Noteworthy Quote: Rocket Engines of the Future?

“Let us also leave for future generations development of the first interstellar rocket propulsion system that would carry us to Alpha Centauri...That can be done, it is within the realm of our ability."

-- Chairman John Culberson's (R-Texas) comment at a March 4th hearing of the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing.  He was making reference to electric -powered interstellar rocket engines.

Twin Test Will Assist with Travel to Mars

Tomorrow NASA astronaut Scott Kelly will depart from Kazakhstan on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft for a year-long journey on the International Space Station (ISS).  His twin brother Mark, also an astronaut, will stay on Earth for purposes of comparison.

In a Time magazine article, which profiled the brothers, the scientific mission was discussed as well (Mikhail Kornienko is a cosmonaut on the ISS):

On this flight, the time for distractions may be especially tight, thanks to the battery of 10 medical and psychological tests that will be on the agenda for both Scott and Kornienko in orbit and for Mark on the ground. Flight surgeons will run studies of cardiovascular efficiency, blood-oxygen levels and blood volume. Bone density will be monitored, as well as cellular aging and fluid shifts in the body. Sonograms will be taken of the eye and optic nerve to determine how those shifts affect vision.

Mood and mental shifts will also be measured throughout the mission. All of which should contribute to a better understanding of the effects of space travel. I doubt NASA has many twin astronauts waiting in the wings, so this is a unique opportunity to prepare for future manned space travel. We will all be watching.

What Does a Space Attorney Do?

A recent Wall Street Journal article title "If a Martian Wrecks Your Rocket Ship, Who is Liable?" discusses the growing space law industry.  The article profiles attorney Sagi Kfir and his work for Deep Space Industries Inc., a firm that hopes to mine asteroids.

The scenario presented for this needed legal framework is pretty bleak and hopefully overhyped:

For instance, if an American astronaut were to be murdered by a British astronaut on the moon, it is generally believed that U.S. courts could handle the case. But if the same astronaut should happen to have his pocket picked by another astronaut, it is unclear whether the victim would have legal recourse. The rationale is that there isn’t any precedent to assert U.S. jurisdiction in a minor crime.

Presumably the bigger issues will relate to mining contracts and related ownership of minerals.

One person interviewed for the piece states “It’s not science fiction anymore,” and then the article goes no to discuss the use of Star Trek clips in legal classes.  So which is it?

I think it is worthwhile to start ironing out treaties similar to that already signed for lunar ownership and mining.  Whether or not we can do that in the current environment with a growing space race and significant differences between the larger nations is something else.  And in the meantime we need to stay wary of pick-pocketing. 

Is Mars One Going Anywhere?

Dr. Joseph Roche, one of the finalists in the Mars One project, recently had this to say about the vetting process he underwent to be considered for the trip to Mars:

...all the info they have collected on me is a crap video I made, an application form that I filled out with mostly one-word answers… and then a 10-minute Skype interview...That is just not enough info to make a judgment on someone about anything.

After  reading his story in Matter, titled Mars One Finalist Explains Exactly How It‘s Ripping Off Supporters, about the finances and priorities of Mars One, you can only ask yourself if this is an honest venture or a publicity stunt with no hope of going anywhere. Even the number of applicants is now in doubt, though this is extreme interest has been part of the Mars One story from day one.

The project's recent loss of its television contract anddelays in robotic orders seemed to indicate some significant underlying problems.  And this new interview is further unveiling some clear shortfalls.  I doubt NASA is selecting astronauts based on a 10 minute video interview, and I cannot believe Mars One is doing so with any intent to take these applicants anywhere other than a local television studio.

This is now time for Mars One to become transparent about its program.  If it is not a serious venture, I think we should all here that now and move on to more viable projects.

Cruz Comments: Focus on Space

At a hearing earlier this week, Senator Ted Cruz, chair of the Senate's subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, stated:

 "...almost any American would agree that the core function of NASA is to explore space...That's what inspires little boys and little girls across this country. I am concerned that NASA in the current environment has lost its full focus on that core mission."

While this sole focus may not be what NASA had in mind, as Administrator Bolden stated in response at the same hearing, at least we are dealing with a chairman who is not trying to defund NASA.  Instead, he is trying to realign it.  Now this does not excuse Senator Cruz's denial of global climate change, but it makes sense to seize on any opportunity to fund space exploration.

Yes, I know many would like to send the Senator on a one way trip to the moon (without an accompanying spacesuit), but let's see how this plays out. 

What Would Columbus Do?

Rex Ridenoure wrote an interesting article in the latest edition of The Space Review titled "The Earth, Moon, Mars, and ChristopherColumbus."  In the piece, Mr. Ridenoure compares Columbus' five week trip to the New World to a potential six month trip to Mars.  Ultimately, the Mar's trip would be much more significant than what Columbus attempted.  I will let you read the timeline and specifics for yourself.

But what I found more significant was the various comments to the piece, demonstrating that the distance may be the easy part.  One person commented that Columbus was not arriving at a destination devoid of breathable air, water,   That would have been a lot for Columbus to carry.  Another reader pointed out that humans had already arrived in the New World, and Columbus was a late-comer.  This is something that we cannot expect on Mars.  Finally, a reader pointed out that the New World was not even the destination but something Columbus discovered on his way to India.  This was compared to us bumping into an unknown planet on the way to Mars. 

and food.

All thoughtful comments and more reasons to think hard about what we are trying to accomplish.  A manned mission to Mars will be unlike anything ever accomplished before.  Analogies are interesting, but Mars is a whole new way of thinking.

Great Image: Dust Devils on Mars

While all attention is on Ceres, let's not forget another water-bearing planet between ourselves and Ceres. The image above demonstrates the nature of the dry and denuded surface of Mars, while the water Itself lies deeper below the surface.

Here is the story from NASA: 

It was late in the northern martian spring when the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spied this local denizen. Tracking across the flat, dust-covered Amazonis Planitia in 2012, the core of this whirling dust devil is about 140 meters in diameter. Lofting dust into the thin martian atmosphere, its plume reaches about 20 kilometers above the surface. Common to this region of Mars, dust devils occur as the surface is heated by the Sun, generating warm, rising air currents that begin to rotate. Tangential wind speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour are reported for dust devils in other HiRISE images.

NASA recently reported that about 4.3 billion years ago Mars had enough water to cover its surface in water that was 450 feet deep. It is believed the water formed an ocean in the planet's northern hemisphere, being more than a mile deep in some areas (see image below).  Most of this water later later escaped into space. 

Image Credit Above: HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA
Image Credit Below:  NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Dawn Has Arrived

The Dawn spacecraft is now in orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres. Marc Rayman, Dawn mission director, stated:

Since its discovery in 1801, Ceres was known as a planet, then an asteroid and later a dwarf planet...Now, after a journey of 3.1 billion miles (4.9 billion kilometers) and 7.5 years, Dawn calls Ceres, home.

Now the mission can begin to study this mysterious water-loaded planet (estimated to have more water than all the Earth's oceans), including the bright spots on its surface. It seems as though we know more about exoplanets light years away than this nearby neighbor. That is about to change.

Noteworthy Quote: Time to Leave the Planet

"I believe that the long term future of the human race must be space and that it represents an important life insurance for our future survival, as it could prevent the disappearance of humanity by colonising other planets." 

-- Dr. Stephen Hawking's statement at London’s Science Museum as reported in The Independent. 

Is the Earth the Best of All Possible Worlds?

The search for exoplanets continues, with some very interesting recent discoveries, including 11.2 billion year old planets (though the Hubble space telescope identified a 13 billion year old planet back in 2003) and planetary ring systems that is 200 times the size of Saturn's ring system.

Now Rene Heller, in a Scientific American magazine article titled "Better Than Earth," asks whether planets elsewhere may be better homes for life than our Earth.  In fact, her article notes that Earth is "poised near the inner edge of the sun's habitable zone and will become too hot to harbor liquid water in some 1.75 billion years."  This may sound like a long time, but M and K dwarf stars would have offered habitable zones that could last tens of billions of years. 

The article notes that the best time to be on Earth may have been 300 million years ago when Earth was warmer, wetter, and more oxygen-rich.  We live on a much less habitable Earth, and it may not get any better.  We would be even better on an Earth about twice the size of our current planet since it would have more inner heat, allowing the planet to last longer and benefit from a longer-lasting sun.

Hence, the galaxy offers us many options, some of which may be even better than our current situation.  And we still have 1.75 billion years to figure out how to relocate to these new worlds.  That should give us a good start.