Spaceport America"-- the world's first commercial launching pad for space travel. A UK group was awarded the job based on their experience in airport design and will feature large windows and bring suborbital travel and outerspace travel together.

This is important to the business side because it shows how people are really beginning to think seriously about space travel for the average man. These possibilities would open up an entirely new market for businesses.

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/070904_virgingalactic_spaceport.html

Employment Opportunity

I found an article a pretty interesting arcticle in a newspaper. It said that the Russian government was looking to employ 6 males of different ethnicity to sit in a capsule for 500 days. The purpose of the experiment would be to simiulate the time it would take for a trip to Mars. The pay would be based on how much your home countries space program is willing to pay. The participant from Russia would make enough money to purchase a flat in Moscow. Hopefully the United States my be a little more generous with their compensation. I figure if worst somes to worst this could be something to do after college, especially if you have a little over a year to spare.

Russians send Basil to space

I found article to be very interesting. Baikonur space center run by Russians sent ten gerbils to Mars to study the physiological and biological effects of a long-term flight. They are doing this in order to blaze the way for a possible human mission. The rocket carrying these rodents was a Foton-M spaceship. Will they survive, who knows, but I think this is a job for Basil the great mouse detective.


www.MarsNews.com

Mars Pregnancy Test

The European Space Agency is testing a new experiment that is similar to a pregnancy test. This experiment called the "Life marker Chip" is about the size of a postage stamp and was launched last week aboard a Russian rocket. The life marker chip has more than "2,000 life detecting samples that glow if they encounter life-critical compounds, such as proteins or DNA." The experiment works like a pregnancy test, "which uses color-changing chemicals to pick up traces of hormones found in greater numbers after conception." Scientists will examine the LMC's samples once it returns to Earth on Sept. 25 near the Russia-Kazakhstan border. The European Space Agency is testing this chip to see if it will be able to survive the harsh conditions of space it will encounter on a trip to Mars. If the experiment is a success, hopefully the "life Marker Chip" will be able to be attached to the European Space Agency's "ExoMars" robotic rover mission, planned for launch in 2013.

A Giant Leap: Robots or Astronauts?

A professor of physics at the University of Maryland by the name of Bob Park, believes that using telerobots for space exploration is a better solution then sending humans. Telerobots are controlled from the ground by humans and are a better use of resources according to Park. He believes that sending more astronauts to Mars is an enormous waste of money, and when astronauts do arrive on Mars, there isn't much they can do locked in space suits. The only sense available to astronauts is sight and he believes we can build robots with much better eyes then humans.

So, do we send men to Mars or robots (which we are already doing)? According to Park, "Sense of adventure is the only thing going for manned space travel, but it is time to have a grown-up attitude to adventure. If you want adventure, go bungee jumping." And, because of programs like Google Sky, people can still experience the thrill of watching space exploration from their computer via virtual telescopes, without NASA having to send astronauts to Mars and beyond. Using robots and telescopes are not necessarily exciting and mind-boggling, but it is a better value for money.

Cost Does Not Stand in NASA's Way: Mars Program Back on Track

In June of 2007 the Mars science Laboratory completed its Critical Design Review (CDR). This means that the project is ready to move from the design department into the building department. The problem is that with all of the new design features the project is expected to exceed its $1.7 billion dollar budget by $75 million dollars. 

 

This mission is part of NASA's long-term effort to determine if Mars can support microbial life. The rover is expected to have the largest and most advanced set of scientific instruments ever sent to the surface of Mars. 

 

Luckily, due to the incredible thriftiness of NASA, they were able to trim the projects budget without compromising any of the scientific tools and team. In order to save over $75 million dollars they just cut down on complexity and spare parts.

 

Not to doubt the intelligence of NASA but it must make every taxpayer a little hesitant when they hear that NASA is cutting out spare parts on a $1.7 billion dollar Mars rover. Lets just hope that nothing malfunctions! If you want more information on this story you can read about it on Mars today by clicking here. 

Mice and men: space gerbils blaze trail for humans to Mars

Ten gerbils took off from the Russian-run Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan on Friday for a 12-day voyage to test the possible effects of a human mission to Mars. The rocket is to include a cage with 10 rodents with the aim of studying the physiological and biological effects of long-term flights. The small mammals, related to rats and mice and often used as pets by children will be kept in cages containing cereals, nuts and dry grapes. Special equipment will be used to clean their excrement in the weightless conditions.

China Details Mars Exploration with Russia

China and Russia have joined forces in exploring mars and one of its moons in 2009. Hu Jintao, the Chinese president visited Moscow to sign an agreement between China and Russia. This agreement will increase cooperation between the two countries as well as enhance technology and exploration, in hopes of competing with the United States, which currently takes the lead. The plan is to launch a Russian Rocket lifting a Chinese satellite and Russian exploration vehicle to survey Mars and one of its moons phobos. This collaboration of a large space program will expand new technologies and discover new features in Mars and moons. Russia still holds more experience than China in terms of exploration. However China's wealth and technology increases combined with Russia's experience will prove difficult for the United States to keep up with exploration progress.