NASA Outsources To High School

Source: NASA

You may have heard something of the recent Japanese unmanned spacecraft Hayabusha that was destroyed while in orbit above the Australian outback in order to retrieve its precious contents (the first ever harvested asteroid material).

What you may not have known those responsible for recording the planned detonation of the Hayabusha were a few high schoolers and their science teacher. Turns out the students were out of the loop assuming that what they were working on was just another school assignment and they didn't find out it was actually the real deal until 6 months into the project.

High school science teacher and expert in "optical observations, tracking, and spectroscopy" Ron Dantowitz had actually been tapped by NASA to record "The Hayabusa Re-entry Airborne Observing Campaign" and he figured it was time to introduce a few of his students to the wonderful world of applied sciences.

So the hypothetical science project turned real culminated in the students boarding a NASA DC-8 plane after months of work to record the Hayabusha event.

Here is the amazing footage that a few high school students captured; do your self a favor and watch it. Do it for the explosions but most of all do it for science!

Damn, I remember doing similar space related projects in middle school, like colonizing Mars and such. My astronauts almost always died.

How many brave souls lives were lost to my rushed miscalculations?! I need a drink ...

RIP Martian Lander

Source: Popular Science

One of the most successful unmanned missions to the Martian surface comes to a close with the end of the the Phoenix lander.

The lander, which essentially went into hibernation for the long Martian winter back in 2008 did not survive intact. As pictures from the Mars Odyssey orbiter proved last week that the solar panels had been damaged by ice buildup.

There was hope for continuing the Phoenix's mission if all had gone smoothly and while it is disappointing to see this conduit of information cease to function it has been invaluable in it's research. One of the most astonishing discoveries of the mission was that of the Martian soil, which is similar to what is found here on Earth and should have the ability to sustain life.

That is cool and all but many (me) deemed completely unsuccessful as it failed to find even one, not even one, little green man.

While scientists continue to study the findings of the Phoenix mission they have already planned for the future. NASA doesn't like to waste time as late next year yet another lander, called Curiosity, will arrive to Mars to set up a small unmanned laboratory on the surface.

The Martian lander is dead, long live the Martian lander.

Simulated Mission to Mars

Source: Popular Science

You thought that cubicle farm at work sucked? Try being a member of the six man team of Russia's upcoming Mars mission simulation; it ain't no cakewalk I can assure you.

Last year Russia performed a 105 day Mars mission abbreviated simulation with great success, and now they aim to up the ante with a full length simulated journey to the red planet.

The first two intrepid crew members have just been announced; one Romain Charles of France and a Columbian-Italian by the name of Diego Urbina. Still to be determined by the end of this month are the three Russian Cosmonauts and a Chinese Taikonaut. No official word on why there aren't any Americans in on this, but either NASA does its own thing or the European Space Agency saw Harland Williams magnum opus Rocketman.

"Blast off" is slated for the 3rd of next month and the simulation will last, get this, 548 days. That is 18 months of isolation in confined quarters. 1.5 years imprisoned in a do it yourself Mars in box. The majority of the simulation will be spent within the 20,000 square foot spacecraft itself, which for six people it not exactly spacious. To think, I used to get cabin fever just sitting in my dorm room ...

The year and a half long mission will take place in a larger simulation container, located in Moscow, consisting not only a spacecraft to simulate the journey but everything that will be involved in an actual Martian mission. The sealed container will be fully equipped with a landing craft and a model of Martian landscape capable of simulating the actual trip to the surface of Mars culminating in a spacewalk that well be a welcomed treat for the few crew members that get to escape the ship for a short while.

No word yet on if they expect to find Val Kilmer or Don Cheadle on the surface. But if I had to guess I would go with Kilmer. It could possibly explain his absence from the big screen for the past few years.

The emphasis on reality is obviously a key component to creating a successful simulation and the European Space Agency isn't cutting corners. Hell, there will even be a 20 minute delay in communications just like in a real mission. They will also throw them the occasional curveballs, as in the life threatening kind, just to keep them on their toes. I guess this means if and when one of the crew members loses and throws the rest of the team out of the airlock it will be to late to salvage the mission.

Here's hoping foreign relations don't get too strained ...